As Christians, we are called to faithfully share the Gospel in truth and love.
We are not called to threaten or berate or mock or harangue or question others for their lack of belief.
No one can force another member to waste time on reading and responding to posts. We each decide which threads and posts take priority with our time.
Most prophets and witnesses of the past were disrespected (to say the least) during their lifetimes. That's nothing new or shocking, and nothing to complain about in our current witness. As it is, we are blessed to live in a country where we can publicly witness at all. Not all Christians have that opportunity.
Reba: As Christians, we are called to faithfully share the Gospel in truth and love.
TX: True. I've been questioning XD to try and figure out where he is coming from and I am guilty of trying to show him the folly of his arguments. I have been questioning him to try and understand him. I'm not sure if you have read all the way through this thread, but it would help you to better judge OG, myself and other believers who have made attempts to give XD, others a reasonable explanation for our beliefs. Not saying we have handled it perfectly.
Reba: We are not called to threaten or berate or mock or harangue or question others for their lack of belief.
TX: Personally, I don't think I've used any (harangue) lengthy or aggressive speech towards anyone. Passionate, maybe. I'll pray about it. I don't mock XD or others for their lack of belief, just for their constant (intellectually lazy) disrespectful behavior. In social media, this is known as being a troll. Also, he is a fan of 40cal. ;-)
Reba: No one can force another member to waste time on reading and responding to posts. We each decide which threads and posts take priority with our time.
TX: I certainly don't claim that XD or anyone else is forcing me to do anything. I am just trying to figure out what he is trying to accomplish with his behavior. Then I can determine how I want to precede.
Reba: Most prophets and witnesses of the past were disrespected (to say the least) during their lifetimes. That's nothing new or shocking, and nothing to complain about in our current witness. As it is, we are blessed to live in a country where we can publicly witness at all. Not all Christians have that opportunity.[/QUOTE]
TX: I'm not shocked. I appreciate your input. My wife complained to me that I was just casting pearls before swine. I thought I would ask XD a series of questions to find out if that was true. I care about his soul, but I don't want spend my time casting pearls in the wrong place. It sadden's me that he may spend eternity in hell. His heart is pretty hard at this point. I'm praying that God will soften it.
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Question: "What did Jesus mean when He said to 'not cast your pearls before swine' (Matthew 7:6)?"
Answer: "Do not cast your pearls before swine" is a portion of the Sermon on the Mount, and to understand its meaning, we have to understand its context and placement within the sermon. Christ had just finished instructing the crowd on judgment and reproof: “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you” (Matthew 7:1-2), and “You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye” (Matthew 7:5). Then in verse 6, Christ tempers these admonitions and shows us the difference between “judgment” and “discernment.”
The analogy of the dogs actually comes from Proverbs: “As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his folly” (Proverbs 26:11). Swine are also described in this way, as illustrated by Peter: “Of them [false prophets and teachers] the proverbs are true: ‘A dog returns to its vomit,’ and, ‘A sow that is washed goes back to her wallowing in the mud’” (2 Peter 2:22). The dogs and swine here are representative of those who would ridicule, reject, and blaspheme the gospel once it has been given to them. We are not to put forth the gospel of Jesus Christ in the direction of someone who has no other purpose than to trample it and return to his own evil ways. We identify such people through discernment, which is given in some measure to all Christians (1 Corinthians 2:15-16).
This does not mean we refrain from preaching the gospel. Jesus Himself ate with and taught sinners and tax collectors (Matthew 9:10). In essence, the instruction in Matthew 7:6 is the same that Jesus gave to His apostles when He said, “If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town” (Matthew 10:14). We are not to judge others, for we are guilty of the same things they are. Reserving judgment, however, does not prevent us from discerning those who would accept, or at least respect, the gospel from those who would ridicule, mock, and trample it, and then turn on us and abuse us. Balancing judgment with discernment is the wisdom of serpents Jesus refers to in Matthew 10:16.
What did Jesus mean when He said to "not cast your pearls before swine" (Matthew 7:6)?
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