Interpreted by who?StanJ said:
Do you understand how that is itself, an interpretive framework?
Popular Questions
- Thread starter Webers_Home
- Start date
-
Welcome to Christian Forums, a Christian Forum that recognizes that all Christians are a work in progress.
You will need to register to be able to join in fellowship with Christians all over the world.
We hope to see you as a part of our community soon and God Bless!
Those that did the translation.River Jordan said:
No it isn't, because it is plain English... unless you read it from an eisegetical POV. You also have not answered me about the highest point in the temple.
And who was that? Fallible men?StanJ said:
There's nothing "in plain English" that says any of the extra-scriptural things you cited (that they didn't actually go to those places). Since the text never says that, where exactly did you get such an idea?
Oh, you mean...
So then you must also believe that the devil actually took Him to the highest point in the temple, v5, a place where not even one man could stand?
Remember, we're just reading the text as it is written, with no interpretation at all. Matthew 4:5 says "Then the devil took him to the holy city, Jerusalem, to the highest point of the Temple". That's a pretty clear statement "in plain English" that they went there, isn't it?
Yes, educated, scholarly, credentialed fallible men, just like the ones who wrote the Bible.River Jordan said:
If you want to believe that they physically did teleport to those places then that's your POV. Of course the context and sense of scripture makes you wrong but that is your choice.
Like I said, if you want to believe that Jesus and the devil, who was not a physical being, went and stood at the highest point in or on the temple then feel free.
According to your p0olic the angels came and tended Jesus there at that highest point as well, as v11 indicates. Mark 1:12-14 would probably be easier for you to grasp. He never left the wilderness.
You have been properly instructed. I really have no desire to constantly explain a very obvious point to you. please move on.
-
What Means "under the law"?
†. Rom 6:14 . . For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under
law, but under grace.
The "law" in question is the covenant that Yhvh's people agreed upon with
God as per Deut 29:9-15. The important thing to note about the agreement
is that it's contractual.
The term "under the law" refers to contractual obligations. Seeing as how
Christians per se are not contractually obligated with God to comply with the
Jews' covenant, then neither is God contractually obligated to penalize then
for breaching it
†. Rom 4:15a . .The law worketh wrath:
The law worketh lots of wrath and it's all on public display at Lev 26:3-38,
Deut 27:15-26, and Deut 28:1-69.
†. Rom 4:15b . . for where no law is, there is no transgression.
In other words: where there's no contract; there are no breaches of
contract; subsequently no contractual penalties for breaching.
However, though Christians per se aren't contracted with God to comply with
the Jews' covenant, it is still a sin to break it's laws because the covenant is a
divine expression of God's ideas about justice, and about right and wrong;
viz: the laws of the covenant are not bad laws; in point of fact, they are very
good laws and worthy of incorporating into one's manner of life.
†. Rom 7:12 . . So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and
righteous and good.
Seeing as how the law and the commandment are holy, righteous, and
good; then any breaking of them-- by either a Jew or a Christian --is unholy,
unrighteous, and bad.
†. Rom 6:15 . . What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law,
but under grace? God forbid!
A lot of the confusion about the term "under the law" stems from a
misunderstanding of the word "under". Apparently some are convinced that
because God requires Christ's followers to honor the law as per the old
covenant, that makes them under it; when nothing could be further from the
truth.
The proper understanding of the term "under" in respect to the law is "under
contract to" and/or "under the jurisdiction of". Paul went to a great deal of
trouble in his correspondence with the Galatians explaining this very thing.
====================================
What Means "under the law"?
†. Rom 6:14 . . For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under
law, but under grace.
The "law" in question is the covenant that Yhvh's people agreed upon with
God as per Deut 29:9-15. The important thing to note about the agreement
is that it's contractual.
The term "under the law" refers to contractual obligations. Seeing as how
Christians per se are not contractually obligated with God to comply with the
Jews' covenant, then neither is God contractually obligated to penalize then
for breaching it
†. Rom 4:15a . .The law worketh wrath:
The law worketh lots of wrath and it's all on public display at Lev 26:3-38,
Deut 27:15-26, and Deut 28:1-69.
†. Rom 4:15b . . for where no law is, there is no transgression.
In other words: where there's no contract; there are no breaches of
contract; subsequently no contractual penalties for breaching.
However, though Christians per se aren't contracted with God to comply with
the Jews' covenant, it is still a sin to break it's laws because the covenant is a
divine expression of God's ideas about justice, and about right and wrong;
viz: the laws of the covenant are not bad laws; in point of fact, they are very
good laws and worthy of incorporating into one's manner of life.
†. Rom 7:12 . . So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and
righteous and good.
Seeing as how the law and the commandment are holy, righteous, and
good; then any breaking of them-- by either a Jew or a Christian --is unholy,
unrighteous, and bad.
†. Rom 6:15 . . What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law,
but under grace? God forbid!
A lot of the confusion about the term "under the law" stems from a
misunderstanding of the word "under". Apparently some are convinced that
because God requires Christ's followers to honor the law as per the old
covenant, that makes them under it; when nothing could be further from the
truth.
The proper understanding of the term "under" in respect to the law is "under
contract to" and/or "under the jurisdiction of". Paul went to a great deal of
trouble in his correspondence with the Galatians explaining this very thing.
====================================
How do you pick which ones to rely on and which ones not to?StanJ said:
Remember, you're the one advocating that we read scripture only as it says "in plain English". The fact is, scripture directly states "The Devil took him to the holy city". It's funny to see you, after claiming that you don't interpret scripture, now trying to justify interpreting that as saying "The Devil didn't actually take him to the holy city".
Can you show me exactly where scripture says "in plain English" that they didn't actually go anywhere?
??????????? You're not making any sense. Do you also believe the wild animals weren't real?
LOL! Nice try. The fact has been demonstrated....despite what you said earlier, you do interpret scripture beyond what it says "in plain English".
I haven't had any problem with the majority of modern English translations that are used by the majority of the church. I understand the context used here. You're the one with the conceptual dilemma.River Jordan said:
I know what I said River...please don't prevaricate about my words. I know when the Bible is literal, symbolic, metaphoric or parabolic. Apparently you don't.
I already have and you reject it so there is no use continuing to show you what you will not accept.
Again your ability or inability to read, is what is being questioned, not mine. The point is Jesus did NOT go anywhere as Mark shows, and as usual you disregard the pertinent questions asked of you, which shows your bias to not want to learn.
I don't have a problem with what I said, you do, and apparently only you do, as you're the only one making this an issue. Think what you please. That is what biased people do. You have been properly instructed.
So you just count on someone else to do the interpreting for you. IOW, you do use an interpretive framework...it's just someone else's.StanJ said:
All of which requires some level of interpretation, despite what you claimed.
Um...no you didn't. Nowhere have you shown where scripture says "in plain English" that Jesus and Satan didn't go anywhere, whereas I have shown the exact scripture that explicitly states "The Devil took Him to the Holy City".
Do you see the problem here? You're claiming that you don't interpret scripture and just read it for what it says "in plain English", while at the same time trying to argue that when scripture says "The Devil took Him to the Holy City", it means something other than "The Devil took Him to the Holy City". Do you understand how the argument you're making about what that verse really means, despite what it clearly says, is interpretation?
What questions?
River you can't seem to take a hint....I'm finished with you on this subject.River Jordan said:
-
Who/What Is The Schoolmaster?
†. Gal 3:24 . .The law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we
might be justified by faith.
The koiné Greek word for "schoolmaster" is paidagogos (pahee-dag-o-gos')
which essentially defines not a headmaster, nor a teacher, nor a tutor. It
essentially defines a servant whose office it was to take the children to
school, In other words: a sort of chaperone whose duty it was to make sure
the kids got there. Here's how the law works like that to lead people to
Christ.
Due to human nature's tendency to ignore law and do as it pleases; law is
quite ineffective without law enforcement. The first covenant has the teeth
to make people regret breaching it by lowering the boom on scofflaws with
any number of the curses listed at Lev 26:3-38, Deut 27:15-26, and Deut
28:1-69. God may not lower the boom on scofflaws right away; but He's
keeping records; viz: those curses are hanging over the scofflaw's head like
a sword of Damocles; and there is a day coming when the slender thread of
God's kindness and patience will part, and the sword will fall.
†. Rom 2:4-7 . . Do you think little of the riches of His goodness,
forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads
you to repentance? But in accordance with your hardness and your
impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath
and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who will render to each
one according to his deeds.
†. Isa 66:23-24 . . All humanity will come to worship me from week to week
and from month to month. And as they go out, they will see the dead bodies
of those who have rebelled against me. For the worms that devour them will
never die, and the fire that burns them will never go out. All who pass by
will view them as utterly repulsive.
The old covenant as per Deut 29:9-15 isn't a buffet. God expects all of it to
be obeyed; not just some of it, nor even most of it-- the whole shebang, the
whole ball of wax; no exceptions.
†. Deut 4:2 . . You shall not add anything to what I command you or take
anything away from it, but keep the commandments of the Lord your God
that I enjoin upon you.
†. Deut 5:29-30 . . Be careful, then, to do as the Lord your God has
commanded you. Do not turn aside to the right or to the left: follow only the
path that the Lord your God has enjoined upon you.
†. Jas 2:10 . . For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one
point, he is guilty of all.
And that's what makes the first covenant so lethal because even the
slightest breach triggers a curse.
†. Deut 27:26 . . Cursed is he who does not confirm the words of this law by
doing them.
Breaches of the covenant trigger Deut 27:26, which means that for each
breach, no matter how insignificant, the offender accrues a curse. Well;
those curses have a way of piling up right quick if people don't watch their
step. Take for example lies.
†. Lev 19:11 . .You shall not lie one to another.
Every time somebody lies to another; they trigger Deut 27:26 and accrue a
curse. Let's say somebody lies on average twenty times in a month. That's
twenty curses a month x twelve months = 240 curses per year. If that
person should live to be 70 years old, they will have 16,800 curses waiting
for them at trail's end.
As bad as that is; it gets worse. If the person knew in advance that God
forbids lying to others; then they fall into the category of a deliberate sinner
when they lie. That is very serious because there is neither atonement,
pardon, nor forgiveness for deliberate sinners under the terms and
conditions of the first covenant.
†. Num 15:30-31 . .The person, be he citizen or stranger, who acts defiantly
reviles the Lord; that person shall be cut off from among his people.
Because he has spurned the word of the Lord and violated His
commandment, that person shall be cut off-- he bears his guilt.
And the letter to Hebrews concurs:
†. Heb 10:26-27 . . If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have
received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a
fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the
enemies of God.
Do you lie to others? You need not answer because I already know that you
do. In point of fact, I am willing to bet that you cannot get through the day
without lies-- you need lies, you have to have lies otherwise interactions
with your friends, with strangers, with associates, with superiors and loved
ones would be very strained indeed. It is just humanly impossible to be
110% honest at all times.
†. Rom 3:4 . . Let God be true, but every man a liar.
The capper is: not only do lies accrue curses; but no liar will be allowed
entrance to the holy city.
†. Rev 21:27 . . No one who practices lying shall ever come into it
†. Rev 22:14-15 . . Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they
may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into
the city. But outside are whoever loves and practices a lie.
†. Rev 21:8 . . All liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire
and brimstone, which is the second death.
====================================
Who/What Is The Schoolmaster?
†. Gal 3:24 . .The law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we
might be justified by faith.
The koiné Greek word for "schoolmaster" is paidagogos (pahee-dag-o-gos')
which essentially defines not a headmaster, nor a teacher, nor a tutor. It
essentially defines a servant whose office it was to take the children to
school, In other words: a sort of chaperone whose duty it was to make sure
the kids got there. Here's how the law works like that to lead people to
Christ.
Due to human nature's tendency to ignore law and do as it pleases; law is
quite ineffective without law enforcement. The first covenant has the teeth
to make people regret breaching it by lowering the boom on scofflaws with
any number of the curses listed at Lev 26:3-38, Deut 27:15-26, and Deut
28:1-69. God may not lower the boom on scofflaws right away; but He's
keeping records; viz: those curses are hanging over the scofflaw's head like
a sword of Damocles; and there is a day coming when the slender thread of
God's kindness and patience will part, and the sword will fall.
†. Rom 2:4-7 . . Do you think little of the riches of His goodness,
forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads
you to repentance? But in accordance with your hardness and your
impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath
and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who will render to each
one according to his deeds.
†. Isa 66:23-24 . . All humanity will come to worship me from week to week
and from month to month. And as they go out, they will see the dead bodies
of those who have rebelled against me. For the worms that devour them will
never die, and the fire that burns them will never go out. All who pass by
will view them as utterly repulsive.
The old covenant as per Deut 29:9-15 isn't a buffet. God expects all of it to
be obeyed; not just some of it, nor even most of it-- the whole shebang, the
whole ball of wax; no exceptions.
†. Deut 4:2 . . You shall not add anything to what I command you or take
anything away from it, but keep the commandments of the Lord your God
that I enjoin upon you.
†. Deut 5:29-30 . . Be careful, then, to do as the Lord your God has
commanded you. Do not turn aside to the right or to the left: follow only the
path that the Lord your God has enjoined upon you.
†. Jas 2:10 . . For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one
point, he is guilty of all.
And that's what makes the first covenant so lethal because even the
slightest breach triggers a curse.
†. Deut 27:26 . . Cursed is he who does not confirm the words of this law by
doing them.
Breaches of the covenant trigger Deut 27:26, which means that for each
breach, no matter how insignificant, the offender accrues a curse. Well;
those curses have a way of piling up right quick if people don't watch their
step. Take for example lies.
†. Lev 19:11 . .You shall not lie one to another.
Every time somebody lies to another; they trigger Deut 27:26 and accrue a
curse. Let's say somebody lies on average twenty times in a month. That's
twenty curses a month x twelve months = 240 curses per year. If that
person should live to be 70 years old, they will have 16,800 curses waiting
for them at trail's end.
As bad as that is; it gets worse. If the person knew in advance that God
forbids lying to others; then they fall into the category of a deliberate sinner
when they lie. That is very serious because there is neither atonement,
pardon, nor forgiveness for deliberate sinners under the terms and
conditions of the first covenant.
†. Num 15:30-31 . .The person, be he citizen or stranger, who acts defiantly
reviles the Lord; that person shall be cut off from among his people.
Because he has spurned the word of the Lord and violated His
commandment, that person shall be cut off-- he bears his guilt.
And the letter to Hebrews concurs:
†. Heb 10:26-27 . . If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have
received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a
fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the
enemies of God.
Do you lie to others? You need not answer because I already know that you
do. In point of fact, I am willing to bet that you cannot get through the day
without lies-- you need lies, you have to have lies otherwise interactions
with your friends, with strangers, with associates, with superiors and loved
ones would be very strained indeed. It is just humanly impossible to be
110% honest at all times.
†. Rom 3:4 . . Let God be true, but every man a liar.
The capper is: not only do lies accrue curses; but no liar will be allowed
entrance to the holy city.
†. Rev 21:27 . . No one who practices lying shall ever come into it
†. Rev 22:14-15 . . Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they
may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into
the city. But outside are whoever loves and practices a lie.
†. Rev 21:8 . . All liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire
and brimstone, which is the second death.
====================================
-
What Is Eternal Life?
Eternal life is often confused with immortality. The two are not one and the
same. Immortality defines the characteristics of a superhuman body
impervious to death; while eternal life defines the characteristics of a divine
being.
†. 1John 1:1-2 . . What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what
we have seen with our eyes, what we beheld and our hands handled,
concerning the Word Of Life-- and the life was manifested, and we have
seen and bear witness and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with
the Father and was manifested to us.
"the eternal life" is different than human life, bug life, bird life, fish life, plant
life, and beast life. Those are all organic kinds of life that had their beginning
in the book of Genesis. "the eternal life" is neither an organic kind of life nor
a created kind of life. No; it's divine life; viz: it's not the kind of life that God
has; rather, it's the kind of life that God is.
When people think of eternal life as some sort of perpetual longevity; I can
tell you right now they're way off base. For example: although people in hell
will be there from now on without a break; nobody there has eternal life. No,
they are all in hell with human life rather than eternal life because according
to John 5:24 and John 10:28; people with eternal life don't go to hell; they
go to a much better place.
It helps to think of "the eternal life" as a species. I use the word "species" as
a humanistic means to get across that eternal life is the nature of a unique
personage rather than the rather superficial view that it's perpetual youth
and/or endless longevity.
†. Ex 3:13-14 . .Then Moses said to God: Behold, I am going to the sons of
Israel, and I shall say to them "The God of your fathers has sent me to you."
Now they may say to me "What is his name?" What shall I say to them? And
God said to Moses "I am who I am" and He said: thus you shall say to the
sons of Israel, "I am has sent me to you."
In other words: Moses; you shall say to them "I am always."
Once a Bible student has caught on that eternal life is the life that God is;
then they are better able to appreciate the profoundness of the statement
below:
†. John 17:2 . .You granted him authority over all people that he might give
eternal life to all those you have given him.
Christ's statement is nothing short of blasphemy to the mind of a Torah
trained Jew because what Jesus is saying there is that God has given him
the power to grant certain select individuals the characteristics of a god; and
in point of fact "the" God. Peter saw it that way too.
†. 2Pet 1:3-4 . . His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining
to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by
His own glory and excellence. For by these He has granted to us His precious
and magnificent promises, in order that by them you might become
partakers of the divine nature.
Talk about knocking your socks off! Peter's statement is nothing less than
astounding beyond words.
In spite of all the proof that's thrown at them, some folk persistently cling to
the notion that immortality and eternal life are one and the same; which is
ridiculous when it is child's play to prove they aren't.
In the passages below, note the grammatical tense of the "have" verb. It's
present tense rather than future; indicating that believers-- all believers,
those deceased and those alive --have eternal life right now: no delay and
no waiting period.
†. John 3:36 . .He who believes in the Son has eternal life
†. John 6:47 . .Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life.
†. John 5:24 . .I assure you: those who heed my message, and trust in God
who sent me, have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins,
but they have already passed from death into life.
†. 1John 5:13 . .I write these things to you who believe in the name of the
Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.
So then, if eternal life and immortality were one and the same; no believers
would die; but they do die, every day, around the clock.
Now it's quite obvious from Rom 8:23-25 and 1Cor 15:35-58 that believers
are not yet impervious to death; and won't be till some time in the future.
So the notion that eternal life and immortality are one and the same is a
gross error. In point of fact, I would even venture to say it is an inexcusable
error what with so much information available to help people get it right.
NOTE: The possession of eternal life is very crucial. According to God's
testimony, as an expert witness in all matters pertaining to eternal life,
people who lack it lack His son; viz: they are quite christless.
†. 1John 5:11-12 . .And this is what God has testified: He has given us
eternal life, and this life is in His son. So whoever has God's son has the life;
whoever does not have the life, does not have His son.
Seeing as how people who lack eternal life also lack Christ, then it's a
forgone conclusion that they are barred from the good shepherd's fold; and I
don't think I have to tell you what that means.
====================================
What Is Eternal Life?
Eternal life is often confused with immortality. The two are not one and the
same. Immortality defines the characteristics of a superhuman body
impervious to death; while eternal life defines the characteristics of a divine
being.
†. 1John 1:1-2 . . What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what
we have seen with our eyes, what we beheld and our hands handled,
concerning the Word Of Life-- and the life was manifested, and we have
seen and bear witness and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with
the Father and was manifested to us.
"the eternal life" is different than human life, bug life, bird life, fish life, plant
life, and beast life. Those are all organic kinds of life that had their beginning
in the book of Genesis. "the eternal life" is neither an organic kind of life nor
a created kind of life. No; it's divine life; viz: it's not the kind of life that God
has; rather, it's the kind of life that God is.
When people think of eternal life as some sort of perpetual longevity; I can
tell you right now they're way off base. For example: although people in hell
will be there from now on without a break; nobody there has eternal life. No,
they are all in hell with human life rather than eternal life because according
to John 5:24 and John 10:28; people with eternal life don't go to hell; they
go to a much better place.
It helps to think of "the eternal life" as a species. I use the word "species" as
a humanistic means to get across that eternal life is the nature of a unique
personage rather than the rather superficial view that it's perpetual youth
and/or endless longevity.
†. Ex 3:13-14 . .Then Moses said to God: Behold, I am going to the sons of
Israel, and I shall say to them "The God of your fathers has sent me to you."
Now they may say to me "What is his name?" What shall I say to them? And
God said to Moses "I am who I am" and He said: thus you shall say to the
sons of Israel, "I am has sent me to you."
In other words: Moses; you shall say to them "I am always."
Once a Bible student has caught on that eternal life is the life that God is;
then they are better able to appreciate the profoundness of the statement
below:
†. John 17:2 . .You granted him authority over all people that he might give
eternal life to all those you have given him.
Christ's statement is nothing short of blasphemy to the mind of a Torah
trained Jew because what Jesus is saying there is that God has given him
the power to grant certain select individuals the characteristics of a god; and
in point of fact "the" God. Peter saw it that way too.
†. 2Pet 1:3-4 . . His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining
to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by
His own glory and excellence. For by these He has granted to us His precious
and magnificent promises, in order that by them you might become
partakers of the divine nature.
Talk about knocking your socks off! Peter's statement is nothing less than
astounding beyond words.
In spite of all the proof that's thrown at them, some folk persistently cling to
the notion that immortality and eternal life are one and the same; which is
ridiculous when it is child's play to prove they aren't.
In the passages below, note the grammatical tense of the "have" verb. It's
present tense rather than future; indicating that believers-- all believers,
those deceased and those alive --have eternal life right now: no delay and
no waiting period.
†. John 3:36 . .He who believes in the Son has eternal life
†. John 6:47 . .Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life.
†. John 5:24 . .I assure you: those who heed my message, and trust in God
who sent me, have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins,
but they have already passed from death into life.
†. 1John 5:13 . .I write these things to you who believe in the name of the
Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.
So then, if eternal life and immortality were one and the same; no believers
would die; but they do die, every day, around the clock.
Now it's quite obvious from Rom 8:23-25 and 1Cor 15:35-58 that believers
are not yet impervious to death; and won't be till some time in the future.
So the notion that eternal life and immortality are one and the same is a
gross error. In point of fact, I would even venture to say it is an inexcusable
error what with so much information available to help people get it right.
NOTE: The possession of eternal life is very crucial. According to God's
testimony, as an expert witness in all matters pertaining to eternal life,
people who lack it lack His son; viz: they are quite christless.
†. 1John 5:11-12 . .And this is what God has testified: He has given us
eternal life, and this life is in His son. So whoever has God's son has the life;
whoever does not have the life, does not have His son.
Seeing as how people who lack eternal life also lack Christ, then it's a
forgone conclusion that they are barred from the good shepherd's fold; and I
don't think I have to tell you what that means.
====================================
-
Why Do Humans Need Eternal Life?
†. John 17:2-4 . .You have given him authority over all flesh, that he should
give eternal life to as many as You have given him. And this is eternal life,
that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You
have sent.
The Greek word translated "know" in that passage is ginosko; which means:
to understand, perceive, or feel. It's not always academic knowledge
though; rather, what we're talking about here is intuitive knowledge; which
Webster's defines as: a natural ability or power that makes it possible to
know something without any proof or evidence: a feeling that guides a
person to act a certain way without fully understanding why; viz: the power
or faculty of attaining to direct knowledge or cognition without evident
rational thought and inference.
It's very easy for me to know what it's like to think and feel like a human
being because I myself am a human being; and one of the things all human
beings have in common is human nature. But I will never know what it's like
to think and/or feel like a meerkat or a termite, and they will never know
what its like to think and/or feel like a human being. I have human nature;
and they have meerkat nature and termite nature. We're worlds apart.
Well just imagine the worlds apart that I and God and His son are in respect
to feeling and thinking. The distance is off the chart because I have a
creature's nature, and they have a creator's nature. Long story short: it will
never be possible for me to relate to either God or His son on a meaningful
level while I retain human nature. Well; I can't expect them to swap out
their creator's nature for a creature's nature; so the next best thing is
to somehow upgrade my nature to theirs; then the three of us can relate
together on a divine level instead of only a human level; which is not much
of a level at all in comparison to theirs.
In a nutshell then, that's why the "flesh" Jesus spoke of in John 17:2-4
needs to obtain eternal life because that's the kind of life that God is; and
the way to obtain that kind of life is via the supernatural birth about which
Christ spoke.
†. John 3:5 . . Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and
the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
There's a lot of controversy over the identity of the "water" in Jesus'
statement but that is such an unnecessary quarrel when he identified it
himself in the very next chapter of John.
†. John 4:10-14 . . Jesus answered and said to her: If you knew the gift of
God, and who it is who says to you "Give me a drink" you would have asked
him, and he would have given you living water.
. . .The woman said to him: Sir, you have nothing to draw with, and the well
is deep. Where then do you get that living water? Are you greater than our
father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, as well as his
sons and his livestock?
. . . Jesus answered and said to her: Whoever drinks of this water will thirst
again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst.
But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water
springing up into everlasting life.
In other words: the "water" of John 3:5 isn't for baptizing, nor for bathing,
nor for irrigation, nor for doing your laundry and/or washing your car. It's
specifically for drinking; and in point of fact it isn't even natural water at all;
but supernatural; which Jesus related to eternal life in not only his
discussion with the woman of Samaria; but also in his discussion with a
rabbi in John 3:3-21
†. John 3:14-17 . . As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so
must the Son of Man be lifted up; that whoever believes may in him have
eternal life. For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten son,
that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
That very same water, by the way, is still available; and best of all, it's still
free for the asking just as it was way back there when Jesus spoke to that
woman. In point of fact: it's the Bible's final offer.
†. Rev 22:17 . .The Spirit and the bride say: Come. Let each one who hears
them say: Come. Let the thirsty ones come-- anyone who wants to. Let
them come and drink the water of life without charge.
====================================
Why Do Humans Need Eternal Life?
†. John 17:2-4 . .You have given him authority over all flesh, that he should
give eternal life to as many as You have given him. And this is eternal life,
that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You
have sent.
The Greek word translated "know" in that passage is ginosko; which means:
to understand, perceive, or feel. It's not always academic knowledge
though; rather, what we're talking about here is intuitive knowledge; which
Webster's defines as: a natural ability or power that makes it possible to
know something without any proof or evidence: a feeling that guides a
person to act a certain way without fully understanding why; viz: the power
or faculty of attaining to direct knowledge or cognition without evident
rational thought and inference.
It's very easy for me to know what it's like to think and feel like a human
being because I myself am a human being; and one of the things all human
beings have in common is human nature. But I will never know what it's like
to think and/or feel like a meerkat or a termite, and they will never know
what its like to think and/or feel like a human being. I have human nature;
and they have meerkat nature and termite nature. We're worlds apart.
Well just imagine the worlds apart that I and God and His son are in respect
to feeling and thinking. The distance is off the chart because I have a
creature's nature, and they have a creator's nature. Long story short: it will
never be possible for me to relate to either God or His son on a meaningful
level while I retain human nature. Well; I can't expect them to swap out
their creator's nature for a creature's nature; so the next best thing is
to somehow upgrade my nature to theirs; then the three of us can relate
together on a divine level instead of only a human level; which is not much
of a level at all in comparison to theirs.
In a nutshell then, that's why the "flesh" Jesus spoke of in John 17:2-4
needs to obtain eternal life because that's the kind of life that God is; and
the way to obtain that kind of life is via the supernatural birth about which
Christ spoke.
†. John 3:5 . . Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and
the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
There's a lot of controversy over the identity of the "water" in Jesus'
statement but that is such an unnecessary quarrel when he identified it
himself in the very next chapter of John.
†. John 4:10-14 . . Jesus answered and said to her: If you knew the gift of
God, and who it is who says to you "Give me a drink" you would have asked
him, and he would have given you living water.
. . .The woman said to him: Sir, you have nothing to draw with, and the well
is deep. Where then do you get that living water? Are you greater than our
father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, as well as his
sons and his livestock?
. . . Jesus answered and said to her: Whoever drinks of this water will thirst
again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst.
But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water
springing up into everlasting life.
In other words: the "water" of John 3:5 isn't for baptizing, nor for bathing,
nor for irrigation, nor for doing your laundry and/or washing your car. It's
specifically for drinking; and in point of fact it isn't even natural water at all;
but supernatural; which Jesus related to eternal life in not only his
discussion with the woman of Samaria; but also in his discussion with a
rabbi in John 3:3-21
†. John 3:14-17 . . As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so
must the Son of Man be lifted up; that whoever believes may in him have
eternal life. For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten son,
that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
That very same water, by the way, is still available; and best of all, it's still
free for the asking just as it was way back there when Jesus spoke to that
woman. In point of fact: it's the Bible's final offer.
†. Rev 22:17 . .The Spirit and the bride say: Come. Let each one who hears
them say: Come. Let the thirsty ones come-- anyone who wants to. Let
them come and drink the water of life without charge.
====================================
-
What Is The Flesh?
†. Rom 8:13 . . For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by
the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
There's nothing mystical about the flesh. It's just simple Biology 101; viz:
according to that passage; the flesh and the body are one and the same.
Your body's flesh is the source of your human nature and it isn't all that
difficult to define. Webster's says its (1) the ways of thinking, feeling, and
acting that are common to most people, and (2) the nature of humans;
especially the fundamental dispositions and traits of humans. In other
words: the flesh is just simply that which comes natural to humans as
opposed to that which comes natural to God.
The word for flesh is sarx (sarx); which essentially indicates the meaty parts
of either man or beast. The meat of the human body would of course include
all of its organic tissues; including the 3-pound lump of flabby material
housed within everyone's bony little skull sufficing for a mind; viz: your
brain is that part of the human body that produces your personality; and
that's really scary.
According to Rom 8:13, I am the person who the organic tissues of my body
have made me. In other words; the "me" that I am today can easily be
transformed into another "me" by little more than a blow to the head. I once
read the story of a woman who was in a very bad auto accident that left her
in a coma for a while. When she came to; the woman was someone else.
Her favorite foods were no longer her favorite foods. Her favorite colors were
no longer her favorite colors. She preferred different fashions, different kinds
of music, different hair styles, different kinds of entertainment, and even her
mannerisms were different. She came out of the coma with a whole new
personality. The woman was so unlike her original self that neither her own
children nor her own husband recognized her. They could legitimately ask:
Where is our mother; and what have you done with her?
What happened? Well obviously her brain function changed. The auto
accident had somehow altered its activity; subsequently making her into
another woman. It's somewhat disturbing to realize that we are who the
organic tissues of our bodies have made us; and that those same organic
tissues can make us become someone else; and there is not one thing we
can do to stop it.
Anyway; Rom 8:13 isn't speaking of just one deed; but a life continually
steered by one's natural impulses; in other words: an accumulation of deeds
that individually might be tolerable; but when synergic become quite
insufferable. For example in Gen 15:15-16 God said to Abraham: You,
however, will go to your fathers in peace and be buried at a good old age. In
the fourth generation your descendants will come back here, for the sin of
the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure.
There are Christians out there apparently unaware they are gradually filling
up-- via one act of human nature at a time --a book of seemingly
insignificant deeds that when combined become a force to be reckoned with.
This sort of reminds me of the old Blue Chip Stamp days. One Blue Chip
stamp alone was insignificant; but when shoppers filled the pages of a Blue
Chip Stamp book with individual stamps, then those heretofore insignificant
individual stamps could be redeemed for some pretty nifty stuff. In point of
fact, that's how I got my very first baseball glove.
Filling up the pages of a "deeds of the body" book one act of human nature
at a time may take a while; and because of that Christians are easily lulled
into thinking they're getting away with them; sort of like cooking a frog to
death by starting with cold water and gradually heating it to the boiling
point. Poor dumb ol' frog never sees it coming.
====================================
What Is The Flesh?
†. Rom 8:13 . . For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by
the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
There's nothing mystical about the flesh. It's just simple Biology 101; viz:
according to that passage; the flesh and the body are one and the same.
Your body's flesh is the source of your human nature and it isn't all that
difficult to define. Webster's says its (1) the ways of thinking, feeling, and
acting that are common to most people, and (2) the nature of humans;
especially the fundamental dispositions and traits of humans. In other
words: the flesh is just simply that which comes natural to humans as
opposed to that which comes natural to God.
The word for flesh is sarx (sarx); which essentially indicates the meaty parts
of either man or beast. The meat of the human body would of course include
all of its organic tissues; including the 3-pound lump of flabby material
housed within everyone's bony little skull sufficing for a mind; viz: your
brain is that part of the human body that produces your personality; and
that's really scary.
According to Rom 8:13, I am the person who the organic tissues of my body
have made me. In other words; the "me" that I am today can easily be
transformed into another "me" by little more than a blow to the head. I once
read the story of a woman who was in a very bad auto accident that left her
in a coma for a while. When she came to; the woman was someone else.
Her favorite foods were no longer her favorite foods. Her favorite colors were
no longer her favorite colors. She preferred different fashions, different kinds
of music, different hair styles, different kinds of entertainment, and even her
mannerisms were different. She came out of the coma with a whole new
personality. The woman was so unlike her original self that neither her own
children nor her own husband recognized her. They could legitimately ask:
Where is our mother; and what have you done with her?
What happened? Well obviously her brain function changed. The auto
accident had somehow altered its activity; subsequently making her into
another woman. It's somewhat disturbing to realize that we are who the
organic tissues of our bodies have made us; and that those same organic
tissues can make us become someone else; and there is not one thing we
can do to stop it.
Anyway; Rom 8:13 isn't speaking of just one deed; but a life continually
steered by one's natural impulses; in other words: an accumulation of deeds
that individually might be tolerable; but when synergic become quite
insufferable. For example in Gen 15:15-16 God said to Abraham: You,
however, will go to your fathers in peace and be buried at a good old age. In
the fourth generation your descendants will come back here, for the sin of
the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure.
There are Christians out there apparently unaware they are gradually filling
up-- via one act of human nature at a time --a book of seemingly
insignificant deeds that when combined become a force to be reckoned with.
This sort of reminds me of the old Blue Chip Stamp days. One Blue Chip
stamp alone was insignificant; but when shoppers filled the pages of a Blue
Chip Stamp book with individual stamps, then those heretofore insignificant
individual stamps could be redeemed for some pretty nifty stuff. In point of
fact, that's how I got my very first baseball glove.
Filling up the pages of a "deeds of the body" book one act of human nature
at a time may take a while; and because of that Christians are easily lulled
into thinking they're getting away with them; sort of like cooking a frog to
death by starting with cold water and gradually heating it to the boiling
point. Poor dumb ol' frog never sees it coming.
====================================
-
What's With The Fig Leaves?
†. Gen 2:25 . . Now, although Adam and his wife were both naked, neither3
of them felt any shame.
That was the first couple's psychological condition prior to tasting the
forbidden fruit.
†. Gen 3:7 . .Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized
they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made aprons for
themselves.
That became their psychological condition after tasting the fruit. What
happened?
Well; God predicted back in Gen 2:17 that Adam would die on the very day
he tasted the fruit. Part of Adam's demise pertained to the death of his
perpetual youth. The other part of his demise pertained to the death of his
original self.
After tasting the fruit, he and his wife became painfully self-conscious of
their appearance in the buff and immediately covered up their pelvic areas.
They didn't even want to be seen naked by each other, though they were a
married couple and no doubt very attractive.
That is very significant. It tells me that they developed a guilt complex over
sex and the human body: which guilt complex they did not have prior to
tasting that fruit. What that means is: all of a sudden they had a sense of
propriety; which sense they did not get from their maker; no, something in
the organic chemistry of that fruit messed up their brains.
It is very humbling to realize that all of us are the persons that not we; but
that our brains make us; and our brains can very easily make us into
another person without our consent. The scary thing is; you don't remember
your first self; but are utterly convinced that you've always been the new
you. I'm not talking crazy. This kind of thing goes on all the time. I read
about it National Geographic and in science mags like Discover and Scientific
American.
A touching movie based on this very subject is "Regarding Henry" starring
Harrison Ford. He plays a hard-boiled, callous attorney who, after being shot
by a punk in a mom and pop store robbery, comes out of a coma with a
totally different personality. The hard-boiled, callous attorney is gone. One
of the two bullets he was hit with had damaged an important vein in his
shoulder area that supplied blood to his head.
I once read the true story of a woman who was in a very bad auto accident
that left her in a coma for a while. When she came to; the woman was
someone else. Her favorite foods were no longer her favorite foods. Her
favorite colors were no longer her favorite colors. She preferred different
fashions, different kinds of music, different hair styles, different kinds of
entertainment, and even her mannerisms were different. She came out of
the coma with a whole new personality. The woman was so unlike her
original self that neither her own children nor her own husband recognized
her. They could legitimately ask: Where is our mother; and what have you
done with her?
Well; after eating that fruit, one could ask: Where is Adam, and what have
you done with him?
The original Adam was gone; replaced by an altered Adam who had a whole
new set of proclivities and he didn't get those proclivities from God nor did
he get them from the Serpent either. He acquired them as a direct result of
eating that fruit. The chemistry of that tree somehow altered Adam. I don't
know how; but one thing I do know; it is not impossible.
A new study led by Chen-Yu Zhang, of Nanjing University, found that
fragments of plant genetic material survive digestion and wind up swimming
in the bloodstreams of humans and cows. Those tiny strands of RNA that
somehow make it through the toxic acids and enzymes in the gut come from
rice and the plant family that includes broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower
and cabbage. Zhang found that they can muffle or amplify human gene
expression in various ways. The discovery could lead to ways of designing
plants that act as medicine or even change our own genetic structure for the
better (or the worse).
And it's well known what happens to kids when they move into adolescence.
Hormonal chemicals kick in, and their childish innocence vanishes; right out
the window. They lose interest in kid's toys and begin to take an interest in
things more appropriate for their age; including a very noticeable interest in
themselves, and in the opposite sex; and most especially in what others
think about them. In other words: they become self-conscious; which
Webster's defines as uncomfortably aware of oneself as an object of the
observation of others.
Those adolescent changes aren't miraculous changes-- they're totally
natural, hormonally induced, organic changes. So if kids undergo a natural
kind of change because of the chemicals generated by the glands in their
own bodies, then there is good reason to believe that the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil actually did contain something harmful that
caused Adam to undergo some very significant changes; resulting in the
erasure of his original self; and it happened not centuries later; but right
then and there on the very day he tasted that fruit.
Unfortunately; Adam's altered state is genetic; viz: it's hereditary. The fruit
messed up his DNA in such a way that the condition passed on to his
progeny; and so now everybody has it; and the only escape is the
supernatural birth about which Christ spoke at John 3:3-8.
====================================
What's With The Fig Leaves?
†. Gen 2:25 . . Now, although Adam and his wife were both naked, neither3
of them felt any shame.
That was the first couple's psychological condition prior to tasting the
forbidden fruit.
†. Gen 3:7 . .Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized
they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made aprons for
themselves.
That became their psychological condition after tasting the fruit. What
happened?
Well; God predicted back in Gen 2:17 that Adam would die on the very day
he tasted the fruit. Part of Adam's demise pertained to the death of his
perpetual youth. The other part of his demise pertained to the death of his
original self.
After tasting the fruit, he and his wife became painfully self-conscious of
their appearance in the buff and immediately covered up their pelvic areas.
They didn't even want to be seen naked by each other, though they were a
married couple and no doubt very attractive.
That is very significant. It tells me that they developed a guilt complex over
sex and the human body: which guilt complex they did not have prior to
tasting that fruit. What that means is: all of a sudden they had a sense of
propriety; which sense they did not get from their maker; no, something in
the organic chemistry of that fruit messed up their brains.
It is very humbling to realize that all of us are the persons that not we; but
that our brains make us; and our brains can very easily make us into
another person without our consent. The scary thing is; you don't remember
your first self; but are utterly convinced that you've always been the new
you. I'm not talking crazy. This kind of thing goes on all the time. I read
about it National Geographic and in science mags like Discover and Scientific
American.
A touching movie based on this very subject is "Regarding Henry" starring
Harrison Ford. He plays a hard-boiled, callous attorney who, after being shot
by a punk in a mom and pop store robbery, comes out of a coma with a
totally different personality. The hard-boiled, callous attorney is gone. One
of the two bullets he was hit with had damaged an important vein in his
shoulder area that supplied blood to his head.
I once read the true story of a woman who was in a very bad auto accident
that left her in a coma for a while. When she came to; the woman was
someone else. Her favorite foods were no longer her favorite foods. Her
favorite colors were no longer her favorite colors. She preferred different
fashions, different kinds of music, different hair styles, different kinds of
entertainment, and even her mannerisms were different. She came out of
the coma with a whole new personality. The woman was so unlike her
original self that neither her own children nor her own husband recognized
her. They could legitimately ask: Where is our mother; and what have you
done with her?
Well; after eating that fruit, one could ask: Where is Adam, and what have
you done with him?
The original Adam was gone; replaced by an altered Adam who had a whole
new set of proclivities and he didn't get those proclivities from God nor did
he get them from the Serpent either. He acquired them as a direct result of
eating that fruit. The chemistry of that tree somehow altered Adam. I don't
know how; but one thing I do know; it is not impossible.
A new study led by Chen-Yu Zhang, of Nanjing University, found that
fragments of plant genetic material survive digestion and wind up swimming
in the bloodstreams of humans and cows. Those tiny strands of RNA that
somehow make it through the toxic acids and enzymes in the gut come from
rice and the plant family that includes broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower
and cabbage. Zhang found that they can muffle or amplify human gene
expression in various ways. The discovery could lead to ways of designing
plants that act as medicine or even change our own genetic structure for the
better (or the worse).
And it's well known what happens to kids when they move into adolescence.
Hormonal chemicals kick in, and their childish innocence vanishes; right out
the window. They lose interest in kid's toys and begin to take an interest in
things more appropriate for their age; including a very noticeable interest in
themselves, and in the opposite sex; and most especially in what others
think about them. In other words: they become self-conscious; which
Webster's defines as uncomfortably aware of oneself as an object of the
observation of others.
Those adolescent changes aren't miraculous changes-- they're totally
natural, hormonally induced, organic changes. So if kids undergo a natural
kind of change because of the chemicals generated by the glands in their
own bodies, then there is good reason to believe that the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil actually did contain something harmful that
caused Adam to undergo some very significant changes; resulting in the
erasure of his original self; and it happened not centuries later; but right
then and there on the very day he tasted that fruit.
Unfortunately; Adam's altered state is genetic; viz: it's hereditary. The fruit
messed up his DNA in such a way that the condition passed on to his
progeny; and so now everybody has it; and the only escape is the
supernatural birth about which Christ spoke at John 3:3-8.
====================================
-
What's With Adam Hiding Out?
†. Gen 3:8-10 . .The man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as
He was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the
Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the
man: Where are you? He answered: I heard you in the garden, and I was
afraid because I was naked; so I hid.
Adam obviously fibbed. He no doubt had met with God in the buff lots of
times before without any fear; so what's this? Well; he was afraid that God
was there to end his life as per Gen 2:17. But the wording of God's
statement only says Adam would die; it doesn't say God would put him to
death. Ironically, Adam was already dead and didn't know it. The very same
thing can happen to Christians if they don't mind their p's and q's.
†. Rom 8:13-14 . . If you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by
the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
The "flesh" of course being human nature. So: what produces human
nature? Well; the 3-pound lump of flabby organic tissue housed within your
bony little skull collaborates with not only your nervous system but also all
your glands to produce human nature; which Paul described as "the deeds of
the body". In other words: humanity's base nature isn't that of a god; but
little more than that of a beast.
†. Gen 3:11 . . He said: Who told you that you were naked?
Linguistically that's an accurate translation. However, that's not what God
meant. He wanted to know who told Adam that frontal nudity is indecent.
You see; man's creator isn't offended by frontal nudity. In God's mind; the
naked human body is not just good; but very good (Gen 1:31) but in Adam's
altered consciousness, the naked human body is obscene. The chemistry in
the forbidden fruit had really done a number on Adam's perception of right
and wrong.
†. Gen 3:4-5 . . For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will
be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.
Was the Serpent right? He was; from a certain point of view. However, he
neglected to tell Eve that her knowledge of good and evil wouldn't duplicate
God's, but would actually compete with God's. In other words; she became
her own God. And that's mankind's condition to this day.
†. Isa 53:6 . . All of us have strayed away like sheep. We have left God's
paths to follow our own.
====================================
What's With Adam Hiding Out?
†. Gen 3:8-10 . .The man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as
He was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the
Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the
man: Where are you? He answered: I heard you in the garden, and I was
afraid because I was naked; so I hid.
Adam obviously fibbed. He no doubt had met with God in the buff lots of
times before without any fear; so what's this? Well; he was afraid that God
was there to end his life as per Gen 2:17. But the wording of God's
statement only says Adam would die; it doesn't say God would put him to
death. Ironically, Adam was already dead and didn't know it. The very same
thing can happen to Christians if they don't mind their p's and q's.
†. Rom 8:13-14 . . If you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by
the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
The "flesh" of course being human nature. So: what produces human
nature? Well; the 3-pound lump of flabby organic tissue housed within your
bony little skull collaborates with not only your nervous system but also all
your glands to produce human nature; which Paul described as "the deeds of
the body". In other words: humanity's base nature isn't that of a god; but
little more than that of a beast.
†. Gen 3:11 . . He said: Who told you that you were naked?
Linguistically that's an accurate translation. However, that's not what God
meant. He wanted to know who told Adam that frontal nudity is indecent.
You see; man's creator isn't offended by frontal nudity. In God's mind; the
naked human body is not just good; but very good (Gen 1:31) but in Adam's
altered consciousness, the naked human body is obscene. The chemistry in
the forbidden fruit had really done a number on Adam's perception of right
and wrong.
†. Gen 3:4-5 . . For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will
be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.
Was the Serpent right? He was; from a certain point of view. However, he
neglected to tell Eve that her knowledge of good and evil wouldn't duplicate
God's, but would actually compete with God's. In other words; she became
her own God. And that's mankind's condition to this day.
†. Isa 53:6 . . All of us have strayed away like sheep. We have left God's
paths to follow our own.
====================================
-
What's With God's Regret?
†. Gen 6:5-6 . . God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth,
and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil
continually. And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth,
and it grieved him at his heart.
The Hebrew word for "repented" is nacham (naw-kham') which means to
sigh, to be sorry, to pity, and/or to rue. Webster's defines rue as: to regret.
So you see, regret is not a mistake; in point of fact, regret is clearly an
option.
I watched an educational series on NetFlix in September of 2014 called "The
Inexplicable Universe: Unsolved Mysteries" hosted by Neil deGrasse Tyson
Ph.D, director of the Hayden Planetarium. Mr. Tyson said, in so many words;
that in the study of Physics, one must sometimes abandon sense and simply
accept the facts as they are no matter how contrary to logic they may seem.
In the field of Christianity, as in the field of Physics, faith believes what's
revealed to it rather than only what makes sense to it. I readily admit that
God's regret makes no sense at all especially seeing as how He easily
foresaw Man's decadence. However, I'm with Mr. Tyson on this one; viz;
sometimes one must abandon sense and simply accept the facts as they are
no matter how contrary to logic they may seem. In other words; just as
science admits to many unsolved mysteries; so does Christianity. And
there's no shame in that. The shame is in pretending to have complete
understanding of everything.
====================================
What's With God's Regret?
†. Gen 6:5-6 . . God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth,
and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil
continually. And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth,
and it grieved him at his heart.
The Hebrew word for "repented" is nacham (naw-kham') which means to
sigh, to be sorry, to pity, and/or to rue. Webster's defines rue as: to regret.
So you see, regret is not a mistake; in point of fact, regret is clearly an
option.
I watched an educational series on NetFlix in September of 2014 called "The
Inexplicable Universe: Unsolved Mysteries" hosted by Neil deGrasse Tyson
Ph.D, director of the Hayden Planetarium. Mr. Tyson said, in so many words;
that in the study of Physics, one must sometimes abandon sense and simply
accept the facts as they are no matter how contrary to logic they may seem.
In the field of Christianity, as in the field of Physics, faith believes what's
revealed to it rather than only what makes sense to it. I readily admit that
God's regret makes no sense at all especially seeing as how He easily
foresaw Man's decadence. However, I'm with Mr. Tyson on this one; viz;
sometimes one must abandon sense and simply accept the facts as they are
no matter how contrary to logic they may seem. In other words; just as
science admits to many unsolved mysteries; so does Christianity. And
there's no shame in that. The shame is in pretending to have complete
understanding of everything.
====================================
Were it not that Christianity Board is a world-wide venue there might beStanJ said:
some truth to what you say. But nobody here talks to themselves. This
forum is on the internet: for the better and/or for the worse: it's a pulpit--
so don't squander your opportunity on superfluous chat and air-headed
remarks: use it wisely.
Buen Camino
/
I agree Weber...so why do you do it? If you want a pulpit then start a blog. THIS is a DISCUSSION forum and apparently you have no desire whatsoever to discuss....just preach.
I joined Christianity Board for two reasons: discussion and outreach. YouStanJ said:
can see them listed over to your left in the sidebar under the man on the
camel. A blog would frustrate the first of those two reasons.
Of the 60 compositions posted on this thread thus far, 42 are discussionStanJ said:
related; in other words: 70%. You know what I think? Well; I think you're
just upset because I'm not paying enough attention to you.
Look; I'm sorry StanJ; but like I informed you once before already: it's
nothing personal but I can't talk with a bloke whose thought processes work
like yours do. We're just not on the same wave length nor even in the same
solar system. I'm not saying there is something wrong with you. I'm just
saying we're too different.
Buen Camino
/
Similar threads
