Fighting evil

Rhetorical question? ......bro Frank

I just picked this up via alt media, and thought it would be of interest:

The IKEA Murders: Sweden in Crisis

by Ingrid Carlqvist
August 23, 2015 at 5:00 am

http://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/6379/ikea-murders-sweden

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â—¾The mosque fire received huge attention, while the rape epidemic is basically ignored. When a Swedish woman and her son are brutally knifed to death in the most Swedish of all places ”“ an IKEA store ”“ the Prime Minister has nothing to say.

â—¾The normal democratic order, where citizens can contact politicians or the media to make their voices heard, has all but evaporated in Sweden. Newspaper websites have removed the reader comment fields, and the politicians hide behind a wall of officials who brand callers expressing concern "racist," and hang up. Sweden is governed by a power that has shut down the democratic process.

â—¾Questions flooded the social media: Who are these people that are let into Sweden? How many of them are not innocent victims of war, but in fact war criminals and other criminals, hiding among the refugees?

â—¾The most relevant question is: Why has one government after another chosen to spend Swedish taxpayers' money to support and shelter citizens of other countries, while some of them try to kill us?

â—¾None of the mainstream media has confronted the government about the violent crimes committed by asylum seekers against Swedes. On the contrary ”“ the media have done the utmost to convince Swedes that everything is safe and sound in Sweden. Better than ever, in fact.

â—¾"Where do I apply for asylum... when the day comes that I can no longer live here?" ”“ "Ewa," on Facebook.

â—¾Violent crime is up 300% and rape is up 1,472% since 1975, the year the Swedish Parliament decided to turn homogenous Sweden into a multicultural country.

A surge of rage has washed over otherwise docile Sweden. After a double homicide at an IKEA store in VästerÃ¥s, where an illegal alien stabbed two random Swedes to death, more and more people are questioning why the government is exposing Swedish citizens to murderers from across the globe.

On August 10, news of the IKEA murders shocked Sweden. Two asylum seekers from Eritrea (the second largest source of asylum applicants in Sweden), were suspected of having grabbed knives from the kitchenware department and attacked two random Swedes. The victims were 55-year-old Carola Herlin and her 28-year-old son, Emil.

The elder of the two asylum seekers, a 36-year-old man, had twice been denied residency status in Sweden -- because he had already been granted residency it in Italy -- but he had not yet been deported. (Eritreans without residence permits in other EU-countries automatically get to stay in Sweden.)

The killer also inflicted life-threatening injuries on himself, and underwent several surgeries before the police could finally question him. On August 14, he confessed. His 23-year-old compatriot was released from custody, because the police no longer believe he had anything to do with the murders or had even known what his friend was planning to do.

Fear has now struck the Swedes. Even those who had routinely brand critics of immigration and multiculturalism racist, were shaken to the core. Questions flooded the social media: Who are these people that are let into Sweden? How many of them are not innocent victims of war, but in fact war criminals and other criminals, hiding among the refugees? And should we pay billions in taxes to support and shelter citizens of other countries, while some of them try to kill us?

The fact that the police refuse to deny the persistent rumor that one of the IKEA victims was beheaded, only adds fuel to the fear.

So many questions and no answers. No one from the government has even bothered to make a statement about the horrific double murder. None of the mainstream media has confronted the government about the violent crimes committed by asylum seekers against Swedes. On the contrary ”“ the media have done the utmost to convince Swedes that everything is safe and sound in Sweden. Better than ever, in fact. The day after the double murder, Sweden's largest morning paper, Dagens Nyheter, published an article titled, "After all, deadly violence on the decline." The article begins:

"In recent weeks, several brutal murders have been committed, and many people ask themselves where society is headed. The answer is that Sweden has, after all, become a safer place. Deadly violence has been on the decline for some time."

Nowhere does the article explain that the reason deadly violence has been on the decline is that emergency medicine is now able to save the lives of a lot more victims of knife- and gunshot-injuries. The so-called Laser Man, for example, shot a number of immigrants in Sweden in the 1990s. Forensic pathologist Jovan Rajs commented, "The Laser Man shot eleven people, and one of them died. In the 1930s eight or nine would have died, in the 1970s about five, and today probably none."

Ergo, deadly violence remains on an even level thanks to better health care in Sweden, but all other kinds of violent crime (including attempted homicide) has gone off the charts. Violent crime is up 300% and rape is up 1,472% since 1975, the year the Swedish Parliament decided to turn homogenous Sweden into a multicultural country.

Ninety percent of asylum seekers to Sweden lack proper identification papers, so in reality no one knows how many murderers, rapists and thugs hide among the 100,000 or so people granted asylum in Sweden every year.

Frustrated Swedes are now howling with powerlessness on social media. The normal democratic order, where citizens can contact politicians or the media to make their voices heard, has all but evaporated. Newspaper websites have removed the reader comment fields, and the politicians hide behind a wall of officials, who brand callers expressing concern "racist," and hang up. Thousands bear witness to this on Facebook. One person who actually got to talk about her uneasiness is Ewa, who writes on Facebook about calling Immigration Services:

"Well, I've unleashed the devil now. I called Immigration Services and demanded to talk to a Unit Manager. ... I gave him an earful about every injustice I could think of, like how badly we treat our elderly and how we take away their homes and give them to asylum seekers. I also told him how unsafe Swedish women feel due to all these gang rapes perpetrated by asylum seekers and other foreigners. Also asked him if we all have to be beheaded before they stop taking in these kinds of people. ... Now I'm sitting here, feeling completely empty after crying, screaming, discussing, raging and getting all this frustration out of me. Told him there are many of us who feel depressed because of what Immigration is doing. He was really sorry I feel this way. Yes, I told him, a lot of people feel this way but they are afraid to open their mouths because then they are labeled racist. You don't even have to be a Sweden Democrat to see that our country is falling apart more and more with each passing day. Something you and all the rest at Immigration Services are responsible for. Where do I apply for asylum, I asked, when the day comes and I can no longer live here? Our country is ruined economically, socially and so forth and you are responsible. He answered that it was the politicians who decided about this, but that they would do everything in their power to make things better."

Another woman, Amanda, wrote on Facebook that she e-mailed Prime Minister Stefan Löfven. She noted that "nothing may change, but at least I've made my voice heard." Her e-mail read:

"Hi, why did the Prime Minister feel it was essential and urgent to go and talk about the fire at the mosque in Eskilstuna, no one even knew what started it when he held his speech? But now, he's as silent as the grave. Why? It's his/your unconditional and lax immigration policies that have enabled this culprit to move freely in society, despite having received a deportation order not just once, but twice. Can you tell me if this is something the citizens of this country should get used to, that immigrants, upon receiving deportation orders, kill people in order to get a lifelong contract with the Swedish state? It is your personal responsibility every time this happens, I hope you know that. Because this is nothing if not a political issue regarding immigration, and... its massive consequences to an entire nation."

The mosque fire in Eskilstuna that Amanda referred to happened December 25, 2014, and is one of many incidents affecting Muslims and other immigrants that have received huge attention, while the rape epidemic in Sweden is basically ignored. After the fire, the Prime Minister was quick to make a statement:

"It is despicable, a despicable act. We will never tolerate this type of crime. People who want to practice their religion should have the right to do so. Today I feel great sympathy and empathy for those affected."

Three months later, it turned out no crime was behind the mosque fire, and police dropped the investigation. Most likely, it was caused by an accident or children playing with fire.

But when a Swedish woman and her son are brutally knifed to death in the most Swedish of all places ”“ an IKEA store ”“ the Prime Minister has nothing to say.

The Swedes are not prone to rebellion. To find a citizen that took up arms and marched on the citadels of power, one has to go back to the days of Gustav Vasa ”“ the king who during his reign, 1523-1560, founded the nation-state of Sweden.

Although Sweden today is not occupied territory, it is governed by a power that has shut down the democratic process by the "December Agreement" of 2014. In the general election that year, the only party critical of mass immigration, the Sweden Democrats (SD), became the third-largest party in Parliament. The left-wing and center-right blocs then agreed to lock SD out of political power, but SD refused to be silenced. When the left-wing minority government budget was presented one month after the election, SD voted for the opposition's budget ”“ a shocking and unique occurrence in the Swedish Parliament. Here, it is considered "good manners and decorum" to vote for your own budget proposition first, then lay down your vote and let the government win. But after the Sweden Democrats' "coup," Prime Minister Stefan Löfven (of the Social Democratic Party) was forced to govern with a center-right budget during his first year in office.

One would think that this came as a pleasant surprise to the center-right opposition, but that was not what happened. No one wants support from the "racist" Sweden Democrats. Rather than call a snap election, the two blocs entered into an agreement in which the center-right opposition promises to abstain from voting when it comes to important issues such as a proposed budget.

Thus, the December Agreement is in reality a kind of "relay-race" dictatorship: The left-wing government gets to do what it wants for the next four years, and after that, for next the four years (if there is a change of power), it will be the center-right government's turn. This means both parties are free to ignore the 58% of Swedes who now feel that immigration is too high, and may choose to vote for the Sweden Democrats in the next election.

When the Swedes got the news about the December Agreement, they did what they usually do ”“ clenched their fists in their pockets, formed Facebook groups and wrote angry comments on Twitter and Facebook. But the politicians congratulated each other on once again restoring order; they ignored the people's concern that democracy had now become even more eroded.

A well-known stand-up comedian, Magnus Betnér, thought it a good idea to mock frightened Swedes in a YouTube clip:

"Yes, it's really tragic two people were murdered in IKEA. ... but... it's not dangerous; Sweden has never been safer than it is now. ... Very few of you guys watching this clip will be murdered. And those of you who are, will be murdered in your own homes."

When the establishment refuses to take people's concerns seriously, rumors on social media spread fast. A stubborn rumor claims that Carola Herlin was beheaded by the Eritrean murderer. According to sources interviewed by Gatestone, the woman had her throat slit and was also stabbed in the abdomen. Her son tried to defend himself, but received a deadly stab wound to the stomach.

When Dispatch International called Per Ã…gren, the police investigator in charge of the case, and asked him about the rumor, he said: "I'm not going to confirm... describe anything at all about what happened, except to say that two people were murdered. You won't find out how from me."

One of the first measures taken by the police after the IKEA murders was to start guarding all the buildings housing asylum seekers in the county. There was some apprehension concerning "dark forces," the police claimed, without specifying who these "dark forces" were. The night of August 15, an asylum house in Arboga had to be evacuated after someone shouted something about a bomb outside. Now the mainstream media were really on their toes: Carola and Emil Herlin, according to their reports, had been "at the wrong place at the wrong time."

The newspaper Aftonbladet interviewed an anonymous woman who said, "My cousin has lived here for over a year. He told me the Swedes are the nicest people in Europe. Then something like this happens. I could never have imagined."

Once again, it is supposedly the Swedes who should bow their heads in shame. Supposedly, we are not the ones grieving; we do not have the right to be frightened to death over the immigration policy of our rulers ”“ it is the asylum seekers who are the victims, even when they kill, rape, rob and abuse.

The burning question is: What will the people do, whom no one will listen to? In East Germany of 1989, the people took to the streets, scaled the Berlin wall and made the government to resign. The other communist dictatorships of Eastern Europe fell in similar ways. The Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution (the right to bear arms), exists to ensure that the citizens are able to seize power from a tyrannical government.

If powerlessness drives people to answer violence with violence, maybe one should not ask why Swedes are "racists" if they do not want the highest immigration level in Europe?

The most relevant question is why one government after another has chosen to spend Swedish taxpayers' money on citizens of other countries. While Swedish students take a plunge in the PISA tests, 60% of the welfare benefits go to immigrants who make up about 15% of the population. Healthcare and other social services are deteriorating, according to many Swedes, while violence is exponentially increasing. When more and more Swedes feel that they are being badly treated in their own country, the politicians have created a powder keg ready to explode at any minute.

The truth is that even the docile Swedish people have a limit. When those in power expose us to bloodbaths, whether in the Big Square of Stockholm in 1520 or at IKEA in VästerÃ¥s in 2015, there will always be those who are ready to overthrow the mighty. Just as in Gustav Vasa's day, a lot of Swedes have firearms. They are not as easy to come by as in the United States, but more and more Swedes are getting hunting licenses, and are thereafter legally able to buy guns. From now on in Sweden, anything can happen."

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I posted this you TMK (and Frank) with no agenda, or even comment really, except to say, this act of murder is true evil. a lot in this article is of "earthly" nature, I realize that.

But then I know the whole world is on fire. Maybe it seems like that because via cyber, so much info/news can be spread SO FAST and SO GLOBALLY....but I had never heard about this and it happened over a year ago, before the global discussion over European asylum seekers from the Middle East.

in short, I just thought you all might want to see this info.

I have no comment/opinion that would be of any import, God love you both, neil

Re: Sweden - already in the seventies the word spread in Europe that Sweden had a liberal view about sex. High School students from Europe went there for a summer vacation and to find sex. Don't know how much the Gospel spread there, have never been there. Just wondering; are we seeing the fury of the Lord now?

Europe had the Dark Ages . Then the Reformation came, the printing press, ordinary people could read the Bible, the Gospel spread. In the beginning true believers suffered badly. I grew up in Switzerland and i can say that there was a time when it was a really good country to live in. But it was only by the grace of God.
BUT " when your herds and your flocks multiply, and your silver and gold multiply, and all that you have multiplies, 14then your heart will become proud and you will forget the LORD your God who brought you out from the land of Egypt" (Deuteronomy 8:14)
That 's what we are now seeing in Europe and throughout the western world. It seems we are so far away from the Lord that we don't even tremble and repent anymore.

What to do ?? As Christians we should even love our enemies and conquer evil with good. Draw closer to God, live for Christ,
My thoughts...

Parable of the Tares - Matt. 13:24-30; 36-43

In Matt. 13:24-30; 36-43, Jesus draws a parallel between the kingdom of God to good seed which has been sown into the field of the world. Jesus is both the "Son of Man" and the "Seed of Abraham" (Gal. 3:16), and is viewed as both the sower and the seed. He is the Giver and the Gift. Those who have His life functioning in them are "sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus" (Gal. 3:26), "sons of the kingdom" translated into the kingdom of His Dear Son (Col. 1:13).

Only by the life of Christ indwelling us are we His seed (children, sons, offspring). Christians are the good seed only because what is being sown and grown in them is the life of Christ.

God has planted His kingdom in the world of men by the "finished work" (John 19:30) of Christ. God continues to grow His kingdom through people that are participating in it (abiding in Christ). The good seed is not threatened by birds, or weeds, or thorns or rocks. They are not going to be overcome of evil ("The gates of hell shall not prevail against it"). The Evil One cannot overcome the Overcomers. The weeds are present and the good seed recognizes them as an inconvenience. Static interference at best. But the kingdom is never threatened. The only danger is when fleshly "servants", activist oriented Christians, begin to uproot and start yanking out plants.

Satan is the Enemy of God's work on earth. The work of God on earth is the grace extended to man in the Person of Jesus Christ. So, the Enemy sows his counterfeit seeds of tares. The weeds that he plants are "sons of the Evil One, the Devil, Satan, the Adversary of God's work of grace on earth. The apostle John says the "children of God and the children of the Devil" are manifest (obvious), 1 John 3:10. The test is in the fruit they bear, not what they look like in their outward appearance, for the wheat and the tares are similar in their outward appearance. You almost can't tell them apart. The servants saw them (recognized them) growing in the field side by side and asked the owner why they were in the field? The owner indicated that "an enemy has done this." That "enemy" is the Adversary of Jesus Christ. He is still counterfeiting and misrepresenting the work of Christ on earth. Even though he has been defeated by the "finished work of Christ", the Devil is still active in creating obstacles to the truth that is in Jesus Christ. He is always trying to hinder the work of God and does this by hiding the truth (masking it) with his counterfeits. He perverts the word of God, twisting it to deceive the hearers, thereby sowing his weeds into the field.

Therefore, we can say that the kingdom of God that is represented on earth contains a mixture of good and evil, Spirit and Flesh (Gal 5:17) and the genuine and the counterfeit. God was not caught unawares. He is not napping. He is very aware of these contrasting (and necessary) activities.

But the servants don't like the weeds and want to tear them out so only the wheat will be left. How many times have we seen religious men casting out those that they did not deem fit for their exclusivistic community of religious elitists? Men have tried and tried to create their own community of pure and holy and righteous people by uprooting the weeds and casting them out. They become separated from society and other Christians as a whole.

Φαρισαῖος
Pharisaios
far-is-ah'-yos
Of Hebrew origin (compare [H6567]); a separatist, that is, exclusively religious; a Pharisaean, that is, Jewish sectary: - Pharisee.

Pharisee means separatist or sectarian.

The expectation of OT Israel is that God would separate the Jews and the Gentiles, casting out the pagans and establishing a religious kingdom based on nationality and race. Man through the centuries continues to "play God", deciding who is fit and who is unfit to be part of their community. They decide who is "worthy". They have created an endless panoply of programs in which to root out "evil". Christian Church history has their share of heresy hunters and inquisitions. All "Christian" religions have their way of marginalizing and excommunicating the "nonconformists".

Religious people don't want to wait for God. They must take matters into their own hands (as if God is impotent and letting things get out of control). But the Church can "rest in Christ", knowing that "the battle is the Lord's" (I Sam 17:47; II Chron. 20:15). The "finished work of Christ", has already won the war. So, God does not have "Crusaders" today, waiting to pounce on people and avenge Him. He does not have activist oriented soldiers who fight and eradicate evil, eliminating the nonconformists, (according to their judgementalism).

"The Lord knoweth them that are His" (2 Tim 2:19). The people of God are expected to "stand fast", in who they are in Christ.

1Co 16:13 Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.
Eph 6:11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
Php 4:1 Therefore, my brethren dearly beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved.
1Th 3:8 For now we live, if ye stand fast in the Lord.

Exclusivistic religions are divisive and are used by Satan to destroy as they engage in avenging the Lord with fleshly tactics couched as spiritual, strong arming others to conform or be "abolished".

Though we may have the expertise to tell the difference between the wheat and the tares, the landowner (God) tells the servants not to separate the wheat from the tares (sons of the kingdom and the sons of the evil one). For if they do this, they will uproot some wheat (genuine Christians). Only God knows them that are His. No one else has the knowledge required to separate the wheat from the tares. Only the Lord knows those who are participating in His life.

So, what is our response to the evil in our midst? To Satan's misrepresentations of the character and kingdom of God on earth? "Stand fast", "Stand firm", forbear, be gentle and patient with all men (2 Tim 2:24). "Let both grow together until the harvest".

Jesus said, "LET" both grow together...

LET is aphiemi in the greek. This is the same word Jesus used for FORGIVE, when He cried from the cross, "Father FORGIVE them..." (Luke 23:34)

aphiēmi
af-ee'-ay-mee
From G575 and ἵημι hiēmi (to send; an intensive form of εἶμι eimi (to go)); to send forth, in various applications: - cry, forgive, forsake, lay aside, leave, let (alone, be, go, have), omit, put (send) away, remit, suffer, yield up.

The Greek word aphete means to "let, leave, allow, or permit," and is the root of the word aphiemi which means "to forgive."

The separating will come (eventually) and it will be just. Those who are participating in the life of Christ and bearing fruit, resting in the finished work and victory of Christ will be gathered into presence of God while the tares will be bound up and cast into the fire's of hell. Everything will be done according to man's rejection or reception of Christ.

Let's not communicate worry and fear to one another or do anything that may harm the "wheat".

The victory has been won. Abiding in Christ, resting in Him, standing fast and walking in forgiveness is the best way to "fight evil".

Php 1:28 And in nothing terrified by your adversaries: which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that of God.

The battle is the Lord's. Rest in Him.

Jesus is not implying passivism. He did stand up for the way of righteousness through non-resistance and boldly proclaiming the words that the Father gave Him each and every day (confronting hypocrites). He stood up for the way of righteousness by not letting evil overcome Him and giving in to the myriad of temptations and opportunities to compromise, each and every day.

But, apparently (according to Matt 13), when it comes to engaging in activities that could destroy other Christians (good seed) and disrupt their participation in the Kingdom of God, we are to stand down.

How did Jesus deal with those such as Saul who were bent on murder and destruction of the Jews who were the first converts in the Early Church? He was hunting them down? Do the Scriptures indicate that God called upon the Church to physically stop Saul? I think the Church interceded for him and we see the answer to their prayers when Saul was confronted by Christ on the Damascus road.

How did Jesus deal with the other ones that persecuted and killed members of the Early Church, including most of His apostles?

Jesus never marshaled His Church to exact vengeance since the weapons of our warfare are not carnal and His Kingdom is not of this world. And, the Holy Spirit even tells us the following:

Rom 12:19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.
Rom 12:20 Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.
Rom 12:21 Be not overcome of evil, BUT OVERCOME EVIL WITH GOOD.

What evil are you speaking of? Does it matter since the Holy Spirit tells us to "overcome evil with good?"

Julius, Paul did not cease, night or day for three years to warn the saints about wolves in sheeps clothing. Those who name the name of Jesus yet were sexually immoral , Paul tells the saints not to fellowship with them and so on. Paul even withstands Peter publically for being a hypocrite and names the Judaisers as false brethren. Something to think about.......bro Frank

by appolus on 2015/12/2 14:58:27

Julius, Paul did not cease, night or day for three years to warn the saints about wolves in sheeps clothing. Those who name the name of Jesus yet were sexually immoral , Paul tells the saints not to fellowship with them and so on. Paul even withstands Peter publically for being a hypocrite and names the Judaisers as false brethren. Something to think about.......bro Frank

Yep, that is absolutely true. I have no disagreement with that. But, you and I know that is not what the parable of the tares is addressing.

Here is an excerpt and very good explanation regarding what Jesus is communicating in the Parable of the Tares.

Many children of the Church, imagining that they are zealous for the truth and for the purity of the Church, call for the tares to be uprooted. If one starts zealously to destroy every evil within the Church, one might indiscriminately pull out an ear of wheat instead of tares, and harm oneself. The Lord decisively forbids such a means of struggling with evil, because no one except God, Who alone is the Knower of hearts, is able to distinguish the hypocrite from the righteous man without error. Moreover, many sinners may yet change, repent and become righteous. Blessed Augustine says in this regard: "Many are correcting themselves, like Peter; many are forborne, like Judas; many will not be exposed until the coming of the Lord, Who will illumine that which is concealed in darkness and will disclose the thoughts of the heart."

Indeed, if we turn to the lives of the saints, we shall find many righteous who had experienced falls during the course of their life. At the moment of their fall, one might take them for tares. The Fathers teach that the presence of temptations in the world and the deeds of evil men purify the soul and help it to see more clearly it's weaknesses, to feel more deeply its guilt, and little by little to weaken the power of sin in itself. Gold is purified of dross by fire. The mixing of both good and evil men in the world furnishes the good with thousands of occasions to be perfected in good, to acquire patience, meekness, humility, gentleness, love. The life of the righteous on the earth is closely tied with the life of sinners, and with the bonds of kinship, and with the similarity of dispositions in the soul, and with outward circumstances, so that a jolt in the lot of some does not pass by without a jolt in the life of others. For example, an unworthy father, drunkard or profligate might carefully raise his pious children; the well-being of honest workers might be found in the hands of an avaricious and crude proprietor; an unbelieving ruler might prove to be a wise and beneficial lawgiver for his citizens. If the Lord God would punish all sinners indiscriminately, then the whole order of life on earth would be upset.

And especially this:

Moreover, Christ does not want the tares to be destroyed that are found alongside the wheat in the enclosure of the Church because he desires to teach us patience and to show sinners His loving kindness. Saint John Chrysostom says that this does not mean that the Lord forbids us to stop false teachers. It is necessary to struggle with them, but to struggle using worthy, evangelical methods. But in no case is it permissible to resort to force in this struggle, as very regrettably took place sometimes in Church history. The Holy Fathers forewarn against excessive zeal, saying: "Zeal that wants to vanquish every evil is itself a great evil," because it can bring about much harm. The conscience of a Christian must not burn with that evil that he sees. He is called to curb the evil in himself.

The Holy Fathers liken the Church of Christ to Noah's ark, wherein there were clean and unclean animals together. Again, the Church is like a net in which various creeping things are also drawn in together with the fish. Various people ­ both sinners and righteous ­ make up the Church, the Body of Christ. There are in Her people who have attained the height of spiritual perfection, and there are spiritual babes. It is necessary to take care of the beginners and not to tempt and repel them as weak members of the Church through "zeal not according to knowledge."

The entire article (and context) can be found here: http://www.stjohndc.org/Russian/parables/ParablesE/e_Par_1_02.htm

Hi Julias, I was not addressing the parable of the tares, I was speaking to your last post on this thread where you said

" What evil are you speaking of? Does it matter since the Holy Spirit tells us to overcome evil with good."

I was trying to point out that this is too general a statement. Paul overcame the Judaisers by speaking out and not letting hypocrisy stand, no not even for an hour. So there is very much a difference between how we deal with those from within, those who would call themselves by the name of Jesus, and unbelievers in general, would you not agree?

As for the tares, they were to be left alone until the time of the harvest, a nice way of saying the times of the end when their true nature will become apparent just like tares which are more readily identified just before the harvest. One could argue that we are living in those times now, just prior to the end. Many groups of Christians embracing Gay marriage and so on. Also, I am sure Bonhoeffer did not consider himself in sin when he and others broke away from the church in Germany which was embracing Hitler and Nazi-ism. Sometime you have to make a stand. Paul did, Luther did, Bonhoeffer did and so on, would you not agree or were they all guilty of trying to separate themselves from the tares?..........bro Frank

by appolus on 2015/12/2 16:44:09

Hi Julias, I was not addressing the parable of the tares, I was speaking to your last post on this thread where you said

" What evil are you speaking of? Does it matter since the Holy Spirit tells us to overcome evil with good."

I was trying to point out that this is too general a statement. Paul overcame the Judaisers by speaking out and not letting hypocrisy stand, no not even for an hour. So there is very much a difference between how we deal with those from within, those who would call themselves by the name of Jesus, and unbelievers in general, would you not agree?

As for the tares, they were to be left alone until the time of the harvest, a nice way of saying the times of the end when their true nature will become apparent just like tares which are more readily identified just before the harvest. One could argue that we are living in those times now, just prior to the end. Many groups of Christians embracing Gay marriage and so on. Also, I am sure Bonhoeffer did not consider himself in sin when he and others broke away from the church in Germany which was embracing Hitler and Nazi-ism. Sometime you have to make a stand. Paul did, Luther did, Bonhoeffer did and so on, would you not agree or were they all guilty of trying to separate themselves from the tares?..........bro Frank

Thanks for clarifying, Frank. Yes, I would definitely agree. TMK's statement was general and so I did not really know what to address specifically when he spoke about "evil" in a very general manner. There is all manner of evil in this world. So, I started with the parable of the tares (evil in the Church). No matter the type of evil, we are to overcome evil with good and proclaiming the word of God as Paul did to the Judaizers was overcoming evil with the good Word of the Lord.

I think every believer should make a stand for righteousness on a daily basis. This should be just as much a way of life to the believer as it was to the Lord who is the Righteous One living in us. We cannot let evil overcome us, yet we can never revert to carnal weapons in the name of Christ.

Do we ever revert to carnal weapons, such as threats, intimidation, slander even firearms? Paul and the Holy Spirit are clear on that one: No!

Paul reminds us that the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, for our warfare is not against flesh and blood.

In every generation, the tares have made themselves known, it seems. We can look back in Church History and view Satan's seed in many instances as the true nature of the tares eventually manifested.