The New John Gill Exposition of the Bible
saying, save yourselves from this untoward generation:
meaning, the chief priests, Scribes, and Pharisees, and elders of the people, chiefly, who were a perverse generation of men; and upon whom, for their impenitence and unbelief, for their rejection of the Messiah, and their evil treatment of him, wrath and ruin would come upon them, to the uttermost, very quickly; wherefore the apostle exhorts to separate from them, and not partake of their sins, lest they should also of their plagues; but come out from among them, and so, in a temporal sense, save themselves from the destruction that would quickly come on their nation, city, and temple; and so the Arabic version renders it, "escape from this rough generation".
Glenn said...
What you say above means one cannot save themselves. I think you know the context of Acts 2:40.
If the Republican Guard in Baghdad wants to save themselves, then they must separate themselves from Saddam H. That is the context of Acts 2:40.
Uhhh... whatever happened to "salvation by grace through faith, plus nothing, minus nothing?" You've also said, "I use the term salvation in a common sense way. I use the term to mean I have had my sins forgiven and the Holy Spirit lives within me." You are now contradicting yourself because you said, "If the Republican Guard in Baghdad wants to save themselves, then they must separate themselves from Saddam!" Your suggesting salvation through WORKS for the Republican Guard in Baghdad, and I must disagree with you on this point, for Ephesians 2:8-9 says:
For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)
But that is followed IMMEDIATELY by:
Are you suggesting that the rest of us can be saved by separating ourselves from Saddam as well, or does this LAW apply only to the Republican Guard in Baghdad?
-- slade
