quietthinker
Well-Known Member
Here is how it pans out in brief Nancy; certain stories, expressions and words that are intended to convey a message other than the literal details of the stories, expressions and or words. Here's one angle for example, the story of Lazarus in Abrahams bosom....If we are to take this story as a statement on the after life, which of those details do we take literally and which ones not and who determines which is which?Which idioms are you speaking of. Eternal? Death? Torture? All of them are great deterrent's to sin, btw.
The intent of the story told is summed up in the 'punch line' so to speak, in its conclusion, not the details. We do the same when we tell a story (joke) There was an Irishman, Englishman and an American....etc etc. As soon as we start with a story like this everybody waits for the punch line. It's the punchline in the story that makes it pertinent. We don't analyse the details and ask 'is it a true story'.
The Hebrews are great story tellers and they knew this instinctively just as we do when someone opens with a joke.
Another helpful insight is that the the early Hebrews did not believe in a devil as the perpetrator of evil. They believed that both good and evil emanated from God; they believed God had a dark side; even many modern religious Jews lean that way.
It wasn't until the captivities the Hebrews experienced in foreign lands and the influences they were subjected to that the idea of another factor ie, demons and devils was introduced.
Christians in the West are generally ignorant of this because they read backwards into the text, for example we read about the serpent in Eden and understand that it was Satan but that information is not given in the Genesis account. We read back into the text because of information we have which Jesus gave us as to the reality of Satan. Ask any religious Jew and you might be surprised at their answer.
The question is then asked, what about the story of Job? 'Satan' is the word for accuser. The accuser was seen by the Hebrews as we would see a prosecutor today; one who's role it is to bring out the truth of any given matter. A prosecutor is not inherently evil....it is just his job.....that's how they understand it.
Again, the word 'eternal' in the context used from the Hebrew perspective means as long as it exists, for instance if I put fuel into a fire, lets say wood or some other combustible, it'll burn till it is burned up ie, consumed.....the fire then goes out. Firefighters will say this when a house burns down, 'we couldn't put the fire out, it burnt forever'. We know exactly what they mean. We don't expect to come back years later and still find the house burning.
So, putting all these things together, knowing that we have a loving God in whom is no shadow of turning and a Jesus who is the same yesterday, today and forever we interpret the text appropriately......we do not spin off into myths gleaned from misunderstanding intent.
Finally, your comment on Death, Eternal and Torture being great deterrents for sin; look around you, does it work?