MetalMike
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Good point! I was stating that in terms of the NT. I should've phrased that better.
Is the Bible literal or figurative
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Good point! I was stating that in terms of the NT. I should've phrased that better.
SkyWriting
Active Member
People avoid literalness of an ancient earth when they wish to:
Deuteronomy 33:15
With the finest produce of the ancient mountains and the abundance of the everlasting hills,
Habakkuk 3:6
He stood and measured the earth; He looked and startled the nations;
the ancient mountains were scattered; the perpetual hills bowed.
His ways are everlasting.
Genesis 49:26
The blessings of your father are mighty beyond the blessings of my parents, up to the bounties of the everlasting hills.
May they be on the head of Joseph, and on the brow of him who was set apart from his brothers.
The implied reading the Scriptures in their plain literal sense. Is that the earth is not young. There are many supporting passages as well.
ScottA
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The point of contention here, it that there is absolutely no precedence for using quotation marks, chapter and verse, as a disqualifying criticism against other followers of Christ...except by the church in contemporary times. On the contrary, there is every precedence for not using them, including Christ.
But it is a good point also, that reading the scriptures was and is important. On this we can agree. However, it is all the more important for our time, not to continue in the same practices of that former time, but rather to press on to perfection, leaving behind the elementary principles of Christ.
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SkyWriting
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Not being born into the presence of God, perfection is not a possibility. Though forgiveness is available, by request.
ScottA
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You are making this personal, while all your facts are in error. You as much as call God dead having not fulfilled His promise of sending some as prophets, while accrediting yourself with Holy Spirit knowledge to the contrary, which you show yourself not to possess. If you actually knew the scriptures, you would know that I have not added or taken away, but fulfilled, and that you accuse me against what is written. But your understanding, every line, is "twisted." Which is the very meaning of "confounded", and what God has done to keep His word holy since the days of Babel. It shows.
ScottA
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That is a cop out. You have read hundreds of my posts proclaiming the spirit of God.
ScottA
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To say such, is to deny that any are "in Christ" whom is perfect, or "born again of the spirit of God" whom is perfect, or that any "have passed from death to life", according to the promises of God.
Be therefore perfect, or be silent.
Deborah_
Well-Known Member
This sentence is a bit confused.
Both literal and figurative expressions obey the same rules of grammar.
What determines whether something is literal or figurative is the context. "Let the cat out of the bag" is a figure of speech - but the literal meaning might apply if you really did have a cat in a bag!
There's no linguistic rule that states you must interpret such expressions literally.
SkyWriting
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You are speaking of Love, the one aspect of our thinking
that allows us to be less than perfect and to be forgiven,
like when we hint that others be silent.
SkyWriting
Active Member
If I respond that this is a bone-head statement, then you would be stuck with the literal meaning?
What if I said this was squirming-worm logic?
SkyWriting
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"Context" is the correct answer. Though context changes as one matures.
ScottA
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You misunderstand.
To "be perfect, or be silent", are commandments for these times:
From Christ in the transition from the ways of the first Adam, the flesh, and the law, and from the apostle Paul His apostle by the Spirit, and the ways of the Last Adam (a life-giving spirit). And this I said to you in particular, because you look back upon the world, when you should rather "press on" seeking His kingdom first before all things.
Do you really believe that time in grade matters in the things of God? If that were the case we should all heed the words of our friend @BreadOfLife more closely and perhaps follow him as he would lead us back into the Catholic Church.
SkyWriting
Active Member
Are you really wanting to say that there were no real Christians [followers of Christ] in the organized church [Catholic Church] from the some early point in time after Jesus resurrection until the time of Martin Luther? That my friend is foolishness. God has always had a remnant serving Him. Even in that backslid daughter of Israel [the northern 10 tribes of the children of Jacob] there were 7000 in spite of the inroads of Baal and such.
I am saying there are very few in the Catholic Church. And they are what the Bible calls infants with much too learn.
And that they almost always leave the Catholic Church.
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But I was really not talking about the church today, but for the several hundred years prior to the Reformation... when really leaving the church was likely to result serious persecution or even physical death. Even then I believe there were some few true believers. They may not have known much doctrine, but somehow those few in their hearts knew God. Early on it may have been possible to really live for God within the organized church even though it may have been a rarity. Probably people really living for God today in even the Protestant groups is likely a rarity. Lots of people paying lip-service...
There was a different time.
Some tried to stick about.
Some float to the mountains of other hiding places.
Overall I think actual Christians were virtually nonexistent.
Remember there were always those groups would not submit. There were places that were free of Catholicism.
Definitely not a good time.
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