The Highway Forums General Discussion Theology Discussion Forum Warfare

It is a trap.
Got to see my nephew last night, he is a marine, a good person, very brave. Hope that he never hears those four words-“It is a trap."

In the Old Testament physical warfare is what is discussed while in the New Testament it is spiritual warfare. To me it is interesting how the Author of the two Testaments is able to transition from the physical to the spiritual, it is as though He is in complete control, (but of course, He is in control). The reason that I bring this up is because when dealing with the “Truth” the enemy sets traps in hopes of doing some damage.

Ai in the Old Testament is a good example of a trap. They didn’t think that they needed to be filled with the Spirit before they went up against that city. Boy were they wrong. If they would have only discussed it with the Lord first then we might not have even heard of Ai.

Things are not always so straight forward in the New Testament. Here we are dealing with a different set of eyes. It is like driving along in your car and then suddenly being engulfed in a thick fog and not being able to turn around. You know that you have been here before but nothing looks familiar. Peter hung out with gentile believers. Then after spending some time in Jerusalem he wouldn’t be friends with the gentiles. The gentiles didn’t change, things just got kind of foggy for Peter. I am so glad that the fog lifted because Peter sure made a great Apostle.

Hi glew,

What traps have you encountered recently, if any, that you would warn against?

Going to church.

Interesting. ... Now why is that a trap?

To answer the question we could stay with the Apostle Peter a post or two-

Should we think that all it took to sway Peter was a few fast talking Judaizers? Peter spent between three and four years full time with Jesus. He witnessed the Passion, saw Jesus ascend to the Right Hand. What did the Judaizers have on Peter?

I'm afraid I'm not sure how this answers my question. Can you please explain plainly what it is you are getting at?

We are speaking plainly-

In Jerusalem Peter went to church and he came out against the gentile believers. You asked how going to church is a trap and I am answering you plainly.

Let’s try it this way-

My wife and I along with my two little daughters moved into an old farm house out in the country. After a while it became just outside of town. Then shortly it became part of a giant housing addition. So we moved. But when we first got there it was country like me. The first cold night I looked out the back window and there on the porch was a poor black shivering cat. So I went out to it but it ran. After repeating these steps a couple of times I got the bright idea to set some warm milk out. Kitty Boston, (for that is what my girls called her) came to the milk. Then when I came out she stayed and I petted her and she purred and we became fast friends. That next summer I noticed that when I went across the barn lot to get my lawnmower that people driving by in their cars would slow down pointing and staring at me. I thought this funny so after a while I asked my wife what was going on and she said that Kitty Boston was following me with her tail sticking straight up and that it sure was a funny sight.

Weeks later my wife and I were cleaning out the garage and heard a faint quack quack out in the side yard. Believe it or not it was a little stray baby duck, (mother and siblings were nowhere to be found). I told my wife to leave it but she got a box and bought duck feed and place the little bird in the garage. I tried to explain to her that the duck would probably not eat or drink as it only had eyes for its mother. And the poor thing did finally expire.

Still later Kitty Boston brought one of her children to visit me. Now this domesticated animal had never been around humans and really it acted like it had a dual personality. It wanted to be with me and Kitty Boston but I could only pick up the kitten in great peril to myself.

Let me share one other story and then I will finish-

Had a conversation with a fine Christian elderly lady last weekend and I asked her why she had been such a devout Pentecostal for these last ten years. She answered that having come from a badly broken home that while she was a young person the only stability in her life was the youth group at a particular Pentecostal church and that after a failed marriage of twenty-five years she was drawn to her childhood stability.

And the moral of these true to life little stories is that there is such of a thing as “imprinting”. I am sure that the same thing happened to Peter and all the apostles including Paul. That the religious institution of their childhood imprinted itself on them and it claimed ownership. It is no different today as human nature does not change so easily.

I'll let others be the judge of that; from my perspective, what you have said has been a bit of a riddle to tease out. So I'm glad you are now speaking a little more plainly, since you didn't make explicit the connection between going to church and Peter's problems.


I don't know where it says that Peter went to church and then afterward wouldn't eat with Gentiles. Maybe you can direct me to the verse? I do know that when Peter came to Antioch, after some "men from James" arrived, he wouldn't eat with the Gentiles, "fearing those from the circumcision." Now since this would require him to refrain even from taking the Lord's Supper with the Gentiles in the church at Antioch, well, he wasn't really going to church in Antioch, now was he? Or at least he was only attending a small meeting with the Judaizers. But Paul rebuked him on that account, so I do believe Peter ever after was fine attending church with Gentile believers.


Your stories are interesting but I don't see how they are especially relevant for explaining how "going to church," in particular, is a trap. Certainly, going to church can be a trap, particularly with wrong motives in play or if the church is not spiritually healthy. But that doesn't make "going to church" a trap in itself.

Kyle,
I am unfamiliar with quoting respondents here but this is a quote from your last-

“I don't know where it says that Peter went to church and then afterward wouldn't eat with Gentiles. Maybe you can direct me to the verse? I do know that when Peter came to Antioch, after some "men from James" arrived, he wouldn't eat with the Gentiles, "fearing those from the circumcision." Now since this would require him to refrain even from taking the Lord's Supper with the Gentiles in the church at Antioch, well, he wasn't really going to church in Antioch, now was he? Or at least he was only attending a small meeting with the Judaizers. But Paul rebuked him on that account, so I do believe Peter ever after was fine attending church with Gentile believers.”

The first sentence in the above says something about Peter refusing to “eat with the Gentiles”.

(Where did this come from?) This question is a rhetorical from me, it does not need an answer and it is not sarcasm.

But here is a question that does need to be studied-
After Paul’s conversion where did he go and why?
Here is another-
The majority of Old Testament Prophets-where did they come from and why?

There is in the "Welcome" PM you received when you first joined here a link to the FAQ section. In the FAQ see the question: "What UBBCode can I use in my posts?". Near the bottom of the list of 'tags' you can use, you will see two ways to quote someone.

The easiest way to quote someone you are replying to is to simply click on the "Quote" button located at the bottom of the person's text. This will open a reply window with the other person's post enclosed in the quote tags. You can then delete unwanted portions so that only the relevant portion is quoted.

Also, if you choose to use the "Full Screen Reply" window there is a full range of features available to use including manually entering a quote. Just click on the button with the ".

The "Quick Quote" button quotes the other person's text but uses the "Quick Reply" window that doesn't have all the features included in the "Full Screen Reply", e.g., bold, italic, underline font color, font size inserting images, etc.

Finally I think that I see where Kyle is coming from. If I say the word “church” then he must think that I mean every church everywhere. And if I say “Ai” then he must think that I mean all cities everywhere. So if I say “Peter” then that must mean all believers everywhere. So if Kyle says “dinner” then he must mean all food everywhere. Hmmmm.

(By the way, thanks for the tech info Pilgrim,
Andy)

The term can mean that. Usually it means exactly that when the word is capitalized. But it's hard to tell what you mean between your improper syntax and the random flight of ideas in your posts.

But insulting Kyle was over the top, dude. I think you owe Kyle an apology. It's really hard to take you seriously when you don't debate seriously and your posts wander from topic to topic. But adding little barbs and insulting jabs to your replies does nothing for your argument (if you were actually making one - I honestly can't tell), much less your credibility.

-Robin

I am not insulting Kyle, only discussing. The word in question can indeed have more than one meaning and it is important to clear that up. Actually Kyle is right, every church everywhere is the intended meaning. So as Kyle is asking-
How is it possible for the enemy to enter “every church everywhere” and set his trap?

That was not Kyle's question (and you still have not answered it). Kyle simply asked you to explain what you meant by describing "going to church" as a trap.

If the only thing you meant by that was that "the devil goes to church," I'd agree with that.

-Robin
(who thinks you should apologize to Kyle anyway)

Kyle didn't ask that question and your question doesn't answer it.

As for YOUR question, "How is it possible for the enemy to enter “every church everywhere” and set his trap?", I have to assume from your use of the word "his" as modifying "enemy" you are either referring to a particular kind of human or Satan. And, I'm going to risk it and go with Satan. Okay, assuming that you are referring to Satan, then the answer to your question is, it is impossible for the enemy to enter every church everywhere because only God is Omnipresent.

And, for the record, I'm still confused as to what your point really is, e.g., what is this "trap" you speak of? Sorry, but I have not been able to follow your posts with much of any comprehension. I certainly can't agree that Peter somehow got "trapped" by going to church. But anyway..... I'm waiting for you to answer Kyle's question.