#VerseByVerseBibleStudy: #John3Sixteen - Describing How Christians 'Never #Perish' @ShepherdsChapel @theBibleHub @CARMorg @Wikipedia

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I like Shepherd's Chapel—not necessarily because I agree with 'everything they teach,' but because they "firmly base" everything they teach (and I don't mean that the way most Bible-teachers mean it–"it's all God's Word, so that proves it!" or something–but they identify 'the specific cause' of each-and-every teaching ...

(i.e. they don't just prove every 'truth' with "because The Bible says-so, so it's 'The Word of God!'" but they check every 'truth' ("Chapter-by-Chapter, Verse-by-Verse") with the current 'proof that God provides!')

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I've 'surfed across' CARM's collection of vlogs denying of Shepherd's Chapel's teachings (I haven't watched them all yet, but my long-run hope is that they'll help 'prove The Faith as the forge-fire proves the worthy blade').

But 'what little I've seen' of CARM's reaction to Shepherd's Chapel is ... much like Christian's 'reaction' to Las Vegas, Nevada—stay away! or else they'll lure you in with their worldly knowledge ... ooooooo!...

And that's 'the forge-fire that destroys the unworthy blade-material.' The worthy part of Shepherd's Chapel's teachings—the study-method "Chapter-by-Chapter, Verse-by-Verse"–remains.

So I Take It starting here ... I ask myself, 'What's the most-important verse? The one "diamond" mined out of the Rock of The Bible?'

There are lots of important 'gems' (I'll link to discussions of further-down), but the one 'all the Christians know' (probably the first one we learned in Awana—sort-of-a 'Bible-Study Boy-Scouts') is John 3:16:

for God did so love the world, that His Son -- the only begotten -- He gave, that every one who is believing in him may not perish, but may have life age-during.

The context of that passage: it's Lord Jesus Christ, talking privately with one of the Jewish leaders (NOT one of The Twelve Disciples nor any of His followers ... and I don't know if He specifically mentioned 'the death & resurrection,' the 'going to Heaven if you believe,' the 'going to Hell if you don't believe'—things which I'm pretty-sure Christians add to their mind-canon to try to understand 'the pillars of The Church' (the traditional beliefs church-members repeat)).

But 'the worthy blade' that is produced: Believe, and you won't perish among the Believers. Oh, millions of believers have "died," but "Christian cemetery" isn't 'an oxymoron' because ...

'That word' (below-hyperlinked to Shepherd's Chapel's teachings on the Gospel-book of John) is built on an even-deeper source ... something crucial that firms the foundation upon which our lexicon stands ...

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The word “Perish (Greek ἀπόληται, or apolētai)” is built on ancient words that mean "Through, Completely (unto Elimination) + to Go" (the Greek is translated "be Killed," Destroy, Lose).

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I guess I'm taking their 'Chapter-by-Chapter & Verse-by-Verse' all the way down to "Word-by-Word!"

Starting with:

Genesis 1:2 - where Shepherd's Chapel (Arnold & Dennis Murray, et al.) insert the 'untold eons' that most Bible-teachers miss.

Luke 1:41 - where Shepherd's Chapel finds the first 'December-the-25th'-celebration.

I hear CARM's speaking of SC's Modalism (the belief that God is 'one being in three (or more) different forms' rather than 'three beings in one union') and–while I'm pretty-sure 'Modalism' is right (at least for 'the purposes of today's believers')–I immediately think of several crucial passages in which it's important that God's trinity is 'separate beings'—actually, just one ... Matthew 3:16-17, where (1) The Holy Spirit 'Dove' descends on (2, totally separate) Jesus, and (3, also totally separate) Our Father declares that Jesus is "My Son, in whom I am well-pleased."

... and many other 'difference between orthodoxy & Shepherd's Chapel'—all-of-which CARM et al. can 'take down' by pointing out one-or-two direct-quotes from Scripture. Defending Shepherd's Chapel against 'the dissenters,' I would point out Matthew 4:1-11 where Satan gives Jesus 'direct quotes' to test Him.

Well, Satan only tried one quote; whereas Jesus answered all three temptations with Scripture. But I'm sticking with Shepherd's Chapel, because ... sort of 'a hidden truth' that Shepherd's Chapel announces in the introduction of every episode of their broadcast: they call The Bible "God's love-letter to you" (they might not say "love" there or on any of the TV-broadcasts; but "God is love!" so how could any 'letter from him' not be 'a love-letter'?)

I don't know that I've written-or-read a lot of love-letters, but I don't think 'historical accuracy' is a defining quality of the letter. Oh, none of the love-letters out-&-out "lie" (if they're sincere love-letters); but 'what one wishes to give one's lover' is not necessarily 'what one has the power to give to one's lover.'

The love-letter is more 'a declaration of one's love (often illustrated by metaphors of "what one would give to save the other's life").'

Know anything else interesting about that? Comment!