Three questions

[B-A-C]

Three questions...

I don't know if there's a right or wrong answer to these.
They are just curiosity questions to get us thinking. I don't know
if the Bible gives a specific answer to these questions or not.
These are simply meant for discussion.

1. What happened to the dead who rose when Jesus was crucified?

Matt 27:52; The tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised;
Matt 27:53; and coming out of the tombs after His resurrection they entered the holy city and appeared to many.

Did they simply stay alive, and die again later. I suppose like Lazarus after Jesus
raised him from the dead? Or did they crawl back into their graves when the sun came up
like zombies are supposed to?

2. What is the oil that the 5 virgins ran out of?

Matt 25:2; "Five of them were foolish, and five were prudent.
Matt 25:3; "For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them,
Matt 25:4; but the prudent took oil in flasks along with their lamps.

Matt 25:7; "Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps.
Matt 25:8; "The foolish said to the prudent, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.'
Matt 25:9; "But the prudent answered, 'No, there will not be enough for us and you too; go instead to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.'
Matt 25:10; "And while they were going away to make the purchase, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast; and the door was shut.

The most answer I have usually heard, is that it is the Holy Spirit. If it is...
Is it possible to "run out" of the Holy Spirit? Also, where do you go to "purchase" it? What kind
of "currency" do you use to purchase it? If not the Holy Spirit, then what is it?

3. Is it possible to be spiritually naked? Or at least in the wrong clothes? How do we get clothes?

Rev 3:17; 'Because you say, "I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing," and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked,
Rev 3:18; I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see.
Rev 3:19; 'Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent.

How do we "buy gold" from Jesus? What are the white garments and how do we get them? What is the eye salve?

Another passage that may be related to this is....

Matt 22:11; "But when the king came in to look over the dinner guests, he saw a man there who was not dressed in wedding clothes,
Matt 22:12; and he *said to him, 'Friend, how did you come in here without wedding clothes?' And the man was speechless.
Matt 22:13; "Then the king said to the servants, 'Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'
Matt 22:14; "For many are called, but few are chosen."

I see 3 groups of people in this parable. Those who were originally invited, but refused to come.
(Probably the Jews? )
Those who were invited after the master takes revenge on those who killed his servants.
(Probably the Gentiles? )
and then this poor fellow in the verses above. He was invited to the wedding, but he was improperly dressed.
Is this the same as being naked? What were the other guests wearing that he wasn't?

Luke 12:34; "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Luke 12:35; "Be dressed in readiness, and keep your lamps lit.
Luke 12:36; "Be like men who are waiting for their master when he returns from the wedding feast, so that they may immediately open the door to him when he comes and knocks.

How do we "be dressed in readiness" and "keep our lamps lit" (full of oil? )
I suppose these could be the white robes mentioned in Rev 7:9; Rev 7:13-14; ?

Rev 3:4; 'But you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their garments; and they will walk with Me in white, for they are worthy.
Rev 3:5; 'He who overcomes will thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.

Is it possible for these garments to become soiled?

 

[Curtis]

2. What is the oil that the 5 virgins ran out of?

Matt 25:2; "Five of them were foolish, and five were prudent.
Matt 25:3; "For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them,
Matt 25:4; but the prudent took oil in flasks along with their lamps.

Matt 25:7; "Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps.
Matt 25:8; "The foolish said to the prudent, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.'
Matt 25:9; "But the prudent answered, 'No, there will not be enough for us and you too; go instead to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.'
Matt 25:10; "And while they were going away to make the purchase, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast; and the door was shut.

The most answer I have usually heard, is that it is the Holy Spirit. If it is...
Is it possible to "run out" of the Holy Spirit? Also, where do you go to "purchase" it? What kind
of "currency" do you use to purchase it? If not the Holy Spirit, then what is it?

The oil could not possibly be the Holy Spirit as Jesus said when he (comforter, Holy Spirit) comes he will never leave you.
The five "foolish virgins" never did belong to God as Jesus tells us here.

Mat 25:11 Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, 'Lord, lord, open to us.'
Mat 25:12 But he answered, 'Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.'

 

[Curtis]

3. Is it possible to be spiritually naked? Or at least in the wrong clothes? How do we get clothes?

The "robes" of "white" in the book of Revelations refers to "robes of light". The word "white" means "light".

Eph 5:14 for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, "Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you."

When Christ shines on you, that light is a robe of white. This happens at the new birth in which we become "light" in the Lord.
If we sin knowingly by not holding fast to what we know as truth, and because of pressure from external forces stumble into sin we become "soiled".
In that case we must confess our sin(s) so God will forgive us our sin(s), and then he will "cleanse us from all unrighteousness"
I call this doing my laundry which is really something I do not like doing, but is needful.

 

[Curtis]

and then this poor fellow in the verses above. He was invited to the wedding, but he was improperly dressed.
Is this the same as being naked? What were the other guests wearing that he wasn't?

I would say this man falls into the same category as the five foolish virgins. Our own righteousness's are as "filthy rags" (Isa 64:6) Filthy rags are the wrong clothes as Christ has clothed us in his is own righteousness.

Isa 61:10 I will greatly rejoice in the LORD; my soul shall exult in my God, for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation; he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

 

[B-A-C]

The oil could not possibly be the Holy Spirit as Jesus said when he (comforter, Holy Spirit) comes he will never leave you.
The five "foolish virgins" never did belong to God as Jesus tells us here.

Possibly you are right, but then what is it? What did they have that they lost? What did the other five have that they did not?

Also do you have the scripture that Jesus says "the Holy Spirit will never leave you".

 

[B-A-C]

I found another verse about being naked.

For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven:

2 Cor 5:3; If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked.
2 Cor 5:4; For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life.

Rev 16:15; (“Behold, I am coming like a thief. Blessed is the one who stays awake and keeps his clothes, so that he will not walk about naked and men will not see his shame.”)

 

[Curtis]

Possibly you are right, but then what is it? What did they have that they lost? What did the other five have that they did not?

Also do you have the scripture that Jesus says "the Holy Spirit will never leave you".

Joh 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
nailing it to the cross.

Joh 14:16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;

Even though the Holy Ghost will never leave a Christian, we can grieve, and quench the Holy Spirit.

1Th 5:19 Quench not the Spirit.

Eph 4:30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

 

[Curtis]

What did the other five have that they did not?

Salvation. It is "easy" to look the part on the outside, but there is nothing hidden from the eyes with whom we have to do.

 

[B-A-C]

I think we're stuck in a circle here

Maybe they were saved, maybe they weren't. But in any case, they thought they were.
What did the other five have? Why did these five only have it for a short time?
What made the other five eligible to be let in?

 

[Curtis]

I think we're stuck in a circle here

Maybe they were saved, maybe they weren't. But in any case, they thought they were.
What did the other five have? Why did these five only have it for a short time?
What made the other five eligible to be let in?

The parable of the "Sower" shows 4 different kinds of people in the Church today. Only one of them brought forth fruit unto salvation, and the others did not. One of them received the Word but because of the lust of other things prevented them from bearing fruit, which is the sign of salvation. They never fell away from the Church, they just never received salvation, but they thought they were saved.

Mat 13:22 He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.

 

[B-A-C]

OK.... some were saved. Some were not. I think we've established this part.

What is it.. that makes some of them saved, and some of them not saved?
All of them believe in Jesus.

They can't bear fruit until they are saved... that's fine, no disagreement here.
We can even agree that the fruit is the proof that they are saved.

But how did they get saved? What did they do that the other five didn't do?
What made those in Matt 7:21-23; not saved? They certainly believed in Jesus.

 

[Curtis]

OK.... some were saved. Some were not. I think we've established this part.

What is it.. that makes some of them saved, and some of them not saved?
All of them believe in Jesus.

They can't bear fruit until they are saved... that's fine, no disagreement here.
We can even agree that the fruit is the proof that they are saved.

But how did they get saved? What did they do that the other five didn't do?
What made those in Matt 7:21-23; not saved? They certainly believed in Jesus.

A lot of people "believe" in Jesus, but that does not make one a Christian. Even the Devils believe, and tremble. Not until a person exercises the "power" that the Word of God gives, which is faith, does it do them any good.

Joh 1:11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not.
Joh 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

Having the power to become a child of God does no one any good until they use that power to become one.

Rom 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
Rom 10:10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

 

[B-A-C]

Ahh... I think we actually moved forward a little..

I think I agree with what you are saying here, but can you give some practical examples of how we do this?
How do we exercise or use this power... to become a son of God.. (become saved) ?