SteveS sent me this to post. (Locked out by Linux) Be assimilated brother. Its painless.

In Matthew 6, it is “pros ton epithumesai” (sp) and “gunaikos” So, the translation should be something like “he who looks at another man’s wife in order to covet her has already committed adultery with her in his heart” “pros ton” has the force of “in order to” in Matthew, “epithumesai” is the same word used to translate “covet” whereas “lust” is an OE word translated “like”. Gunaikos would seem to mean specifically “married woman” as opposed to “gunai”, “parthenos” or
widow, or prostitute. This is clearer when cultural conditions are taken into consideration (the historical part of grammatical-historical) In keeping with the discourse, it could then be that Jesus was, as in the other elements of the Sermon on the Mount, reiterating what the Law really said, as opposed to the interpretations of the rabbis. Part of the whole “You have heard it said. . . but truly, truly, I say unto you” formula.
FWIW.

It is tricky to teach and be understood correctly about perseverance of the saints (aka eternal security) without ones hearers concluding either works to persevere or cheap grace. Without those so disposed obsessing on whether or not they’ve committed the unforgivable sin, and without people thinking it is ok to not take up their cross and follow Jesus.

Chris Smith: Chavez is a Marxist dictator. He was overthrown because he commanded the military, in addition to his death squads, to open fire on hundreds of thousands of protesters. He also supports the Marxist terrorists in Columbia who kidnap and torture missionaries. You support this guy? (Comment by Michael: Large Amen! Can America attempt to have some morals? Will the Europeans mind?)

Rob,
In the Adamic covenant, was there any provision for a civil government, and a law given to it to enforce?

Bart,
The covenantal nature of marriage is such that it would take physical intercourse to break it and induce the death penalty on the adulterer.

Ronald:

1. Francis Schaeffer
2. J. R. R. Tolkien
3. Peter Kreeft
4. Bob Yarborough
5. Edith Schaeffer

(only five???)

Dan,
In the modern Nashville-rite existentialist church, it would be very easy for a non-believer to fake their way through. In church discipline, we have to (after step three) treat the person as if a non-believer, because we can’t tell if they are regenerate and backsliding, or unregenerate, and love would require that we not just assume they are saved, and fail to try to convince them of the Gospel. I’m not so sure about the interpretation of the parable of the sower given here that the one that bore little fruit due to cares and troubles is unsaved, or that the one that responded with joy and then perished was saved. Plenty of people like the idea that God likes them and doesn’t hold anything against them, which a defective preaching of the Gospel can sadly communicate.