I believe one of the major obstacles that has caused division and continues to cause division within Christendom is not in the identification of the four areas that constitute the four major and dominating subjects in scripture. It is what and who they are, in relation to us, and then to each one of them, to each other. These four pivotal subjects are of course:
1. God/Elohim/Adonai/ LORD/the Almighty One, ‘I am existing,’ ‘I will be what I will be,’ etc., with the personal name of YHWH or Yahweh
2. Father of his people, and his Son, Father of spirits etc.
3. Son of God, Lamb of God, with the Greek name of Jesus or in Hebrew, Yahshua and even Joshua, and as the Messiah or Christ
4. Holy Spirit, Spirit or Spirit of God…etc.
Notice, that all denominations align themselves to their own meaning and understanding of the 4 subjects. Once this agreed upon and sanctioned belief is placed in writing, as an article of faith or creed or in some other document, all other major truths in scripture is then biased toward and drawn from this denominational or sect core doctrine and perspective. It is now ‘their own’ 4 subjects in scripture, as if they now own it and must protect it.
If it’s not 100% correct, not 100% scriptural and not 100% sanctioned by the Spirit, it then becomes a pillar of truth for men, a product of their own imaginations and their destiny. They become their 4 subjects in scripture.
It’s so vital then we get it right the first time and not go inventing new versions regarding these 4 subjects.
Now from before Christ, during the time of Christ and immediately afterwards, the key to getting it right, is what does scripture say of all four of these subjects listed above. It is not what necessarily someone else said about them and their significance and how they relate to each other say 50 years, 100 years or 400 years, or many more years later. Although this information can be useful.
I believe it is critical that we first always return and dig into scripture with the guidance of the Spirit to assist in understanding.
Secondly, we must know the context of scripture for understanding it. What was the context, the words said before and afterwards? What other scripture(s) supports this or that scripture regarding the 4 subjects. What was the culture, the language(s), their common sayings, their living conditions and who governed them, their friends and enemies etc. The context can be immediate and general. The context can be just drawn from the Hebrews, or just from the Israelites or just from the apostles, or just Christ’s words, or from all of them, collectively.
Without doing all this, we can and have easily succumb to the whims and imaginations of men and their own perspective of the 4 subjects listed above, very quickly. They can and have even become the official secular doctrine, if enough people believe in it and/or with sufficient or overwhelming political power of a few, with a dictator in power.
I will stop here and maybe add more later…??
//
Not to single someone out as the catalyst for this thread, however, what got me going on this subject, AGAIN, was the recent post and my exchange with @Enoch111 . He presented what he considered a false teaching by the JWs in their interpretation of thei 3 of the 4 subjects listed above using two verses of scripture they (JWs) presented.
Really, thanks Enoch for awakening me to this subject again, as if it really became dormant.
Blessings
APAK
1. God/Elohim/Adonai/ LORD/the Almighty One, ‘I am existing,’ ‘I will be what I will be,’ etc., with the personal name of YHWH or Yahweh
2. Father of his people, and his Son, Father of spirits etc.
3. Son of God, Lamb of God, with the Greek name of Jesus or in Hebrew, Yahshua and even Joshua, and as the Messiah or Christ
4. Holy Spirit, Spirit or Spirit of God…etc.
Notice, that all denominations align themselves to their own meaning and understanding of the 4 subjects. Once this agreed upon and sanctioned belief is placed in writing, as an article of faith or creed or in some other document, all other major truths in scripture is then biased toward and drawn from this denominational or sect core doctrine and perspective. It is now ‘their own’ 4 subjects in scripture, as if they now own it and must protect it.
If it’s not 100% correct, not 100% scriptural and not 100% sanctioned by the Spirit, it then becomes a pillar of truth for men, a product of their own imaginations and their destiny. They become their 4 subjects in scripture.
It’s so vital then we get it right the first time and not go inventing new versions regarding these 4 subjects.
Now from before Christ, during the time of Christ and immediately afterwards, the key to getting it right, is what does scripture say of all four of these subjects listed above. It is not what necessarily someone else said about them and their significance and how they relate to each other say 50 years, 100 years or 400 years, or many more years later. Although this information can be useful.
I believe it is critical that we first always return and dig into scripture with the guidance of the Spirit to assist in understanding.
Secondly, we must know the context of scripture for understanding it. What was the context, the words said before and afterwards? What other scripture(s) supports this or that scripture regarding the 4 subjects. What was the culture, the language(s), their common sayings, their living conditions and who governed them, their friends and enemies etc. The context can be immediate and general. The context can be just drawn from the Hebrews, or just from the Israelites or just from the apostles, or just Christ’s words, or from all of them, collectively.
Without doing all this, we can and have easily succumb to the whims and imaginations of men and their own perspective of the 4 subjects listed above, very quickly. They can and have even become the official secular doctrine, if enough people believe in it and/or with sufficient or overwhelming political power of a few, with a dictator in power.
I will stop here and maybe add more later…??
//
Not to single someone out as the catalyst for this thread, however, what got me going on this subject, AGAIN, was the recent post and my exchange with @Enoch111 . He presented what he considered a false teaching by the JWs in their interpretation of thei 3 of the 4 subjects listed above using two verses of scripture they (JWs) presented.
Really, thanks Enoch for awakening me to this subject again, as if it really became dormant.
Blessings
APAK