Then came the word - who proceeded from the Father - "The Logos" - the emissary between Man and God .. distinct from The Father .. as is the Holy Spirit who also proceeds from the father (and not the son as per Filioque)
The Logos is "the Word" The word of God made flesh .. The Logos spoke the word of God through the Holy Spirit that dwelt within him. Jesus is then distinct from and subordinate to the Father .. but united in Spirit. 3 distinct personages .. united in spirit.
I have a simple mind, I try to keep things simple. I haven't had much education as far as the world goes. My vocabulary is somewhere between 6th and 8th grade when it comes to certain words I always have to look up the meanings like the "to be or not to be" that I assume "folioque" means?
I haven't studied Greek or Hebrew. I have blueletterbible.org that translates for me. And I'm good with that.
I reread your post a couple times and it all sounds reasonable until the end.
I don't hold any particular doctrine like Trinity or Once Saved Always Saved, because there are debates to have on both sides.
I've checked them out and found myself on both sides.
I guess you could say I don't necessarily lean to the right or the left of any issue. I sort of stay on the middle road. It's hard to walk there because you get slammed by both sides. Thats why I think Jesus calls it "strait" and not like an arrow, but rather meaning diffuclt.
He was in a strait between a rock and a hard place.
I think all scripture is written for the individual who reads it. The Word speaks to me this way or to you that way.
That the message is unique to the eye that sees and the ear that hears.
I hear Paul saying, when each of you have something to share, share it, but interpret what you mean by saying it.
Don't just put it out there and walk away. Because your understanding may be different to another.
And by sharing our individual interpretations, it adds another piece to the grand puzzle of life.
Like when a preacher gives a sermon, it may touch some but not all. Different words mean different things to different people.
Moses has his parishioners sitting in a field. Reads the law to them. Asks, do you understand what I just said?
Yup. and off they go each one understanding what they heard in their own way.
But it sounded agreeable. There wasn't anything said that raised red flags and made them say, hold up a minute, what?
That comes later at the dinner table when mom and dad are discussing what they heard and dad says this is what was said, and mom says well honey, I heard it this way. Politics over dinner causes indigestion.
And it doesn't seem to matter who tries to break it down into terms that everyone can agree with.
Prophets are killed, Kings are slain, others are just heckled and harrassed.
There is no Universal language.
Maybe language isn't the word I'm looking for.
There is no Universal agreement on any one interpretation.
I watch conversations in forums in chat rooms.
This is this. No it's not it's that. Nope it says this and this is what it means because I said so.
Instead of trying to reason or understand how the other sees or hears, they disengage and go somewhere where people
think the way they do and they feel more comfortable.
But after awhile even that group will have disagreements until your left with your own thoughts all alone.
The waskily serpent in the garden made a statement that is so true today.
And ye shall be as gods knowing good and evil.
Thinking clash of the titans,
Each one believing that their interpretation is the one and only truth.
I have a mind of my own and thats why I don't agree with everything you think.
So trying to get back to the original discussion of where does life begin.
And when should it be ok to terminate it.
What is the mind?
Where do thoughts begin and end?
What makes my thoughts different from your thoughts?
And did God have this in mind when he created us?
And if we terminate a mind in the making, what kind of interpretations or insights are we losing?
I think any decision one makes should be thought about long and hard.
It's not just the body that's being denied but the very essence of God given thoughts.
Hugs
