Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Is John 1:14 Mistranslated?

One of the most famous verses, in the Bible, John 1:14 has been debated over the centuries. On one side, the verse has been translated, from the original languages as:

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

While the other side insists that the verse is translated as:

And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.


One declares the divinity of the Messiah, while the other states that the Messiah was created.

Which one is correct?

Well, the word, in question, is "ginomai". It means "to come into being". It can be an active or passive verb, in the Greek. However, how is it being used here. If we go to the writer, who is the Apostle John, then we find that he used it consistently as an active verb, ocassionally using it as a passive verb. For example, he used the word "ginomai", in John 1:3, in the active voice, while switching to the passive voice, in verse 6, then back to active, in verses 10, 12 and 14.

Translators agree that John used the active voice, every time he talked about the Word of God, except, for some reason, in John 1:14....an so the debate continues.

However, may I suggest that almost every time he talks about the Word of God, he references Genesis 1. If so, why would he change, in verse 14? If you look at Genesis 1, Bara and Asah are the equivalent Hebrew words to the Greek, "Ginomai". Bara and Asah means to create, either out of nothing or available elements.

As a side note, the Hebrew also has "Yatsar", which means to create out of available already created things.

Bottom line: In the Beginning, Bara, Asah and even Yatsar, are used as active verbs. Therefore, it should be translated as such, even in the Greek.

With all that said, it brings us back to the original question. Which one is correct? Is it passive, as most translators insist or active, as portrayed in the Genesis ?

Well, if we use the available tools God has given us, we can easily perform a basic Word for Word translation and find the truth. John 1:14 is translated as:

Even so, the Word created a living creature, a body of a man, subject to suffering and desires and dwelled among us and we beheld his glory. The glory of the only one born of the Father, thoroughly permeated with merciful kindness and what is true in things appertaining to God and the duties of man, moral and religious truth.

Yes, this created man had and has the fullness of God dwelling within him, but also had the frailties and compacity to sin, if he chose to, which makes what he did of the cross, so amazing and wonderful of full of Agape. That man, the only begotten Son of God, was so committed to the Will of God, that he freely went to the Cross, to die as a Sin Offering for us all. Amen!

In the end, it's your choice to decide, whether ginomai is active or passive, in John 1:14. May I suggest reading it in context and with the whole of scripture in mind? 

Search out the Truth, for Yourself.

Shalom!

45 comments:

  1. Keith, don’t get hung up about whether the Word WAS made flesh, or the Word BECAME flesh.
    Either way is correct.

    And the Bible doesn't say, “The Word created flesh”.

    Not that that would be wrong, but it is not in the Bible. So, don’t speculate, but believe that my Father the Lord Jesus Christ became flesh, or was made flesh.

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  2. Just to add; He wasn't made flesh by someone else, by another god who is NOT deity.

    It was my Father who caused Himself to be born into His own creation, so that He could dwell among us as the only begotten Son of God, full of grace and truth.

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  3. And whosoever believes in Him, that is in my Father the Lord Jesus Christ, shall not perish, but have everlasting life.

    No, it doesn't mean that you can believe in your god Yahweh and have everlasting life.

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  4. Keith, Consistency, my friend, consistency. John wouldn't have changed. From the book of Genesis to Revelation, God's word is unchanging. It makes perfect sense. If it's created in the beginning then it will always be created. It's also Satan's plan. He knows that all he has to do is change one little thing to make it false. It's important to get back to the original meaning.

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  5. "Don't get hung up about....." Wow Paul, I'm sure that's exactly what Satan said to Eve.

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  6. Chris, you said, “God's word is unchanging. It makes perfect sense. If it's created in the beginning then it will always be created.”

    You don’t make any sense, WHAT do you think is created from the beginning ?

    Be specific and don't assume.

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  7. Hi Keith,
    I could have a full discussion here but I would simply say Yes, that is why Y'shua said 'My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me. Yet not as I will, but as YOU will.'
    Matthew ch. 26 v. 39

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  8. No Brenda, Y’shua did NOT say that.

    It was my Father the Lord Jesus Christ who said that. Just read the Bible Brenda, the Bible is the Word of God and you ought to honour His Word.
    Please read verse 36 “Then JESUS came ….”.
    Let it be known to you, JESUS is the Christ, and NOT Y’shua, and don’t pervert the Word of God.

    I know that all of you Jehovah Witnesses, or Yahweh Witnesses always pervert the Word of God. It seems to me that you must hate the Name of my Father the Lord Jesus Christ, I can see that in all of your writings.

    In your ignorance, you always set my Father the Lord Jesus Christ on the back-burner and elevate another one to be your god.

    I think we all know who that other one is, don’t we ?
    Yes Brenda, it is the devil !
    Satan is the one who said, Isaiah 14:13-14 ‘I will sit on the mount of the assembly, ….. I will make myself like the Most High’....

    And you are portraying my Father the Lord God Almighty, the creator of heaven and earth Jesus Christ as the one who is pleading with another one to let this cup pass from my Father the Lord Jesus Christ.

    And don’t say, that is what the Bible said.

    Remember;
    Deception !
    Once the deception has been conceived, all reasoning has been surrendered by the individuals and Satan uses Scripture metaphors to justify and strengthen his stronghold to keep his subjects under a strong delusion.
    When the Name of God has been divided, the only Name of God which is Jesus Christ (Acts 4:12) has become uncertain and God now has begot many names, and even titles and descriptions have now become NAMES for their gods who are many, unknown and fluctuating concepts.
    All rationality has become subject under Satan's power of deception and supported by Scriptural metaphors.
    Metaphors have become realities and are subject to every wind of doctrine.
    By Paul G.

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  9. Well, nobody says anything good about my Father the Lord Jesus Christ. Not even an ‘amen’.

    Yet you all claim to believe in a man called Y’shua, a name NOT even once mentioned in the Word of God.
    And then you say, Y’shua / Jesus, as that kind of speech would justify your perversion of the Scriptures.

    Don’t you know, you supposed to glorify my Father the Lord Jesus Christ, and NOT tear Him down and assign Him a place among sinners.

    I think you don’t know my Father the Lord Jesus Christ at all. It is obviously clear that you don’t like my Father and neither do you like His son, (I do not speak metaphorically).

    We are not debating whether a man is saved by grace or saved by works, but we are debating the fundamental question of ALL Christianity, whether my Father the Lord Jesus Christ is the ONLY ONE who is Deity, and NO OTHER !
    By that I mean, no other who is called Yahweh and no other who is called Y’shua.

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  10. Well, there is only one thing left for all of you Yahweh Witnesses, you need to REPENT, and then believe in my Father the Lord Jesus Christ and then you shall be saved.

    And show forth the fruit of your repentance, which is CONFESSING Jesus Christ before men, so that all men will know that you are my disciples, says the Lord.

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  11. So, what is it going to be ?

    Is there anyone among you who wants to turn to my Father the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved ?

    There is salvation in no one else.
    My Father the Lord Jesus Christ made it easy for everyone to be saved.
    Remember, my Father the Lord Jesus Christ is patient and long-suffering, wishing that none would perish, but all to be saved.

    The first step for anyone who wants to be saved is to BELIEVE in the Lord Jesus Christ.
    ‘BELIEVE’, only in the Lord Jesus Christ and in no one else.

    That is the fundamental teaching of My Father the Lord Jesus Christ.

    It’s NOT complicated, but you must abandon any other god who stands in between you and my Father the Lord Jesus Christ.
    And then you must confess your new and only God the Lord Jesus Christ before men, that means right here on this blog and everywhere else, and to everyone you meet etc.

    And don’t worry what the other pagans think and even say.
    And don’t wait until the eleventh hour, when you are called on the tenth hour.

    Remember, myriads of angels rejoicing over every sinner who repents.

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  12. Still no response ? Not even a little amen ?

    OK, a story;
    My Father the Lord Jesus Christ arranged a banquet table full of food of every kind and healing for everyone, and He sent out all of His faithful witnesses to the utmost parts of the world.
    He told them, ‘make it easy for everyone to come to the banquet, and don’t load them down with burdens they can’t carry; low I will be with you forever, I will never leave you nor forsake you’.

    So the faithful witnesses went out and proclaimed the Word of their Father the Lord Jesus Christ to everyone they met.
    Saying repent and believe in my Father the Lord Jesus Christ and come to the banquet and you shall be healed and satisfied.

    But the Jehovah's Witnesses and the Yahweh Witnesses and the Allah Witnesses etc. said, “NO, we are NOT going to believe in your father Jesus, we believe in our own god, and we are calling him Jehovah, Yahweh and Allah etc. and in his son Y’shua.”

    And the church builders said, “Yes Lord, but we are busy building your Church Lord. We are making lots of money and expanding your Church, and we are having numerous conventions and church-growing strategies to build more and more Churches for you Lord.”

    And the do gooders also said, “Yes Lord, see, we are the only ones who are working hard, having the prison ministries, the soup Kitchen and witnessing nights etc. etc.”

    And the dregs of society, the pagans, harlots, liars, murderers, fornicators, paedophiles and the corrupt have their own excuses why they will not come to my Fathers banquet.

    But amazingly some out of every group responded to the call of My Father the Lord Jesus Christ and they entered the banquet.

    Then the faithful witnesses said to my Father, ‘Lord, why is that, that only a few out of every group of society have come to the banquet.’
    My Father said, “Remember, the whole world lies under the power of the evil one, and they all have been held captive in the kingdom of darkness to do his will. They can’t make the first step, because they have been held captive.
    Only when they hear my voice, their shackles will be released and they will come and be satisfied and be healed.”

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  13. Cute made up story, Paul. Let me give you one from the Word of God.

    There were ten virgins who, night after night, day after day, waited for their bridegroom. Some stayed faithful and pursued God, while the others got bogged down in their day to day, spouting the word of God, as they saw it rather than pursuing God daily through his Word. In the end, only those who stayed, faithful to the Word of God, were allowed into the wedding and welcome to the side of the Lord.

    The Word of God is our witness, Paul. It's time that you get back to it and receive the blessings thereof, or perish with the disobedient virgins, who thought they would be part of the wedding through just saying the name of the Lord.

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  14. Thanks, Chris. Yes, the Word of God is consisant and reliable througout. the Word of God Creates. It's Pure and Simple, if you read the Word of God.

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  15. Hi Brenda, yes, to read it any other way would lead to confusion. Please continue to pray for Paul and others like him.

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    1. I will Keith,
      whatever I hear from that written Word as it is spoken to me daily I endeavour to act upon.

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  16. Yes Keith, that is a story, but every Hare Krishna disciple thinks that you are talking about his god Krishna.
    Likewise every Islamist thinks that you are talking about his god Allah, and of course YOU, you think and you know that you are talking about your god Yahweh.

    What a shame, you have left out the testimony of my Father the Lord Jesus Christ, remember, He is the ONLY true God of the Bible (Jude 1:25). Any other god is an impostor, a false god, and a devil.

    What would my Father the Lord Jesus Christ think about that ?
    If you want to know, perhaps just ask Him.

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  17. Paul, how many times do people have to say that they believe in one God. You and others may believe in other gods, but there is only one. Even in the Bible, he goes by Adonai, El Shaddai, El Elyon, and many others. However, it is the same God, YHWH.

    Allah, Krishna and all the others that you elevate above the one and only God, Yah, are just figments of your imagination. If your read the Bible, you would know that.

    The one and only God, Yah, Gadol Ehyeh (The Great I AM), loved us so much, that he provided his one and only begotten Son, Y'shua/Jesus, a the ultimate perfect sacrificial covering for our sins/disobedience.

    He did that by creating a perfect body, to be nurtured by a virgin, according to prophecy, and putting his fullness in this perfect body.

    This perfect body, which had a free will and spirit of his own, was obedience unto his sacrificial death upon the altar of Yah. It had to be a human body, with the freedom to disobey, because God is Just and only requires the blood of a kinsman, for restitution. That perfect body with Y'shua/Jesus.

    In one of the most saddest love stories to ever play out, our Father withdrew himself, from the sacrificial lamb, and placed the sins of mankind upon Y'shua/Jesus.

    My living testimony is the same for all true believers. I Praise God every single day for Y'shua/Jesus. Even though God has given glory to Y'shua/Jesus, it is God who gets the full glory.

    Let us praise God for his glorious grace, for the free gift he gave us in his dear Son! (Ephesians 1:6)

    Proclaim YAH’s unfailing love; Praise him for all he has done for us. (Isaiah 63:7)

    Y'shua/Jesus answered, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. If you had known Me, you would know My Father as well. From now on you do know Him and have seen Him.”

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  18. Very well put Keith, the written truth.

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    1. Thanks, Brenda! May God continue to Bless you and the Family and May God Lead you into allTruth.

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    2. Hi Keith,
      that is exactly what Y'shua said the Father would send the Holy Spirit for - to lead us into all truth. I have to say that since I was born again of the Holy Spirit, after being baptised, I am being led into the whole truth by the Holy Spirit enlightening that written Word.
      God bless you and yours also Keith with the Holy Spirit's guidance. It is the only way we can learn God's ways and thoughts.

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  19. Keith, with all due respect, everything you have said is NOT TRUE.

    Yes, everybody says, “there is ONE God”.
    If there is ONE God, then tell me, WHICH ONE ????

    I do not ask, which TWO, and neither do I ask which THREE, I ask WHICH ONE ?
    WHO is that ONE GOD ?

    Is it Krishna, or is it Jehovah, or perhaps, is it Allah ? or perhaps could it be Yahweh, or Buddha ?
    Tell me WHICH ONE ?

    Are THEY ALL together one God ? ARE THEY ?

    Listen Keith, make up your mind !
    And stop trying to confuse your many gods with many names and call all of them together ONE GOD.

    Blind Freddy can see that you don’t know the only ONE God who created the heavens and the earth which is my Father the Lord Jesus Christ, He is the ONLY ONE GOD there is.
    Isaiah 43:10-12 ‘Understand that I am He, Before Me there was no God formed, And there will be none after Me. I, even I, am the Lord, And there is no saviour besides Me.”

    Can you see, It’s NOT Yahweh, and it’s NOT Adoni, and neither is it your two Spanish gods El Shaddai and El Elyon.

    It is simply JESUS :-)
    It is my Father the Lord Jesus Christ and nobody else.

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  20. Keith, you said, “In one of the most saddest love stories to ever play out, our Father withdrew himself, from the sacrificial lamb, and placed the sins of mankind upon Y'shua/Jesus.”


    Keith, from where do you get this kind of trash story ?
    Did you get that garbage out of the book of Alibaba and the forty thieves ?


    The truth is, that it is my Father the Lord Jesus Christ who came into this world, and He paid for the sins of MANY; not for all, and NOT for everyone of mankind as you said.

    Look my friend, because you don’t believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, therefore it is impossible for you to understand any other doctrine of God.

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  21. Keith, you said, “The one and only God, Yah, Gadol Ehyeh (The Great I AM), loved us so much, that he provided his one and only begotten Son, Y'shua/Jesus, the ultimate perfect sacrificial covering for our sins/disobedience.”

    You gotta be kidding my friend.
    “The one and only God, Yah, Gadol Ehyeh (The Great I AM),”

    Before you said his name was Yahweh, and now say his name is Yah, Gadol Ehyeh, and tomorrow you say his name is Ehye Asher Ehye, and after tomorrow you say his name is ‘El Shaddi and El Elyon and Adoni etc. and then you say his name is God, or Father etc. titles which are NOT really names.


    My, O my, O may, my friend, you must have a serious confusion with your multiple gods and names.

    Where in the Bible is written, “that he provided his one and only begotten Son, Y'shua/Jesus,”?

    First of all, there isn’t a ‘Y’shua / Jesus’ in the Bible.
    In the Bible is only JESUS who is the Christ, and He is my Father the Lord Jesus Christ, and He did NOT PROVIDED anyone, He GAVE Himself.

    Did you get this story also from the book of Alibaba and the forty thieves ? :-)
    I recommend that you would read the Bible my friend.
    Only from the Bible you will get the truth.

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  22. Paul, it's the same God. All the names are attributes of God and are in the Bible. Even the name of Jesus, which is a latinized version of Y'shua, means Yah Saves or Yahweh is our salvation. You can keep denying it all you want, but you never search it out. That, my friend is on you.

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    1. Amen to what you have said regarding the written Word Keith, and sadly - what you have said about Paul. I too hope that he searches the scriptures to see if what he has said is true. That Word is the only plumb line, and it is a living Word which speaks to us daily through whatever situation we are in. We can not add or take away from that Word, and just as we do not say 'yes' and 'no' at the same time, neither does our heavenly Father YHWH, Who wants all to be saved and enabled reconciliation back to Him for all through the sacrificial Lamb Y'shua.

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    2. Brenda, I don’t think you know what you are talking about.
      When you say, “that Word, or, a living Word”; what do you mean by that ?

      Do you mean the Bible, the written Word, or do you mean the book of Alibaba and the forty thieves, or perhaps my Father the Lord Jesus Christ ?
      Or, do you mean one of your numerous gods, El Elyon ?

      Brenda, be clear and don’t use cliche talk.

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    3. The WORD that is WRITTEN in the Bible Paul.

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    4. Then tell me, where in the Bible is it WRITTEN, El Elyon, Y’shua, Yahweh, Ehye Asher Ehye, El Shaddi and Gadol Ehye ?

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  23. No Keith, it is NOT the same God, and those names are NOT attributes of the God in the Bible.
    By the way, which God of the Bible do you mean ?

    Those names are made up, and are NOT in the Bible.
    You took them out of the book of Alibaba and the forty thieves, but NOT from the Bible.
    And it’s all NOT true.

    Look my friend, if it is NOT my Father the Lord Jesus Christ, then it is NOT true and neither is it the TRUTH (John 14:6).

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  24. Paul, an intriguing statement, that God makes in Exodus 6:3. He tells us that he uses different names. Check it out, my friend. It says the same thing in English.

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  25. But the natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him; neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. 1 Corinthians ch. 2 v.14

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    1. Hey Brenda, I fully understand how someone can read over a section of the Bible very quickly and not catch what it actually says. However, when it is pointed out to them and they absolutely refuse to see what is plainly written, it has to be a deliberate act of ignorance.

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    2. That is right Keith, and I also believe that there is a time to refrain from speaking - especially when someone knows what is right and refuses to acknowledge it. There is a time to be silent and a time to speak. If someone refuses to accept the truth do we continue to say the same thing over and over again?

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  26. NO Keith, it doesn't say that.
    Just read it, Exodus 6:3 “And I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, AS GOD ALMIGHTY, but by My name, LORD, I did NOT make Myself known to them.”

    Can you see, He doesn’t use different names.

    In fact, nobody knew the Name of God throughout the Old Testament, till He was born into His own creation in the likeness of man.

    Abraham does rejoice with me that I call Jesus Christ my Father who is in heaven. Something Abraham could NEVER do in his days.

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  27. Paul, What do you think that

    “... by my name, YHWH” means?

    I know you acn read what it says and understand what is plainly written there.

    You’re being deliberately obtuse.

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  28. Keith, “... by my name YHWH”, means absolutely NOTHING !
    I say it again, ABSOLUTELY NOTHING !

    Open your Bible and read what my Father the Lord the Lord Jesus Christ told the sons of Israel, Exodus 3:14 God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM”; and He said, “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ “

    Now, read it again; that’s exactly what my God has said, and not what you said.

    You see Keith, my Father the Lord Jesus Christ is an intelligent God, and He doesn’t speak nonsense.

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  29. Keith, the sons of Israel did NOT believe in my Father the Lord Jesus Christ, and neither do you. Therefore my Father the Lord Jesus Christ sent me to you and to all pagan Christianity, saying, Acts 16:31 Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, you and your household.”

    Believe NOT, and you shall be damned.

    Keith, do you know what that means ?
    NO ! it does not mean that you can believe in a god called Yahweh.
    And neither can you believe in any OTHER name, for there is no other name given under heaven and earth.

    If you will not understand that, then you shall be damned.
    Do you want me to read it out for you ?
    That’s the Word of God my friend, WRITTEN for you so that you would repent and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.

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  30. I have seen and observed that when so called Christians have fallen away from the Lord Jesus Christ (which is called apostasy), they all without fail have become a cult.
    Slowly another god by the name of Yahweh, Jehovah, El Elyon or Gadol Ehye etc. has weaved himself in between the Lord Jesus Christ and the apostate.

    And this other god is actually Satan who has taken the place of God in his or her life, and it is Satan who has now preeminence in their life, leading them to destruction.

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  31. Hey my friend, are you still there ?
    Did I hurt your feelings ? :-o

    Well my friend, somebody needs to tell you the truth from the BIBLE, and that is like performing open heart surgery with no anaesthetic.

    Look my friend, your feelings will be hurt; but if you would repent and believe in my Father the Lord Jesus Christ, then you will be saved.

    The downside is, if you continually refuse to believe in my Father the Lord Jesus Christ, then you will perish.
    Remember, my Father the Lord Jesus Christ said, (John 8:24) “YOU will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.”

    And ignoring my Father the Lord Jesus Christ is NOT a good thing to do.

    So, what is it going to be, SALVATION or PERISH ?
    You have to make up your mind my friend.

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  32. Paul, we are over in the new post. I left you a link in your blog comment section.

    Please go to the following ling, to continue the discussion.

    Did Adam And Eve Die The Same Day They Sinned?

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  33. Yes I know Keith, I have left you a couple of comments over at my blog, comments you don’t like to answer :-)

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