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SL, Thanks for the response. Yes I think there are nuances, but I believe they are important and change how we think about the issue. I think a definition of terms is in order here. Revelation has to do with something being unveiled that had previously been hidden. Inspiration has to do...

Fair enough. Thank you for the conversation.

A prophet is not someone who simply proclaims what God has said unless that message is a unique revelation given specifically to that person. Otherwise, anyone who reads a Bible verse aloud is a "prophet." Every teacher is a prophet. And the very concept of the prophets becomes very diluted...

Well, the reason I find your locust theory a stretch is because it fails to recognize the purpose and audience of Revelation. John is not writing primarily to predict, but to prescript. This message is not just about foretelling the end, but teaching the church both then and today. Viewing...

"my memory isn't what it never was" - Good one. I like that! Ha! I don't know what a real name vs. screen name has to do with anything. Im not trying to be pretentious. So if your primary message is to call men to faith in the Gospel...how does that differ from teaching? Thanks for your...

John, Certainly there is the Kingdom present now and the full consummation of the Kingdom which includes the destruction of God's enemies. The Scripture speaks of the kingdom present now as well as the kingdom to be established later. In either case, it is wrong to suggest that Jesus is not a...

lukethreesix, I think the issue you are having here is that we do not really get the revelation of the triune nature of God in the OT. There are hints of it, but to say that Yahweh only refers to Jesus and not to the Father is to assign labels not really given in the OT. In the OT, God had...

John, I would invite you to read Matthew 13:24-50 as it relates to the "Kingdom of God." Are you suggesting Jesus is not the King of this kingdom mentioned in these verses? Jesus was "born" a King (Psalm 2; Matt. 2:6; Matt. 28:18; John 18:37) and he still reigns as King in a kingdom that has...

Yes, I believe in a literal resurrection. However, Revelation is a book full of symbols and images. Dragons, beasts, locusts with hair and teeth, prostitutes drinking the blood of the saints, etc. I think it is not unreasonable to suggest that this "resurrection" that protects a person from...

What if the "first resurrection" happens at baptism or when a believer is "born again?" After all, this is when a person "comes to life" and when death no longer has "power over them." I think 1 Thess 4-5 make it clear that the righteous and unrighteous are resurrected on the same "day" which...

Well, that's just the thing Michael, you keep sending mixed signals. 1. You claim "I didn't identify the gift in myself" but that others "told you" you were a prophet. 2. Then you say, "I was called by God, I was trained by God, and I was sent by God." So which is it? Did God call you a...

KingJ, I think if you are going to make an accuasation against an entire classification of Christians such as "intellectuals" you need to be more specific. Are you suggesting it is impossible to be intellectual and "love" Jesus? Is our faith merely based in emotional response? We are called...

I would encourage you to read Theology and Social Theory by John Milbank. It may be a bit dense though. Introducing Radical Orthodoxy by James K.A. Smith would be another good read. Another very good read would be The Gospel in a Pluralistic Society by Lesslie Newbigin. These would provide...

Looks great! Nice work.

Thanks for your response. Well, I think in some areas you simply disagree, which is fine. However, in many areas I feel I am not communicating well enough and I feel like that must be my fault. I just don't know how I can communicate any differently to make the points more clearly. So I...

I appreciate the discussion as well. Thanks for engaging in it and I respect your reasons for disagreeing. Let me clarify a few things... I am not saying that philosophy needs to be imbedded into every class. I am not saying we have to give a 10 minute lecture on epistemology or Christianity...

Michael, What I have intended to show you, (apparently insufficiently for you anyways) is that someone is declared a "prophet" by God under very specific circumstances. People did not denote themselves to be prophets in Scripture on a feeling, nor was the title given to them because someone...

Retrobyter, I agree that we must harmonize what Scriptures teach on the Second Coming if our view is to line up with what the Scriptures teach. However, Revelation 20:1-21:8 should be understood in light of its genre. The numbers throughout Revelation are symbolic (7 eyes, 7 horns, 10 horns...

I think there seems to be a lot of "ships passing in the night" in this discussion. Again, my primary argument is that there are philosophical and religious presuppositions embedded in the educational process currently. You may not be aware of it or think it is of any significance, but I would...

Well said HammerStone.