Pearls before Swine, Dusting off ones feet, and be ready to defend.

JimiTime

This may have been discussed many moons ago, but I thought I'd raise it up again.

Is it Paul who says we should be prepared to defend the gospel and answer questions etc? Not sure if that is even a good paraphrase of what he taught, maybe a more learned Christian could clarify?

The question is, at what point are we to dust off our feet? Who are the swine or the dogs that Jesus talks about? How do we put these advices into practice?

My own interpretation once was, that it was about motivation. However, 'swine', and 'dogs' are very strong metephors.

Would love to hear your thoughts.

homer911

JimiTime wrote: »

This may have been discussed many moons ago, but I thought I'd raise it up again.

Is it Paul who says we should be prepared to defend the gospel and answer questions etc? Not sure if that is even a good paraphrase of what he taught, maybe a more learned Christian could clarify?

The question is, at what point are we to dust off our feet? Who are the swine or the dogs that Jesus talks about? How do we put these advices into practice?

My own interpretation once was, that it was about motivation. However, 'swine', and 'dogs' are very strong metephors.

Would love to hear your thoughts.

My thoughts are that the Holy Spirit will guide you to that answer in His(?) own time, particularly if you pray about it. God calls us to witness for Him and share His word with others. Its up to the Holy Spirit to do the rest...

Satan would love us to waste our time on lost causes, and equally love us to move on too quickly where the ground is actually fertile! (sorry for all the metaphors)

Turtwig

homer911 wrote: »

My thoughts are that the Holy Spirit will guide you to that answer in His(?) own time, particularly if you pray about it. God calls us to witness for Him and share His word with others. Its up to the Holy Spirit to do the rest...

Satan would love us to waste our time on lost causes, and equally love us to move on too quickly where the ground is actually fertile! (sorry for all the metaphors)

The only lost cause is the person who is dead; everyone else is worthwhile and can still be found - their journey is just far more distant.:)

Zombrex

Rabbit hole alert

Genuine quick question, Christian response only not up for a big discussion back and forth discussion since rather OT

If it is up to the Holy spirit to "do the rest" as homer says (I assume that means enter the heart or something), what is the purpose of the gospels in relation to converting non-believers.

And if it is up to the gospels to demonstrate truth to non-believers, where does the other bit come in?

If God can and does demonstrate his existence and love through actions in the heart why bother with the gospels, why not just touch everyone you want to thus convincing them of his existence and love. And if for some reason he doesn't, if it is up to the gospels alone, why do some Christians think this is a factor

The middle ground of a bit from the gospels and then a bit from God himself seems unnecessarily odd to me.

Christian take on that?

JimiTime

homer911 wrote: »

My thoughts are that the Holy Spirit will guide you to that answer in His(?) own time, particularly if you pray about it. God calls us to witness for Him and share His word with others. Its up to the Holy Spirit to do the rest...

Then why give the advice?

Satan would love us to waste our time on lost causes, and equally love us to move on too quickly where the ground is actually fertile! (sorry for all the metaphors)

Precisely why I'm asking. The holy spirit does not work in me, and judging by most of the christians I meet, it does not 'seem' to work in them neither. (Going on the details of the gifts and fruits of spirit as descibed by Paul) I know alot of the bretheren say it does, I see little evidence of it though. Thats not to say I don't believe them, or think that they're lying. I just keep my skeptic hat on until I actually see the spirit working.
So I'd rather approach this advice on the grounds that it has been given to us to use, and discern. How does a person like me, who admittedly has faith in God and in his son, and in the Good News of the Kingdom, but has no Holy Spirit acting in me treat this advice? Due to the fact that I have no holy spirit, should I just shut up about it all as I'd likely stumble folk due to the fact I don't have the holy spirit to discern?

Soul Winner

JimiTime wrote: »

Precisely why I'm asking. The holy spirit does not work in me, and judging by most of the christians I meet, it does not 'seem' to work in them neither. (Going on the details of the gifts and fruits of spirit as descibed by Paul) I know alot of the bretheren say it does, I see little evidence of it though. Thats not to say I don't believe them, or think that they're lying. I just keep my skeptic hat on until I actually see the spirit working. So I'd rather approach this advice on the grounds that it has been given to us to use, and discern. How does a person like me, who admittedly has faith in God and in his son, and in the Good News of the Kingdom, but has no Holy Spirit acting in me treat this advice? Due to the fact that I have no holy spirit, should I just shut up about it all as I'd likely stumble folk due to the fact I don't have the holy spirit to discern?

You don't have to feel the Spirit in you in order for it to be working in you Jimi. You say that you believe in God and in His Son Jesus but that would be impossible without the Spirit guiding you in the first place. Jesus said that no man comes to Him unless the Father draws him and He spoke of the Father as being Spirit. So by the very fact that you are even interested in the subject of God reveals that you are drawn of the Spirit. You cannot fake this for too long, if the spirit wasn't working in you then Christinaity is the last thing you'd be interested in. "The natural man receives not the things of the spirit, for they are foolishness unto him, because they are spiritually discerned." I wouldn't be too quick to judge that about yourself.

Soul Winner

JimiTime wrote: »

This may have been discussed many moons ago, but I thought I'd raise it up again.

Is it Paul who says we should be prepared to defend the gospel and answer questions etc? Not sure if that is even a good paraphrase of what he taught, maybe a more learned Christian could clarify?

It was actually Peter who said it:

"But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear." 1 Peter 3:15

But Paul did do it all the time. He went into synagogue after synagogue, Mars Hill, Rome and so on...

JimiTime wrote: »

The question is, at what point are we to dust off our feet? Who are the swine or the dogs that Jesus talks about? How do we put these advices into practice?

The point at which we dust off our feet is the moment a person does not accept the Gospel but we are all guilty of throwing our pearls before swine. Now it might look like that is a slur to those who don't accept Christianity in its various erroneous perceptions of many, but it is not. Swine have no regard for Pearls, they do not see the value that pearls have in a human setting. Same with people who do not see the real value of what Christ did for them. Once they hear the Gospel (which is that Christ died for them because He loved them that much) then what else can you do save but dust off your feet? You can't get oil from a dry well.

JimiTime wrote: »

My own interpretation once was, that it was about motivation. However, 'swine', and 'dogs' are very strong metephors.

Would love to hear your thoughts.

They are strong metaphors but when you understand that there are only used to give an analogy then they make sense. You could use the same analogy for people who receive normal gifts in the natural. Some receive them with joy and gladness that someone thought about them like that and others see nothing in the fact that someone thought enough about them to buy them a gift. Ever hear the phrase 'its the thought that counts'? Well from God's point of view, anyone rejecting the gift that His Son paid so dearly to give can only be looked upon as like a dog or swine who simply cannot appreciate such a precious gift as that. I think it is a really good analogy for these poor souls, to view what Jesus did for us with contempt is a the most heinous of sins IMO, and to be analogized with dogs and swine is to insult those species. Imagine what God feels?

chozometroid

I think we should just make sure the person at least hears the truth as best we know it(guided by the Spirit), in case they have some misconceptions. If at that point the person shows no interest, it might be time to move on. There are reasons we talk to some people, even if they seem unreceptive. It is sowing a seed. I always get discouraged about how some people reject religion/Christianity so completely, but I don't really know what is going on in that person's mind or life, so it's not up to my judgment to decide if they are a waste of time or not.
What we say to each other can make a lasting impression. I'm sure we can all agree on this.