I need help Christinas with Rebuking/judging evil?

Question

Say someone is sefl rightoues , ect too rebuke that evil you have to say

" dont be self rightoues , that comes from weaknes , for the flesh is weak , you cant except something so you have too make it as it aint that bad and you become self rightoues and thats very dangoeurs because when you do evil you think its ok etc etc etc "


But in doing that im judging , and i reretibly am not rooted in like other bretherns who or rooted in , in not judgin peole and do it sub consiously that is not judging .


I also feel that pepole for the most part mis interpret in The Holy Bible where it saids "Judge not an you wont be judged" its not saying dont judge its saying that , youll be judged as you judeg others


I also read in the ld testament you shouldnt rebuke someone older that you, becuase i think that would be like belittleing him .


So i dont know how to rebuke !!


Also ins psalms it saids dont correct a f

ool becuase he will dispise you for it. (and beleve me that is so true ! fo i was like that regretably .) But that wouldnt be loving your bretheren !

An maybe its not saying not too correct a fool but its just saying what would happen if you correct a fool .

Answer 1

Should We Never Judge?


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"Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment"; and "You have rightly judged."; and "Yes, and why, even of yourselves, do you not judge what is right?"; and "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves". (Jesus' Words in John 7:24; Luke 7:43, 12:57 and Matt. 23:15)


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Summary

There is an extremely serious error that is being believed by the vast majority of people caught up in christian religion. This error is literally making those folks unwilling and unable to discern truth. And what is this error? It is believing that all "judgment" is wrong. If this is true, then what is to be made of Jesus' Words above? In the verses above, Jesus clearly commands people to judge, commends people for judging, and judges himself.

The key point to understand is that not all judgment is wrong, just various types of judgment. The types of judgment that are wrong according to Jesus are condemnation, as well as hypocritical and self-righteous judgment. On the other hand, right judgment is commended by Jesus as we see above. Right judgment includes the judging of truth versus falsehood. The sincere, serious and sober judgment of our own sins, as well as the gentle, and compassionate judgment and correction of other's beliefs or sins.


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What is the matter with 'judging'?

Tragically, Satan is doing a masterful job in christianity's organizations in regard to confusing people over the issue of "judgment". People have been lead to believe that it is "un-loving" to correct someone who is in error, whether by word or deed. Certainly many have contributed to Satan's lie of "don't judge anyone" by being harsh, ungracious or unmerciful in their judgments. It is easy for a person - after being excoriated by a modern day Pharisee who is telling them that they are going to hell if they don't believe something that Jesus doesn't even address - to be pushed to believe that all "judgment" is wrong.

In like manner, many more have contributed to Satan's lie by taking the position that anything said to correct someone, no matter how gently done, is "ungracious" or unloving. These folks are the counterfeit believers who dogmatically state that all judgment is wrong (except their own of course!), especially the kind that points out the falsehoods they are believing. I can't count how many times have I heard the accusation, "oh, brother, you should not say that those who believe the doctrine's of the christian church are in error - that is judging them and Jesus says we are not to judge others. You are being divisive by your judgment. You need to come to an understanding of Jesus' love…" Notice how I am judged as "un-loving" comparing Christianities beliefs with Jesus' Words. I could be the kindest, most gentle, caring, compassionate, giving, selfless person on the planet (which I am not), but if I believe that the teachings of christianity lead people away from Jesus, then I am judged as "un-loving" and usually much worse. Ironic, isn't it? That when I try to point out how a teaching of Jesus contradicts a doctrine of christianity, I will be judged as a heretic or worse? So, while I try to look at a belief that someone holds, and they don't like the truth that I might be bringing, they are only too quick to break their own "don't be judgmental" belief to condemn my person.

Guess who is being judged as un-loving and divisive in these last days? The True and Real Jesus himself is being judged as un-loving and divisive, for he said, "I am the Way, the truth and the Life, and no one comes to the Father except through Me" (John 14:6). Of course the Jesus that christianity creates is approved however.

'Watch out - you better not judge'

Surely you have either been accused yourself, or have been the accuser, saying to someone something like, "you had better be careful, brother, you are judging someone and Jesus says we are not to judge". Normally, this response comes when you have said (or have heard someone say) something that is perceived as negative (in reality probably corrective) about some person or belief or event or organization.

The truth is we all make judgments all the time. If you see a man beating up a young child, you will make a judgment that his behavior is wrong and needs to be stopped. If you hear a person say something you perceive as negative about your mother or children, then you will immediately judge that person's words! If you decide not to go into a certain neighborhood during the evening hours, then you are making a judgment. As you listen to some preacher say that God commands you this night to give your entire savings account to his ministry, you will make a judgment. As you are reading my words in this article, you are judging them against your understanding of what is truth. This is a good thing, for the Lord commands it (John 4:24, 8:32), and it is part of the rational mind that God gave us to seek truth.

Telling people not to judge is irrational, for in doing so, you yourself have judged their words or actions, and that is why you told them not to judge! As soon as you tell someone not to judge, you yourself have judged their opinion or judgment as somehow wrong. This can make for an irrational go around of accusations of 'you better not judge'. The real issue that must be recognized before the emotions get too impassioned, is what is the truth regarding the matter at hand. Instead of accusing one another of 'judging', what should happen is the more spiritually mature person should ask the all important question, "what does Jesus say in regard to this issue?" This is always the proper way out from accusations of "judge not". Sadly, in many circumstances, those accusing another of 'judging' are not interested in what Jesus has to say, but rather in protecting their own incorrect opinions or tightly held traditions of men of which christianity is full.

How to Judge the Lord's Way

How do we untangle this mess about "judging"? The solution is not difficult to understand, but it is difficult to live by. If you will remember and live by these next four principles of Jesus regarding judgment, you will be walking according to the Lord's mercy and truth in this extremely important matter of "judging".

First, we are to judge all things (people's behavior and words/beliefs) against Jesus' Words, for Jesus, who is the Word of God, is the standard of truth (John 14:6; 17:17).
(In regard to this first principle of judging, it is extremely important to distinguish between a person's beliefs/doctrine versus their amoral behaviors or physical characteristics. We are to carefully judge all beliefs against Jesus' teachings, and we are NOT to judge people's amoral behavior. Amoral behavior means non-faith customs, traditions, ceremonies or actions that have no moral or spiritual implication. For example, the way someone brushes their teeth, or how or what someone eats, or the manner of their speaking, etc. We are also not to judge someone's physical appearance i.e. their body shape, skin color or facial structure.)

Second, when judging other's behaviors and words, we are to be careful that we are not committing similar sins or errors (Matt. 7:1-6). To be correcting someone for a sin that we have not gained control over (by the power of the Holy Spirit) is hypocritical.
Third, we are to be slow to judge and quick to listen and to forgive (Matt. 7:1-6, 6:14-15).
Fourth and finally, we are not to condemn anyone as hopelessly beyond the reach of God's mercy (Luke 6:37). The follower of Jesus should never tell someone, "you're going to end up in hell, period". Not even Jesus - the only one to ascend into heaven (John 3:13), and thus could justly give that judgment, and who certainly knew many people who were going to end up in hell - brought that condemnation.
'Well, O.K, but we are not to judge the heart…'

Oftentimes, when trying to point out to someone that someone's beliefs might be wrong, and they don't want to hear that their favorite teacher is leading them away from Jesus, they will say, 'Oh, but we are not to judge the heart'. Now, even if you said nothing about the person's "heart", or the organization's leader's motivations, many people will still try to force you to stop exposing the falsehood by using this emotional battering ram. Who wants to condemn someone's heart? No one, and we shouldn't regarding how the mercy of God might minister to them at the moment or in the future. In addition, we certainly are not to judge the motives of men's hearts, for only the Lord knows for certain the 'why' of someone's actions or words (Jer. 17:9; Matt. 13:28-30; Luke 8:17, 16:15; John 2:24, 25). But, dear reader, this does not mean we are not to correct then, or point out that their thought (or "heart") on the matter, is sinful. For Jesus says, "But the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and those defile the man." (Matthew 15:18) If I am defiling myself before God and am ignorant about it, I would appreciate someone telling me so that I could stop!

Let us take a look at a few men other than Jesus who made some pretty serious judgments in the New Testament.

First, the sent one Peter said to a man named Simon, "Your money perish with you, because you thought that the gift of God could be purchased with money! You have neither part nor portion in this matter, for your heart is not right in the sight of God…For I see that you are poisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity." (Acts 8:20-23)

Now, for the 'don't judge the heart' folks, it appears Peter is sinning here. But if a person believes that all scripture is "God's Word", then that person would have to reconcile their "don't judge the heart" belief with this statement of Peter. Peter clearly says, "…for your heart is not right in the sight of God…" Cleary, Peter is "judging the heart" of Simon in this passage. Peter must have had these words of Jesus in mind in this situation: "But the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and those defile the man." (Matthew 15:18). When Peter saw Simon's actions, and heard the words of Simon's mouth, he could make a correct judgment about the man's heart i.e. that it was "not right in the sight of God". He judged the fruit, not the unspoken motivation. We should keep Jesus' command in Matt. 7:1-6 close to our heart before making such a judgment.

Peter makes a similar judgment in Acts 5:4 against a man named Ananias. In that case, he said to Ananias, "Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit…Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God." Again, we see Peter judging a man's actions and words to arrive at a judgment regarding the man's heart - and quite a strong judgment at that i.e. "…Satan filled your heart…" Again, this author is not saying that Peter's actions were right. But what I am saying is that for those who believe both the doctrine of biblical inerrancy; and the popular doctrine of "don't judge a person's heart"; that these texts provide contradictions for those who hold both those beliefs.

Twisting Jesus' Words: Matthew 7:1-2

Probably the most mis-interpreted and thus the most mis-understood verse on this matter of judgment is Matt. 7:1-6. Here, Jesus gives us His command regarding the wrong type of judgment - the judgment in hypocrisy. Jesus says, "Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me remove the speck from your eye'; and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye. Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces." Let us examine these verses a little more closely.

The reason these verses have so much force behind them is because they are spoken by the the Father's beloved only begotton Son. Jesus can condemn hypocrisy perfectly and soundly because of who he is - the sinless Son of God. Thus, when we read his words here, we should be heavily impacted by them and desire to be slow to judge people (Jesus in Matt. 5-7 is giving commands to his disciples, and in 7:3 says "your brother's eye"). However, what is equally clear is that Jesus doesn't contradict himself, and yet he clearly, on other occasions, commanded men to make judgments (John 7:24; Luke 7:43, 12:57). If you interpret his Words as meaning "You are not to judge", then Jesus clearly broke His own command on numerous occasions (Matt. 23, John 8). If you believe this, then his breaking his own commands would make him a hypocrite, and thus would disqualify him from being God's Messiah. If you are a true follower of Jesus, then you will not end up at this conclusion and will seek a little deeper.

The key verse and word for understanding Matt. 7:1-6 properly is found in verse 5, and that word is "hypocrite". If you recall the four points of judgment given above, Jesus is addressing point number two here, the second most important point. Jesus is dealing with hypocritical judgment in these verses. It addresses one of our biggest problems as people who retain the sinful nature. We are so quick to judge others more strictly than we judge ourselves. Our own sins always look so much worse on other people! [link to Ignoring the One You Love?] If we stop and solemnly examine our own walk before the Lord, we should arrive at the conclusion that to avoid hypocrisy, we really ought to be slow to judge! This problem cannot be overstated too much. In fact, it is the primary problem stemming from our pride, which leads us to walk according to our flesh rather than abiding in the Son.

In fact, the main point Jesus wants us to understand from these verses is that we are not to judge hypocritically, and thus we are to judge slowly, patiently and mercifully. However, these verses certainly do not teach that we are never to try and correct those who are erring. This truth is born out by two important phrases in these verses. First, verse 5 which states, "Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye." Obviously Jesus is allowing for humble, compassionate judgment here by saying that after you understand your own struggle with sin, THEN you can help your brother with his sin. Again, his whole point is that we are not to judge hypocritically or self-righteously.

The second point that reinforces the fact that Jesus does not condemn all judgment in these verses in Matt. 7, is verse 6. It is a curious verse seemingly out of place after verse 5 and before verse 7, but it is in just the right place. It is a follow up on verse 5. What it is teaching is that if you do approach your brother - the one mentioned in verse 5 with the speck in his eye - with humility and true compassionate love, and he/she rejects your gentle correction, then they are to be avoided as those disregarding the Lord's commands and yet claiming to be his disciples. The implication of this is far reaching - I hope the reader meditates on this truth until he/she understands it.

This principle is the same one Jesus states in the upcoming Matt. 18:15ff. In Matt. 18:15ff, the Lord lays out the type of discipline that is to be occurring within the local Families of believers. In summary, the principle is that if someone calling themselves a follower of Jesus, is involved in unrepentant sin, then that person is to be corrected with increasing levels of earnestness. If that person rejects the attempts of the other disciples to bring correction, then they are to be avoided, in as much as they are to be treated as, "heathen and tax collectors" (Matt.18:17). Matt. 7:6 has the same meaning as Matt. 18:17. Thus, at the end of the "judgment" passage, Jesus teaches we are to stay away from whose who say they are his disciples, yet who reject him and his ways.

In summary, those who are quick to castigate someone with Matt. 7:1-2 must do so by wrenching the scripture out of context and ignoring the following verses 3 - 6. This is most unfortunate, and might be a sign that the individual who does so is not walking in the Lord's truth and holiness.

Conclusion

Truth cannot be found without searching for it. Logic is useless if people are unwilling to take a few steps into the argument to find the truth. All truth that is eternally important is found in Jesus' Words and truth is understood and received by the enlightenment of the Spirit. Jesus was so concerned about the truth that He said regarding himself, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." Jesus was so concerned about the truth that He said regarding the Holy Spirit, "However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak, and He will tell you things to come." (John 16:13). Jesus was so concerned about the truth that He said regarding His Father, "Sanctify them by Your truth. Your Word is truth." (John 17:17) Jesus was so concerned about the truth that He said regarding his salvation, "If you abide in My Word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."

It is remarkable that a brief article like this had to be written - that those professing to believe in the one who says he is the Truth - are believing that all correction of a person's doctrine or belief is sinful 'judgmentalism'. This article has proved from Jesus' Words that this irrational position of 'judge nothing' is wrong. The truth is that the false gospel of self esteem preached by so many psychologizers of the faith, has contributed heavily to believing the falsehood that all 'judgment' is wrong. The psychologizers have labeled all corrective judgment as "negative" or "harsh" or their favorite, "un-loving". The only type of judgment approved by the psychologizers is "positive" or "uplifting" or "encouraging" "advise"[link to Can 'Christian' Psychology Help Me?]. Yes, believers are to encourage one another IN THE FAITH, for there is far too little encouraging of one another. Yet we cannot follow Jesus without a love for him and for his Words which he says are the Truth.

Blindness and confusion reign these days in christian religion. How we ought to have a strong passion and desire to avoid being the object of these Words of the Son of the Father, "depart from Me, for I never knew you".

He who has ears to hear, let him hear.


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Answer 2

There is a difference between rebuking behavior and judging a person's soul.

The Bible says not to judge another person's soul. Not only is it not your job, but no human is a competent judge.

Discerning that a Christian's behavior is errant or that his or her priorities are disordered is not passing judgment upon his or her soul. It is calling attention to possible pitfalls.

What you do is you approach someone in a spirit of love and helpfulness. If you can't approach them lovingly, then pray to God that he teach you how. If you can approach them lovingly, then you can proceed in a useful manner.

You can start by acknowledging your kinship with them in Christ. Also acknowledge that you believe they are on the path seeking God's will and his truth. Then point out that you have observed that their behavior, or attitude, or whatever it is with regard to a certain thing seems to you to be misguided. Ask if they are aware of this behavior/attitude of theirs. Ask them if they believe that it is God's will for their life. See what they say back to you. The person may surprise you and say something to the effect of, "I have been struggling with this very thing and have been seeking God's strength in overcoming it." Or they may be completely surprised. Who knows?

In any event, you can then point out passages of Scripture that describe their behavior or attitude, and also point out passages that reveal ways to overcome the very things that are troubling the person. It is all in the Bible...all you need to do is find it. If you bring the fellow Christian the Word from God, that will be most useful. That is, if you focus on God's Word, not your particular wants, then you have done a service. If you find yourself bickering, or trying to force YOUR will, then you are doing a disservice.

As for rebuking those who are older than you, you could begin this way: "I have observed something in your life that I have questions about." If they invite further conversation, describe what you have seen. And then ask, "May I make a suggestion?" or something similar. If they say "yes," go to it. If they say "no," then ultimately you may need to step out. Or you could just acknowledge something like, "I know that I am younger than you are, and you may feel prideful that a younger person is approaching you about this, but I really feel the need to point this out to you."

Before you go rebuking anyone, though, be sure that you are fortified by God's Word regarding that person's behavior and your own motivations.

Answer 3

We are called in Romans to remind each other when we are straying from God's path. In love, we speak softly to that person to show them they are going wrong. That is different from judging and calling someone 'bad'. Only God can judge that. We are here to support each other in times of trial and straying. Show Bible passages that backup your concerns. Just make sure that is all you comment on to others (and only to Christians - you can't impact non-Christians with this talk, instead, they need to hear the Good News and you can teach them the rest after they accept it).

Answer 4

Why not rather walk in love and forgiveness and pray for them to become humble. Rebuking and correcting usually come from the leaders/pastors and our job is to encourage and pray for each other. Walk in the Spirit and let God show your brother in Christ how to walk in Christ's righteousness. It sounds like he needs more teaching on grace vs. works. Once again, that would be the pastors responsibility to teach on that subject from the word of God.

Answer 5

Just like driving there are rules to follow. If you break the law then you deserved to be cited. Same concept applies to work behavior, being a citizen in any government, private groups, and religion.

If you smell like poo and I tell you why can't you just smell yourself instead of crying about being judge?

Answer 6

take the plank out of your own eyes before attempting to take the SPECK out of your neighbors Oh and im not christian, i find them offensive and immature.

Answer 7

rebuke with love, rebuke the sin, and warn the sinner but love the sinner.

Answer 8

Youre not supposed to judge others, if you do you will be judged harshly.

Answer 9

Lectio Divina is Latin for “spiritual reading” and represents an early monastic technique of prayer which continues in practice though less widely, intended to achieve communion with God as well as providing special spiritual insights and peace from that experience. It is a way of praying with Scripture that calls one to study, ponder, listen and, finally, pray from God's Word.



History
Lectio Divina was first expressed in the year 220 AD. It was found that to read the Bible profitably it is necessary to do so with attention, consistency and prayer. The systematization of “spiritual reading” into four steps dates back to the 12th century. Around 1150, Guigo II, a Carthusian monk, wrote a book entitled “The Monk’s Ladder” (Scala Claustralium) wherein he set out the theory of the four rungs: reading, meditation, prayer and contemplation. In 2005, Pope Benedict XVI stated, “This is the ladder by which the monks ascend from earth to heaven.”

Method
Lectio is typically practiced daily for one continuous hour. A selection from the Holy Scriptures is chosen ahead of time, often as a daily progression through a particular book of the Bible.

Time
Selecting a time for lectio divina is important. Typical methods are to pray for one hour in the morning, or to divide it into two half-hour periods, one in the morning and one in the evening. The key is to pre-select the time that will be devoted to the prayer, and to keep it. Using the same time every day leads to a daily habit of prayer that becomes highly effective.

Place
The place for prayer is to be free from distractions. This means it should be isolated from other people, telephones, visual distractions, etc. Some find a religious icon to be helpful. The same place should be used for lectio if possible, especially as one first begins to practice it. Familiarity with a location reduces the possibility of distraction away from the prayer. Some practitioners conduct other devotions, such as praying before the Catholic Eucharist, as a preparation for Lectio Divina.

Preparation
Prior to reading, it is important to engage in a transitional activity that takes one from the normal state of mind to a more contemplative and prayerful state. A few moments of deep, regular breathing and a short prayer inviting the Holy Spirit to guide the prayer time helps to set the tone and improve the effectiveness of the lectio.

Once the stage is set it is time to begin the prayer. There are four phases of the prayer, which do not necessarily progress in an ordered fashion. One may move between different phases of the prayer very freely as the Spirit guides.

The Four Moments
Lectio
Read the passage several times.

Meditatio
Reflect on the text of the passage, thinking about how to apply to one's own life. Gravitate to any particular phrase or word that seems to be of particular import. This should not be confused with exegesis, but is a very personal reading of the Scripture and application to one's own life.

Oratio
Respond to the passage by opening the heart to God. This is not primarily an intellectual exercise, but more of the beginning of a conversation with God.

Contemplatio
Listen to God. This is a freeing oneself from one's own thoughts, both mundane and holy. It is about hearing God talk to us. Opening our mind, heart and soul to the influence of God. Any conversation must allow for both sides to communicate, and this most unfamiliar act is allowing oneself to be open to hearing God speak.


Many Christians begin to learn about the Trinity through knowledge of Baptism. This is also a starting point for others in comprehending why the doctrine matters to so many Christians, even though the doctrine itself teaches that the being of God is beyond complete comprehension. The Apostles' Creed and the Nicene Creed are structured around profession of the Trinity, and are solemnly professed by converts to Christianity when they receive baptism, and in the Church's liturgy, particularly when celebrating the Eucharist. One or both of these creeds are often used as brief summations of Christian faith by mainstream denominations.

One God
God is one, and the Godhead a single being: The Hebrew Scriptures lift this one article of faith above others, and surround it with stern warnings against departure from this central issue of faith, and of faithfulness to the covenant God had made with them. "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD" (Deuteronomy 6:4) (the Shema), "Thou shalt have no other gods before me" (Deuteronomy 5:7) and, "Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel and his redeemer the LORD of hosts: I am the first and I am the last; and beside me there is no God." (Isaiah 44:6). Any formulation of an article of faith which does not insist that God is solitary, that divides worship between God and any other, or that imagines God coming into existence rather than being God eternally, is not capable of directing people toward the knowledge of God, according to the trinitarian understanding of the Old Testament. The same insistence is found in the New Testament: "...there is none other God but one" (1 Corinthians 8:4). The "other gods" warned against are therefore not gods at all, but substitutes for God, and so are, according to St. Paul, simply mythological or are demons.

So, in the trinitarian view, the common conception which thinks of the Father and Christ as two separate beings, is incorrect. The central, and crucial affirmation of Christian faith is that there is one savior, God, and one salvation, manifest in Jesus Christ, to which there is access only because of the Holy Spirit. The God of the Old is still the same as the God of the New. In Christianity, it is understood that statements about a solitary god are intended to distinguish the Hebraic understanding from the polytheistic view, which see divine power as shared by several separate beings, beings which can, and do, disagree and have conflicts with each other. The concept of Many comprising One is quite visible in the Gospel of John, chapter 17, verses 20 through 23.

God exists in three persons

The "Shield of the Trinity" or "Scutum Fidei" diagram of traditional Western Christian symbolism.This one God however exists in three persons, or in the Greek hypostases. God has but a single divine nature. Chalcedonians — Catholics, Orthodox, and Protestants — hold that, in addition, the Second Person of the Trinity — God the Son, Jesus — assumed human nature, so that he has two natures (and hence two wills), and is really and fully both true God and true human.

In the Trinity, the Three are said to be co-equal and co-eternal, one in essence, nature, power, action, and will. However, as laid out in the Athanasian Creed, only the Father is unbegotten and non-proceeding. The Son is begotten from (or "generated by") the Father. The Spirit proceeds from the Father (or from the Father and through the Son ).
It has been stated that because God exists in three persons, God has always loved, and there has always existed perfectly harmonious communion between the three persons of the Trinity. One consequence of this teaching is that God could not have created Man in order to have someone to talk to or to love: God "already" enjoyed personal communion; being perfect, He did not create Man because of any lack or inadequacy He had.
Another consequence, according to Rev. Thomas Hopko, is that if God were not a trinity, He could not have loved prior to creating other beings on whom to bestow his love. Thus we find God saying in Genesis 1:26, "Let us make man in our image." For trinitarians, emphasis in Genesis 1:26 is on the plurality in the Deity, and in 1:27 on the unity of the divine Essence.
The singleness of God's being and the multiplicity of the Divine Persons together account for the nature of Christian salvation, and disclose the gift of eternal life. "Through the Son we have access to the Father in one Spirit" (Ephesians 2:18). Communion with the Father is the goal of the Christian faith and is eternal life. It is given to humans through the Divine union with humanity in Jesus Christ who, although fully God, died for sinners "in the flesh" to accomplish their redemption, and this forgiveness, restoration, and friendship with God is made accessible through the gift to the Church of the Holy Spirit, who, being God, knows the Divine Essence intimately and leads and empowers the Christian to fulfill the will of God. Thus, this doctrine touches on every aspect of the trinitarian Christian's faith and life; and this explains why it has been so earnestly contended for, throughout Christian history.


"I and the Father are one" (Jn 10:30)

"He who has seen me has seen the Father" (Jn 14:9).

John 14:16,26; 15:26; 16:7 - the Father and the Son send the Counselor, the Holy Spirit -

Isaiah 9:6 - the Counselor is Mighty God.

1 Cor. 12:4-6 - there are varieties of gifts but the same Spirit, varieties of service but the same Lord, varieties of working but same God.


Prayer is offered to a person in two ways: first, as to be fulfilled by him, secondly, as to be obtained through him. On the first way we offer prayer to God alone, since all our prayers ought to be directed to the acquisition of grace and glory, which God alone gives, according to Psalm 83:12, "The Lord will give grace and glory." But in the second way we pray to the saints, whether angels or men, not that God may through them know our petitions, but that our prayers may be effective through their prayers and merits. Hence it is written (Apocalypse 8:4) that "the smoke of the incense," namely "the prayers of the saints ascended up before God." This is also clear from the very style employed by the Church in praying: since we beseech the Blessed Trinity "to have mercy on us," while we ask any of the saints "to pray for us."

The Holy Bible Douay-Rheims Version

With Challoner Revisions 1749-52
1899 Edition of the John Murphy Company

IMPRIMATUR:
James Cardinal Gibbons, Archbishop of Baltimore, September 1, 1899.

Pope Damasus assembled the first list of books of the Bible at the Roman Council in 382 A.D. He commissioned St. Jerome to translate the original Greek and Hebrew texts into Latin, which became known as the Latin Vulgate Bible and was declared by the Church to be the only authentic and official version, in 1546.

The DR New Testament was first published by the English College at Rheims in 1582 A.D. The DR Old Testament was first published by the English College at Douay in 1609 A.D. The first King James Version was not published until 1611. This online DRV contains all 73 books, including the seven Deutero-Canonical books (erroneously called Apocrypha by Protestants). These seven books were included in the 1611 KJV, but not in later KJV Bibles.

The whole Douay-Rheims Bible was revised and diligently compared with the Latin Vulgate by Bishop Richard Challoner in 1749-1752 A.D. The notes included in the text were written by Dr. Challoner.

The DR Bible was photographically reproduced from the 1899 edition of the John Murphy Company, Baltimore, Maryland, by Tan Books in 1971. Eventually, this edition was optically scanned to produce a large text file which this publisher used for creating this website, with the aid of text-processing software.

One important goal of this project was to preserve the original text "as is", without making any changes in the wording, because the original text had the Imprimatur of James Cardinal Gibbons, Archbishop of Baltimore, dated Sept 1st 1899.

The text file was checked quite thoroughly by software written by the publisher for punctuation errors and verses out of order. The index was humanly checked for misspelled words and the corrections were made to the text. However, some spelling errors may still be present in the text. Many verses were out of order in the original file. These have been corrected.

Every effort was made to ensure that this online version is an exact match to the original printed version. No words were added or ommitted from the text, except for correcting errors caused by the scanning process. No words were rearranged. No verse numbers were changed, except in the case of Psalm 9.

Psalm 9 originally contained 21 verses and there were 2 versions of Psalm 10, numbering 1-18 and 1-8. This obviously caused a conflict, so it was decided to make the first Psalm 10 as the last part of Psalm 9 and renumber the verses 22-39. This retains the same numbering as all the Douay Rheims. Note, in the Protestant Bibles the numbering of Psalms 10 through 146 differs by one.

The Holy Bible Douay-Rheims Version

With Challoner Revisions 1749-52
1899 Edition of the John Murphy Company

IMPRIMATUR:
James Cardinal Gibbons, Archbishop of Baltimore, September 1, 1899.

Pope Damasus assembled the first list of books of the Bible at the Roman Council in 382 A.D. He commissioned St. Jerome to translate the original Greek and Hebrew texts into Latin, which became known as the Latin Vulgate Bible and was declared by the Church to be the only authentic and official version, in 1546.

The DR New Testament was first published by the English College at Rheims in 1582 A.D. The DR Old Testament was first published by the English College at Douay in 1609 A.D. The first King James Version was not published until 1611. This online DRV contains all 73 books, including the seven Deutero-Canonical books (erroneously called Apocrypha by Protestants). These seven books were included in the 1611 KJV, but not in later KJV Bibles.

The whole Douay-Rheims Bible was revised and diligently compared with the Latin Vulgate by Bishop Richard Challoner in 1749-1752 A.D. The notes included in the text were written by Dr. Challoner.

The DR Bible was photographically reproduced from the 1899 edition of the John Murphy Company, Baltimore, Maryland, by Tan Books in 1971. Eventually, this edition was optically scanned to produce a large text file which this publisher used for creating this website, with the aid of text-processing software.

One important goal of this project was to preserve the original text "as is", without making any changes in the wording, because the original text had the Imprimatur of James Cardinal Gibbons, Archbishop of Baltimore, dated Sept 1st 1899.

The text file was checked quite thoroughly by software written by the publisher for punctuation errors and verses out of order. The index was humanly checked for misspelled words and the corrections were made to the text. However, some spelling errors may still be present in the text. Many verses were out of order in the original file. These have been corrected.

Every effort was made to ensure that this online version is an exact match to the original printed version. No words were added or ommitted from the text, except for correcting errors caused by the scanning process. No words were rearranged. No verse numbers were changed, except in the case of Psalm 9.

Psalm 9 originally contained 21 verses and there were 2 versions of Psalm 10, numbering 1-18 and 1-8. This obviously caused a conflict, so it was decided to make the first Psalm 10 as the last part of Psalm 9 and renumber the verses 22-39. This retains the same numbering as all the Douay Rheims. Note, in the Protestant Bibles the numbering of Psalms 10 through 146 differs by one.