We often receive WRAP AROUNDs from students of the Bible–all in different stages of Bible study and no two in absolute agreement.  This is understandable since they are all attempting to understand the WORD of an all-powerful, omnipresent, all-knowing GOD who has said that His thought are as far above ours as the heavens are above the earth!  We appreciate their sharing their studies with us for we know that the recording of their studies helps to organizes their thoughts in their minds.  But before we look at a couple such WRAPs, we'd like to share with all students of the Bible the following Scriptures with our comments.

II Timothy 2:15
Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

Note the very important reason for all Bible study: i.e., it is not to become an "expert" so that we can have the approval of man, but to show ourselves approved unto God that He might be able to use us in His harvest!!!

I Corinthians 2:
4 And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:
5 That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.
6 Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought:
7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:
8 Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.
11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.
12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.

Also note that we are to compare things taught by the Spirit with other truths given by the Spirit–not to compare the teachings of various men, nor to compare the teachings of any man to the Bible.

It is too bad that the leaders of the many denominations and cults do not apply these principles of Bible study; for if they did, they would soon be in agreement and there would be no need of the many man-made institutions with their differing, conflicting dogmas! 

For the following WRAP, we've put up just enough of the lengthy study so that you can pray as the Spirit leads.

Alfred P WROTE

Using subtitles to transition from one point to another, I will prove the double entendre in Mat 16:18 is an elegant Janus Parallelism on PETROS. Please pardon any lack of writing skill.

"Thou art PETROS and upon this PETROS I will build"

-hypothetical Aramaic speech of Christ in Mat 16:18

"You are PETROS-Firstborn (of the divine revelation of Me)

and upon this (revelation) THE PETROS (the life giving rock) I will build my church."..................................

............................Greetings

We have never met, and I'm not responding to anything you may have written or said.

My name is Alfred Persson, amateur researcher and lay apologist for Christ, aka "LetsObeyChrist".

While researching Mat 16:18 I happened upon earlier German scholarship an Aramaic PETROS meaning "firstborn" existed in Christ's day. That was the missing piece of the puzzle; ambiguity vanished.

Now the veil over Romans 10:8ff is removed, its Paul's take on Peter's confession in Mat 16:17, Peter is the first of those who called upon the Name of the LORD, after the Divine Word was gifted to him. No need to go to heaven, to bring God's truth down from above, or travel to the deep, to bring it up from its hiding place, because the God in whom we live and move and have our being, will Himself put the life gushing PETRA in our mouth and in our heart:

6 But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:)

7 Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.)

8 But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;

9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

(Rom 10:6-10 KJV)

To make the PETRA known is why the Bible was written:

..........................................................................

B'Ann Wrote:

It is evident from your writings that you want to know more about the Scriptures. Yet, we need to remember why Jesus came to the Earth.  It was to tell us that He was starting a new church that would be open to all men on a "whosoever will" basis

Acts 17:30 - And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:

There was confusion about Petros/Peter.  One religious sect made him a saint and taught the doctrine of celibacy or not marrying.  Yet, the Scriptures do declare this of Peter:

Matthew 8:14 - And when Jesus was come into Peter's house, he saw his wife's mother laid, and sick of a fever.

1 Corinthians 9:5 - Have we not power to lead about a sister, a wife, as well as other apostles, and as the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas?

John 1:42 - And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone.

To learn about the life and discipleship of Peter is very important.  But we need to always remember the real reason that Jesus came to the Earth. It is my hope that you will always include an evangelistic message in everyone of your writings.

Matthew 28:19 - Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

Mark 16:15 - And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

May God richly bless you in your study of His Word.

B'Ann Wrote Again:

Consider: The Bible says:

John 21:25 - And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen.

We humans often think that we have attained some great wisdom when a particular verse or passage is revealed to us. If we studied diligently all our lives, we would only be able to learn a part of what Jesus came to teach. We need to be careful that we don't fall into the snare of pride, i.e., pride in our understanding of the Scriptures, pride in building a large church organization, pride in successful fundraising...  These are all empty unless we follow the command given to us in the New Testament which is:

Matthew 28:19 - Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

Mark 16:15 - And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

When we follow this commandment; then, we are fulfilling the Scriptures and more understanding of the Scriptures will be added unto to us to help us harvest even more for the Lord's Kingdom.  The Gifts of Wisdom, Discernment, Administration, etc., will be in place as we need them.  Why would God give these gifts to those that would be building a club, an organization, a sect, or an institution?  This is the way those in the world function; but it is by winning souls and filling the church pews with Spirit filled believers that the Cause of Christ is carried forward from generation to generation. We are not a business, a club, an institution, a cult, a sect ... but a group of called-out people.  Why do some churches seem to fail?  Could it be because after they have harvested an area, they do not move on to the next harvest.  We need meeting houses where Christians can meet and uphold one another, but if there is not a harvest of new souls; then, perhaps the buildings need to be vacated and the people need to get about the Lord's business. Coming and sitting on the church pews for an hour or two on Sunday morning; Sunday night; and perhaps, Wednesday night is not a reasonable service: and Christians everywhere need to know that such behavior can only lead to the great falling away.

Acts 8:4 - Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word

Hebrews 10:25 - Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

Romans 12:1 - I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

Did not Christ says:

Luke 10:2b - ... The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest.

DON WROTE:

MORE WRAP AROUNDS