Christian Doctrine - Pop Quiz.

[eyeshaveit]

Approximately two thirds of the doctrinal material found in the New Testament of the Holy Bible concerns which important Christian doctrine?

Spoiler

The Second Coming of Jesus Christ -

"Remember ... that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. They will say, ?Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation ... The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance." - 2 Peter 3.

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[Teaspoon Shallow]

These scoffers who will come out near the last days looks like that included Jesus followers while he was alive.

John 6:58-66.  The end days seem to be end millennia or more.  Guess the end days are metaphorical and not literal.

[Francis]

I would think that regardless of how many times a Christian doctrine  is mentioned or not in the Bible...  the most important Christian doctrine would be found in 1 Corinthians 15:13-19... which basically says: "And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith"... and we as Christians are of all men most pitiable and foolish.

But that is my personal opinion.

[composer]

I would think that regardless of how many times a Christian doctrine  is mentioned or not in the Bible...  the most important Christian doctrine would be found in 1 Corinthians 15:13-19... which basically says: "And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith"... and we as Christians are of all men most pitiable and foolish.

There are NO genuine jebus' believers, just those that ' claim they are '.

&

No more pitiable & foolish than all others that similarly try to structure themselves to Historical MYTHS!

[Emma286]

My thoughts are the same on that last.

[eyeshaveit]

Some Christians, when discussing creation, subscribe to the Gap Theory (Ruin-Restitution Hypothesis), which proposes millions to billions of years of time passing between what two verses of the Holy Bible?

Spoiler

Genesis 1:1 and Genesis 1:2.

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The Gap Theory hinges on one word in the Bible. The translation of that Hebrew word is what part of speech: a noun; a verb; or a conjunction?

Spoiler

A verb.

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What are the two principal English translations of that Hebrew word?

Spoiler

"was" and "became".

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In the broader Hebrew scriptures the word in question occurs hundreds of times. How do the two disputed words compare as to percentage rate?

Spoiler

Was = 99%.
Became = 1%. 

"In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. [gap] The earth 'was/became' without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters." - Genesis 1:1-2.

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[Jstwebbrowsing]

I would think that regardless of how many times a Christian doctrine  is mentioned or not in the Bible...  the most important Christian doctrine would be found in 1 Corinthians 15:13-19... which basically says: "And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith"... and we as Christians are of all men most pitiable and foolish.

But that is my personal opinion.

"The most important Christian doctrine" is an interesting subject for thought.  I guess for me there are a few scrpitures that come to mind, one being the one you already posted.  Another one is "Repent for the Kingdom of heaven is near."

However I think there is one even more central to Christianity found at Isaiah 42:8.  "I am Jehovah, that is my name; and my glory I will not give to another, neither my praise to graven images."  What I see is that Christianty is an act of God sanctifying himself.   So I think the most important doctrine is that God will be sanctified. 

[Kiahanie]

[. . . .]What I see is that Christianty is an act of God sanctifying himself. . . .

??? Can you explain that please? Or clarify it? Why would the presumed source of sanctity / sacredness need to be "sanctified"? How would that be done? Is there scriptural authority for that divine self-sanctification?

Sanctify
1. To set apart for sacred use; consecrate: The preacher sanctified the ground as a cemetery.
2. To make holy; purify: They felt the spirit had descended and sanctified their hearts. They sanctified the body with holy oil.
3. To give religious sanction to, as with an oath or vow: The wedding ceremony sanctifies the marriage.
4. To give social or moral sanction to: "The only books I wanted to read as a teenager were those sanctified by my elders and betters" (David Eggers).

[composer]

"The most important Christian doctrine" is an interesting subject for thought.  I guess for me there are a few scrpitures that come to mind, one being the one you already posted.  Another one is "Repent for the Kingdom of heaven is near."

Can't be ' close ' because the Botchtower is currently selling off its current Head Office and transferring to new HQ's.

However I think there is one even more central to Christianity found at Isaiah 42:8.  "I am Jehovah, that is my name; . . . .

The Botchtower itself disagrees!

Their book, "Let Your Name Be Sanctified" freely admits on pages 16 and 18 that Yahweh is the superior translation of the Tetragrammaton (YHWH). This book has lately been withdrawn. However, in the preface of their "The Kingdom Interlinear Translation of the Greek Scriptures," we find on page 23 the following admission:

"While inclining to view the pronunciation 'Yahweh' as the more correct way, we have retained the form 'Jehovah' because of people's familiarity with it since the 14th century.

So the Botchtower relies on the Traditions of some whilst accuracy is cast aside.

&

Another Video the Botchtower doesn't want you to see -

http://isgodimaginary.com/forum/index.php/topic,62317.msg813220.html#msg813220

[eyeshaveit]

Is Satan a real personality or just an abstract idea and belief?

Spoiler

Satan (the devil) has access, both to the earth and human creatures:

?Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them. The Lord said to Satan, ?From where have you come?? Satan answered the Lord and said, ?From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.?? - Job 1.

Jesus was tempted by the devil:

?And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And he ate nothing during those days. And when they were ended, he was hungry. The devil said to him, ?If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread. And Jesus answered him, ?It is written, ?Man shall not live by bread alone.???  - Luke 4.

Jesus spoke of the devil to others:

?You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.? - John 8.

Jesus spoke of the devil's power:

?When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart.? - Matthew 13.

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[composer]

Is Satan a real personality or just an abstract idea and belief?

Spoiler

Satan (the devil) has access, both to the earth and human creatures:

?Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them. The Lord said to Satan, ?From where have you come?? Satan answered the Lord and said, ?From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.?? - Job 1.

Jesus was tempted by the devil:

?And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And he ate nothing during those days. And when they were ended, he was hungry. The devil said to him, ?If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread. And Jesus answered him, ?It is written, ?Man shall not live by bread alone.???  - Luke 4.

Jesus spoke of the devil to others:

?You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.? - John 8.

Jesus spoke of the devil's power:

?When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart.? - Matthew 13.

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The claim it refers to a biblical supernatural fallen angelic being is demonstrably false!

The Hebrew Term Satan, is simply a Hebrew word meaning ANY OPPOSER / ENEMY / ADVERSARY, GOOD or BAD, Male or Female or Neuter Gender.

[eyeshaveit]

Is Satan a real personality or just an abstract idea and belief?

Spoiler

Satan (the devil) has access, both to the earth and human creatures:

?Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them. The Lord said to Satan, ?From where have you come?? Satan answered the Lord and said, ?From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.?? - Job 1.

Jesus was tempted by the devil:

?And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And he ate nothing during those days. And when they were ended, he was hungry. The devil said to him, ?If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread. And Jesus answered him, ?It is written, ?Man shall not live by bread alone.???  - Luke 4.

Jesus spoke of the devil to others:

?You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.? - John 8.

Jesus spoke of the devil's power:

?When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart.? - Matthew 13.

[close]

The claim it refers to a biblical supernatural fallen angelic being is demonstrably false!

The Hebrew Term Satan, is simply a Hebrew word meaning ANY OPPOSER / ENEMY / ADVERSARY, GOOD or BAD, Male or Female or Neuter Gender.

"And the Lord said to Satan, ?Have you considered the man, Composer"? Then Satan answered the Lord and said, "Composer doesn't need my personal attention, he does not believe in me and mine.""

[composer]

The claim it refers to a biblical supernatural fallen angelic being is demonstrably false!

The Hebrew Term Satan, is simply a Hebrew word meaning ANY OPPOSER / ENEMY / ADVERSARY, GOOD or BAD, Male or Female or Neuter Gender.

"And the Lord said to Satan, ?Have you considered the man, Composer"? Then Satan answered the Lord and said, "Composer doesn't need my personal attention, he does not believe in me and mine.""

CEB   The Lord said to the Adversary, ?Have you thought about my servant Job, for there is no one like him on earth, a man who is honest, who is of absolute integrity, who reveres God and avoids evil? He still holds on to his integrity, even though you incited me to ruin him for no reason.? (Job 2:3)

CJB   Adonai asked the Adversary, ?Did you notice my servant Iyov, that there?s no one like him on earth, a blameless and upright man who fears God and shuns evil, and that he still holds on to his integrity, even though you provoked me against him to destroy him for no reason?? (Job 2:3)

MEV   The Lord said to the Adversary, ?Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and an upright man, who fears God and avoids evil? He still holds fast his integrity, although you moved Me against him, to destroy him without cause.? (Job 2:3)

(https://www.biblegateway.com/verse/en/Job%202:3)

Now try proving this/ANY Adversary, was a naughty/fallen supernatural angel-being?

[eyeshaveit]

List the three types of law found in the Holy Bible?

Spoiler

1 - Proverbs - are practical insights and wisdom:

"Love not sleep, lest you come to poverty; open your eyes, and you will have plenty of bread." - Proverbs 20:13.

2 - Case Law - is comprised of precedent setting practical judgments:

"If fire breaks out and catches in thorns so that the stacked grain or the standing grain or the field is consumed, he who started the fire shall make full restitution." - Exodus 22:6.

3 - Moral Absolutes - are absolute standards used to judge whether specific actions are right or wrong, no matter the context of the act:

"You shall not murder" - Deuteronomy 5:17.

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[composer]

 

You are trying to do a wilson by moving the goal-posts!

You raised the Satan assertion!

Now try proving this/ANY Adversary, was a naughty/fallen supernatural angel-being?

[eyeshaveit]

You are trying to do a wilson by moving the goal-posts!

You raised the Satan assertion!

Now try proving this/ANY Adversary, was a naughty/fallen supernatural angel-being?

The goal posts are intact; your argument is with the esteemed translators of Holy Writ.

[composer]

The goal posts are intact; your argument is with the esteemed translators of Holy Writ.

Esteemed by whom?

The literal holiness of your writ is wanting, as is ALL acclaimed holy-writs!

i.e. That ANY literal supernatural being was involved in ANY way = zero!

You are welcome to try to prove otherwise?

Meanwhile, stop trying to move the goal-posts and instead focus on your other current dilemma, i.e. try proving this/ANY Adversary, was a naughty/fallen supernatural angel-being?

[eyeshaveit]

Meanwhile, stop trying to move the goal-posts and instead focus on your other current dilemma, i.e. try proving this/ANY Adversary, was a naughty/fallen supernatural angel-being?

The pop quiz asks the questions; not you. And if you don't like the answers, get up a petition to have my teaching certificate annulled forthright, and/or establish a new school and curriculum for doubters such as yourself.

Anyone can be negative and stand on the sidelines and bleach and throw sheet all over everything. Do you have it in you to do something positive?   

[eyeshaveit]

Swing Low, Sweet Chariot

Swing low, sweet chariot
Coming for to carry me home
Swing low, sweet chariot
Coming for to carry me home

I looked over Jordan and what did I see
Coming for to carry me home
A band of angels coming after me
Coming for to carry me home

If you get there before I do
Coming for to carry me home
Tell all my friends I'm coming to
Coming for to carry me home

The old Negro spiritual, Swing Low, Sweet Chariot,  was composed by unknown slaves, and based on what chapter of the Holy Bible?

Spoiler

2 Kings 2:

?And as they still went on and talked, behold, chariots of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them. And Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. And Elisha saw it and he cried, ?My father, my father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!? And he saw him no more.?

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[composer]

Meanwhile, stop trying to move the goal-posts and instead focus on your other current dilemma, i.e. try proving this/ANY Adversary, was a naughty/fallen supernatural angel-being?

The pop quiz asks the questions; not you. And if you don't like the answers, get up a petition to have my teaching certificate annulled forthright, and/or establish a new school and curriculum for doubters such as yourself.

You have failed to provide a coherent - legitimate answer regarding your Job 2:3 assertion!

Anyone can be negative and stand on the sidelines and bleach and throw sheet all over everything. Do you have it in you to do something positive?   

My participation here and elsewhere is always a positive!

e.g. I expose fraudulent beliefs/ideologies like yours, then correct them!

Conversely those like YOU fail to support your claims, and instead try to move the goal-posts in a pitiful attempt to hide your spurious ideological claims e.g.

Focus on your another of your current dilemmas, i.e. try proving this/ANY Adversary (e.g. Job 2:3 you raised), was a naughty/fallen supernatural angel-being?

Meanwhile, unlike you & Co, I remain entirely vindicated

[eyeshaveit]

"Christian Doctrine - Pop Quiz: Is Satan a real personality or just an abstract idea and belief?"

Christian doctrine is based on the Holy Bible; which book leaves nothing to the imagination, as it makes the definite assertion, that Satan is a real personality.

This thread is about "Christian doctrine" and not any of my faith beliefs, which are subjects for other threads.

Your quarrel is with the Holy Bible; not me.

Start another thread, or stay here, be a bully and cast sheet all over everything; the choice is yours.

[composer]

"Christian Doctrine - Pop Quiz: Is Satan a real personality or just an abstract idea and belief?"

Christian doctrine is based on the Holy Bible; which book leaves nothing to the imagination,

Based predominantly on Historical MYTHICAL characters like jebus, pauly, moses, apostles & their human devised antics, it leaves everything to the imagination; such as why any sane person would use it as a doctrine for themselves?

as it makes the definite assertion, that Satan is a real personality.

This thread is about "Christian doctrine" and not any of my faith beliefs, which are subjects for other threads.

Your quarrel is with the Holy Bible; not me.

Start another thread, or stay here, be a bully and cast sheet all over everything; the choice is yours.

My correcting those like you & Co. with reality & truth, apparently makes you go on the offensive trying to ' shoot the messenger ' (e.g. Moi!) including falsely accusing them of ' bullying ' for having shaken your (at best) hearsay beliefs to the ground

&

Yes! a Satan can be a real personality!

e.g. YOU (You oppose & are an Adversary to the Truth I bear!)

&

Mythical Story book Peter (Mark 8:33)

CEB   Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, then sternly corrected Peter: ?Get behind me, Satan. You are not thinking God?s thoughts but human thoughts.?

CJB   But, turning around and looking at his talmidim, he rebuked Kefa. ?Get behind me, Satan!? he said, ?For your thinking is from a human perspective, not from God?s perspective!?

MEV   But when He had turned around and looked at His disciples, He rebuked Peter, saying, ?Get behind Me, Satan! For you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.?

[eyeshaveit]

Google definition of 'religious syncretism':

"Religious syncretism exhibits blending of two or more religious belief systems into a new system, or the incorporation into a religious tradition of beliefs from unrelated traditions."

Is religious syncretism encouraged and promoted by the Holy Bible?

Spoiler

No,

"And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.? - Joshua 24.

"And Elijah came near to all the people and said, ?How long will you go limping between two different opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him.? - 1 Kings 18.

"Jesus said to him, ?I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." - John 14.

"But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed." - Galatians 2.

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[eyeshaveit]

Christian salvation falls into what three broad categories?

Spoiler

1 ? Legalism - Saving yourself by how you live.

?Establishing requirements for salvation beyond repentance and faith in Jesus Christ and reducing the ? precepts of the Bible to narrow and rigid moral codes ? an over-emphasis of discipline of conduct, or legal ideas ...? - Wikipedia.

?The doctrine that salvation is gained through good works.? - Dictionarydotcom.

?The scribes and the Pharisees ... tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people's shoulders? - Matthew 23.

2 ? Relativism - You are saved. no matter how you live.

?Relativism is the doctrine that there are no absolute truths ... that truth is always relative to some particular frame of reference ...? - Wikipedia.

?The philosophical doctrine that all criteria of judgment are relative to the individuals and situations involved? - Vocabularydotcom.

?In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.? - Judges 21.

3 ? The Gospel ? You are saved by faith and grace alone.

?The gospel ? or Good News is the news of the coming of the Kingdom of God and ? the saving acts of God due to the work of Jesus on the cross and Jesus' resurrection from the dead which bring reconciliation (?atonement?) between people and God ? foretold throughout the Old Testamernt and was prophetically preached even ? in Genesis 3:14-15 ...? - Wikipedia.

?Glad tidings, especially concerning salvation and the kingdom of God as announced to the world by Christ? - Dictionarydotcom.

?Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you?unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures? - 1 Corinthians 15.

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[composer]

Christian salvation falls into what three broad categories?

1. BS!

2. Hearsay!

3. Your Cults propaganda!

[eyeshaveit]

Christian salvation falls into what three broad categories?

1. BS!

2. Hearsay!

3. Your Cults propaganda!

@composer - What number of and what names are needed to classify Christian Salvation? What answers do you propose or are you just sheeting all over everything?

[eyeshaveit]

What is the most important question asked of Jesus of Nazareth during his public ministry on earth?

Spoiler

?Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?? - Mark 10.

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How did Jesus reply to the question?

Spoiler

Jesus went round-about; gently breaking it to the ?rich young ruler?, that one could not be saved by the law, if one had not kept the law. Jesus zeroed in on the first of the Ten Commandments (?You shall have no other gods before me.?); suggesting that the young ruler's real god was money, by telling him,

?You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.? Disheartened by the saying, he [the young ruler] went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions? - Mark 10.

[close]

What can a Christian learn from the question and Jesus' answer?

Spoiler

As Jesus said, ?With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.? - Mark 10.

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[composer]

What is the most important question asked of Jesus of Nazareth during his public ministry on earth?

Being a Historical MYTH, it could not be asked anything literally / in reality!

How did Jesus reply to the question?

Being a Historical MYTH it only replied whatever the authors of your Story book decided to write!

What can a Christian learn from the question and Jesus' answer?

There are NO genuine jebus' followers, just those that ' claim ' they are! (Proof e.g. - 1 John 3:6) Story book

[eyeshaveit]

What is the 'Paradox of Hedonism' that Christians are want to avoid?

Spoiler

The Paradox of Hedonism finds one is rarely satisfied with the pursuit of pleasure, as one is constantly swinging between boredom and frustration.

"The Paradox of Hedonism - The impulse towards pleasure can be self-defeating. We fail to attain pleasures if we deliberately seek them." - The Penguin Dictionary of Philosophy.

"Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ?What shall we eat?? or ?What shall we drink?? or ?What shall we wear?? ... But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." - Matthew 6.

"You have put more joy in my heart than they have when their grain and wine abound." - Psalm 4.

"I am overflowing with joy." - 2 Corinthians 7.

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[eyeshaveit]

What is a Christophany?

Spoiler

A Christophany is an Old Testament (pre-incarnate) or New Testament (post- ascension) appearance of Jesus Christ.

[close]

Possible Biblical Christophany examples include:

Spoiler

Genesis 18:1-8 ? Melchizedek, King of Salem and Priest of the Most High God.
Genesis 32:22-32 ? The man wrestling with Jacob.
Joshua 5:13-14 ? Commander of the Army of the Lord.
Daniel 3:25 ? Fourth man in the furnace.
Isaiah 6:1 & John 12:41 ? The Divine Presence.
Acts 9:1-5 ? Saul's conversion by Jesus.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

What are the three identifying marks of a true Christian Church?

Spoiler

1 - A true Christian Church preaches the pure biblical truths of the Gospel of God.

2 - A true Christian Church faithfully administers the biblical sacraments.

3 - A true Christian Church exercises authentic biblical discipline.

[close]

[Kiahanie]

By those standards, there don't seem to be any Christian churches around anymore. If there ever were.

[eyeshaveit]

By those standards, there don't seem to be any Christian churches around anymore. If there ever were.

"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you." - Matthew 7.

[eyeshaveit]

What is the foundation of the Christian Church?

Spoiler

"The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone." - Psalm 118.

"Have you not read this Scripture: ??The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone" - Mark 12.

"Built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone" - Ephesians 2:20.

What is an 'apostle'?

Spoiler

From the Greek, ????????? (ap?stolos), an apostle is "one who is sent". In the culture of the early first century, an apostle was a messenger or an ambassador, who was authorized to represent a ruler or king.

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Who was the first Christian Apostle?

Spoiler

Jesus Christ:
"For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment?what to say and what to speak." - John 12.

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[close]

[composer]

What is the foundation of the Christian Church?

Historical Mythology!

[eyeshaveit]

What is the doctrine of Original Sin?

Spoiler

"[Original sin is] the tendency to sin, innate in all human beings, held to be inherited from Adam in consequence of the Fall" - Google definition.

People sin because they are sinners; since Adam's fall we are born with a sinful nature.

Pelagius, a fifth century monk, took issue with the doctrine of original sin: he taught, that we are sinners only when we sin, because we are all born innocent, and free to choose between right and wrong. Pelagius said, that some people may even live their lives completely free of sin. Pelagius was later declared a heretic, for his views, by the Council of Carthage.

"Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned" - Romans 5.[/spolier]

[close]

[composer]

What is the doctrine of Original Sin?

Bogus!

[eyeshaveit]

What are the four dominant interpretations of the Holy Bible's Book of Revelation (The Apocalypse of John)?

Spoiler

Understanding the Book of Revelation is not about uniform interpretations. There are many distinctions and contrasts existing within each of the categories. It would take an effort of encyclopedic proportions to fully explore the subject. The four principal groups are:

1 - Preterist -  A general belief that the Book of Revelation flows around the Roman Empire (ancient state), with its prophecies fulfilled in the first five centuries of our Lord, except for those concerning his Second Coming.

2 ? Futurist ? A literal view of prophecy and a belief that those prophecies in Chapters 1 - 3 have been fulfilled, and those of Chapter 4 - 22 are yet to come. 

3 ? Historic ? Widely held theory that the Book of Revelation is an overview of church history, past and present.

4 ? Idealist ? Not a chronological, but a symbolic perspective on church history, with some of the scenes being developed in various ways and times over the course of history.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

The word "Christian" was first used as a disparaging term in the Roman Empire, in the first century. What did the early Christians call themselves?

Spoiler

People of 'The Way'.

"But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem." - Acts 9.

Where might the name, 'The Way', have originated?

Spoiler

From the lips of Jesus of Nazareth:

"Jesus said to him, ?I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." - John 14.

"For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few." - Matthew 14.

(Bold mine)

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[close]

[composer]

From the lips of Jesus of Nazareth:

"Jesus said to him, ?I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." - John 14.

"For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few." - Matthew 14.

The biblical jebus is a Historical MYTH!

Whatever is claimed to have been literally ' said ' by it amounts to 1. At best hearsay from its supposed followers.

&

2. Whatever the authors of the bible Story book wrote regarding the Mythical tales, exploits & alleged utterings of this mythical character. 

[Dexter]

From the lips of Jesus of Nazareth:

"Jesus said to him, ?I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." - John 14.

"For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few." - Matthew 14.

(Bold mine)

correction

[eyeshaveit]

What is a doxology?

Spoiler

"A doxology is a short hymn of praises to God in various forms of Christian worship" - Wikipedia.

From the Greek, ????, doxa, 'glory or honor', and logia, logos, 'word or speaking'.

A few examples of a doxology:

"Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen." - Ephesians 3.

"Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen." - Romans 11.

"Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heav?nly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost!"

Ancient hymn - English translation - Thomas Ken (1637 - 1711)

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

What is sin?

Spoiler

Sin - From biblical Greek - ??????? - hamartia - 'to miss the mark'

"Sin is an immoral act considered to be a transgression against divine law" - Google.

"Sin is a transgression of the law of God" - Meriam-Webster.

"Sin is the act of violating God's will by transgressing his commandments" - Wikipedia.

Sin is an offense against God, who is holy.

"Remember and do not forget how you provoked the Lord your God to wrath in the wilderness. From the day you came out of the land of Egypt until you came to this place, you have been rebellious against the Lord." - Deuteronomy 9.

"Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness." - 1 John 3.

"For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." - Romans 6.

[close]

.

[composer]

What is sin?

Spoiler

Sin - From biblical Greek - ??????? - hamartia - 'to miss the mark'

"Sin is an immoral act considered to be a transgression against divine law" - Google.

"Sin is a transgression of the law of God" - Meriam-Webster.

"Sin is the act of violating God's will by transgressing his commandments" - Wikipedia.

Sin is an offense against God, who is holy.

"Remember and do not forget how you provoked the Lord your God to wrath in the wilderness. From the day you came out of the land of Egypt until you came to this place, you have been rebellious against the Lord." - Deuteronomy 9.

"Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness." - 1 John 3.

"For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." - Romans 6.

[close]

.

Religious Sin = Apparently the concept by some clowns; of transgression against a mythical supernatural being! e.g. Story book God(s)

[eyeshaveit]

[GratefulApe]

The word "Christian" was first used as a disparaging term in the Roman Empire, in the first century. What did the early Christians call themselves?

Spoiler

People of 'The Way'.

"But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem." - Acts 9.

Where might the name, 'The Way', have originated?

Spoiler

From the lips of Jesus of Nazareth:

"Jesus said to him, ?I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." - John 14.

"For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few." - Matthew 14.

(Bold mine)

[close]

[close]

Jesus said I am the way. Not "they are the way"

Act 24:5  For we have found this man a plague, one who stirs up riots among all the Jews throughout the world and is a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes.

Furthermore the very first Christians were called Disciples. Followers of the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth.

[GratefulApe]

In the words of Jesus.

Spoiler

John 13:35
By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.?

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

The word "Christian" was first used as a disparaging term in the Roman Empire, in the first century. What did the early Christians call themselves?

Spoiler

People of 'The Way'.

"But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem." - Acts 9.

Where might the name, 'The Way', have originated?

Spoiler

From the lips of Jesus of Nazareth:

"Jesus said to him, ?I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." - John 14.

"For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few." - Matthew 14.

(Bold mine)

[close]

[close]

Jesus said I am the way. Not "they are the way"

"But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem." - Acts 9.

Furthermore the very first Christians were called Disciples. Followers of the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth.

The word 'disciple' was not a peculiar term used to identify early Christians as such; it merely implied that one was a student:

Disciple - Greek - ??????? - math?t?s - 'student or pupil'.

[eyeshaveit]

Does God speak through pagans in the Old and/or New Testaments?

Spoiler

Certainly:

?And God came to Balaam at night and said to him, ?If the men have come to call you, rise, go with them; but only do what I tell you ? And Balak said to Balaam, ?What have you done to me? I took you to curse my enemies, and behold, you have done nothing but bless them.? And he answered and said, ?Must I not take care to speak what the Lord puts in my mouth???  - Numbers 22 and 23.

?[Pontius] Pilate went out again and said to them, ?See, I am bringing him out to you that you may know that I find no guilt in him.? So Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, ?[Ecce homo!] Behold the man!?? - John 19.

[close]

[composer]

Does God speak through pagans in the Old and/or New Testaments?

ALL acclaimed Supernatural God(s) are shown to be entirely imaginary!

[eyeshaveit]

Does God speak through pagans in the Old and/or New Testaments?

ALL acclaimed Supernatural God(s) are shown to be entirely imaginary!

Yes, 99.9999999% of the "acclaimed Supernatural God(s)" are "entirely imaginary", but don't remain seemingly blind to the .0000001%; that is the Living God: the Creator of Heaven and Earth; the Lord of Heavenly Hosts; Almighty God; Yahweh is His Name.

[GratefulApe]

The word "Christian" was first used as a disparaging term in the Roman Empire, in the first century. What did the early Christians call themselves?

Spoiler

People of 'The Way'.

"But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem." - Acts 9.

Where might the name, 'The Way', have originated?

Spoiler

From the lips of Jesus of Nazareth:

"Jesus said to him, ?I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." - John 14.

"For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few." - Matthew 14.

(Bold mine)

[close]

[close]

Jesus said I am the way. Not "they are the way"

"But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem." - Acts 9.

Furthermore the very first Christians were called Disciples. Followers of the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth.

The word 'disciple' was not a peculiar term used to identify early Christians as such; it merely implied that one was a student:

Disciple - Greek - ??????? - math?t?s - 'student or pupil'.

Just to be clear ( hopefully ). Belonging to "the way" does not make for a proper name of a group. What the disciples taught was "the way". Furthermore I personally would go with what Jesus named students/ followers of "the way". Disciples.

Spoiler

Matthew 28:19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

The word "Christian" was first used as a disparaging term in the Roman Empire, in the first century. What did the early Christians call themselves?

Spoiler

People of 'The Way'.

"But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem." - Acts 9.

Where might the name, 'The Way', have originated?

Spoiler

From the lips of Jesus of Nazareth:

"Jesus said to him, ?I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." - John 14.

"For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few." - Matthew 14.

(Bold mine)

[close]

[close]

Jesus said I am the way. Not "they are the way"

"But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem." - Acts 9.

Furthermore the very first Christians were called Disciples. Followers of the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth.

The word 'disciple' was not a peculiar term used to identify early Christians as such; it merely implied that one was a student:

Disciple - Greek - ??????? - math?t?s - 'student or pupil'.

Just to be clear ( hopefully ). Belonging to "the way" does not make for a proper name of a group. What the disciples taught was "the way". Furthermore I personally would go with what Jesus named students/ followers of "the way". Disciples.

"No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you." - John 15.

[composer]

Does God speak through pagans in the Old and/or New Testaments?

ALL acclaimed Supernatural God(s) are shown to be entirely imaginary!

Yes, 99.9999999% of the "acclaimed Supernatural God(s)" are "entirely imaginary", but don't remain seemingly blind to the .0000001%; that is the Living God: the Creator of Heaven and Earth; the Lord of Heavenly Hosts; Almighty God; Yahweh is His Name.

As usual, assertions like yours are devoid of proofs; but full of empty claims!

Your proof of any literal Supernatural being remains a constant zero!

[GratefulApe]

ALL acclaimed Supernatural God(s) are shown to be entirely imaginary!

Oh, OK, because you have talked to every single person in the entire universe and looked in every single space of the universe for a god or God or gods. Got it. Great argument.

[composer]

ALL acclaimed Supernatural God(s) are shown to be entirely imaginary!

Oh, OK, because you have talked to every single person in the entire universe and looked in every single space of the universe for a god or God or gods. Got it. Great argument.

IF you are so confident I'm wrong and you are right, then by all means provide your proofs?

I shan't hold my breath, I've met religious thumpers like you many a time already, all similarly ultimately frauds!

[eyeshaveit]

How does the Holy Bible describe Jesus Christ's second coming and return?

Spoiler

Jesus Christ will return suddenly; without warning,

?For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.? - 1 Thessalonians 5.

Jesus Christ will return bodily; with his physical body,

?Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.? - Acts 1.

Jesus Christ will return visibly,

?Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him? - Revelation 1.

Jesus Christ will return in triumph,

?They will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings? - Revelation 17.

Jesus Christ will return on the clouds,

?Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.? - Revelation 24.

Jesus Christ will return with power,

?When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations? - Matthew 25.

[close]

[GratefulApe]

ALL acclaimed Supernatural God(s) are shown to be entirely imaginary!

Oh, OK, because you have talked to every single person in the entire universe and looked in every single space of the universe for a god or God or gods. Got it. Great argument.

IF you are so confident I'm wrong and you are right, then by all means provide your proofs?

I shan't hold my breath, I've met religious thumpers like you many a time already, all similarly ultimately frauds!

Well no! I am not going to convince you of anything. As you have asserted "ALL acclaimed Supernatural God(s) are shown to be entirely imaginary!" You are already claiming to KNOW that there is no god, God, gods. You must have some superpower of your own to make such a claim. You must already be some kind of god because you KNOW this information. How did you acquire such knowledge?

[composer]

Well no! I am not going to convince you of anything.

That isn't so!

You have already convinced me you are another unambiguous jebus' fraud!

How so you may well ask?

Well you & Co. wouldn't be making such absurd statements like this because, e.g. any true believer would know they already have the ability -

Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater [works] than these shall he do; . . . . (John 14:12) ESV Story book fatal to GratefulApe & Co.

As you have asserted "ALL acclaimed Supernatural God(s) are shown to be entirely imaginary!" You are already claiming to KNOW that there is no god, God, gods. You must have some superpower of your own to make such a claim. You must already be some kind of god because you KNOW this information.

I can see how you can perceive me as a god/God, my moral Superiority to your Jealous Story book one for a start! (e.g. Exod. 34:14) ESV Story book

&

The fact I am here vindicated, having repeatedly legitimately exposed & correcting the malignant Sinners & Frauds claiming to represent/follow their Historical Mythical person jebus!

How did you acquire such knowledge?

Posts like yours for one!

[GratefulApe]

Well no! I am not going to convince you of anything.

That isn't so!

You have already convinced me you are another unambiguous jebus' fraud!

How so you may well ask?

Well you & Co. wouldn't be making such absurd statements like this because, e.g. any true believer would know they already have the ability -

Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater [works] than these shall he do; . . . . (John 14:12) ESV Story book fatal to GratefulApe & Co.

As you have asserted "ALL acclaimed Supernatural God(s) are shown to be entirely imaginary!" You are already claiming to KNOW that there is no god, God, gods. You must have some superpower of your own to make such a claim. You must already be some kind of god because you KNOW this information.

I can see how you can perceive me as a god/God, my moral Superiority to your Jealous Story book one for a start! (e.g. Exod. 34:14) ESV Story book

&

The fact I am here vindicated, having repeatedly legitimately exposed & correcting the malignant Sinners & Frauds claiming to represent/follow their Historical Mythical person jebus!

How did you acquire such knowledge?

Posts like yours for one!

Nope, didn't understand a word you said.

[composer]

Well no! I am not going to convince you of anything.

That isn't so!

You have already convinced me you are another unambiguous jebus' fraud!

How so you may well ask?

Well you & Co. wouldn't be making such absurd statements like this because, e.g. any true believer would know they already have the ability -

Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater [works] than these shall he do; . . . . (John 14:12) ESV Story book fatal to GratefulApe & Co.

As you have asserted "ALL acclaimed Supernatural God(s) are shown to be entirely imaginary!" You are already claiming to KNOW that there is no god, God, gods. You must have some superpower of your own to make such a claim. You must already be some kind of god because you KNOW this information.

I can see how you can perceive me as a god/God, my moral Superiority to your Jealous Story book one for a start! (e.g. Exod. 34:14) ESV Story book

&

The fact I am here vindicated, having repeatedly legitimately exposed & correcting the malignant Sinners & Frauds claiming to represent/follow their Historical Mythical person jebus!

How did you acquire such knowledge?

Posts like yours for one!

Nope, didn't understand a word you said.

John 14:12 - You didn't understand that?

I'm not surprised! 

&

Posts -  did you understand that?

like - did you understand that?

yours - did you understand that?

for - did you understand that?

one - did you understand that?

Your Mentor & Saviour Vindicated Moi? 

[GratefulApe]

Well no! I am not going to convince you of anything.

That isn't so!

You have already convinced me you are another unambiguous jebus' fraud!

How so you may well ask?

Well you & Co. wouldn't be making such absurd statements like this because, e.g. any true believer would know they already have the ability -

Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater [works] than these shall he do; . . . . (John 14:12) ESV Story book fatal to GratefulApe & Co.

As you have asserted "ALL acclaimed Supernatural God(s) are shown to be entirely imaginary!" You are already claiming to KNOW that there is no god, God, gods. You must have some superpower of your own to make such a claim. You must already be some kind of god because you KNOW this information.

I can see how you can perceive me as a god/God, my moral Superiority to your Jealous Story book one for a start! (e.g. Exod. 34:14) ESV Story book

&

The fact I am here vindicated, having repeatedly legitimately exposed & correcting the malignant Sinners & Frauds claiming to represent/follow their Historical Mythical person jebus!

How did you acquire such knowledge?

Posts like yours for one!

Nope, didn't understand a word you said.

John 14:12 - You didn't understand that?

I'm not surprised! 

&

Posts -  did you understand that?

like - did you understand that?

yours - did you understand that?

for - did you understand that?

one - did you understand that?

Your Mentor & Saviour Vindicated Moi? 

I said I didn't understand a word YOU said. I understand what the Bible says.

[composer]

I said I didn't understand a word YOU said. I understand what the Bible says.

Well as I accurately said " that can't be true because you & Co. wouldn't be making such absurd statements like this (I can't convince you) because, e.g. any true believer would know they already have the ability " because of -

Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater [works] than these shall he do; . . . . (John 14:12) ESV Story book fatal to GratefulApe & Co.

&

So we have further discovered you are NOT a genuine believer, hence vindicating Moi again! 

&

You also skipped acknowledging that you don't understand -

** Posts -  did you understand that?

like - did you understand that?

yours - did you understand that?

for - did you understand that?

one - did you understand that? **

Legitimate Conclusion: You don't understand the bible & or can't apply it (e.g. John 14:12) because you are another jebus' fraud!

&

Your mastery of the English language is equally inept! (See: ** - ** above!)

Your Mentor & Saviour Vindicated Moi? 

[eyeshaveit]

In the Holy Bible, the same Greek word is translated as both 'expiation' and 'propitiation'. What is the difference?

Spoiler

"Expiation is the act of making amends or reparation for guilt or wrongdoing; atonement" - Google.

In biblical terms 'expiation' refers to Jesus Christ's work on the cross.
(To make amends, a ransom that has been paid.)

"Propitiation is the action of propitiating or appeasing a god, spirit, or person" - Google.

In a biblical sense 'propitiation' is the result of Christ's work on the cross; referring to having God's wrath dismissed.
(To make favorable the attitude of the one who obtains a ransom.)



"He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world." - 1 John 2:2 English Standard Version.

"and he is the expiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world." - 1 John 2:2 Revised Standard Version.

[close]

[GratefulApe]

I said I didn't understand a word YOU said. I understand what the Bible says.

Well as I accurately said " that can't be true because you & Co. wouldn't be making such absurd statements like this (I can't convince you) because, e.g. any true believer would know they already have the ability " because of -

Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater [works] than these shall he do; . . . . (John 14:12) ESV Story book fatal to GratefulApe & Co.

&

So we have further discovered you are NOT a genuine believer, hence vindicating Moi again! 

&

You also skipped acknowledging that you don't understand -

** Posts -  did you understand that?

like - did you understand that?

yours - did you understand that?

for - did you understand that?

one - did you understand that? **

Legitimate Conclusion: You don't understand the bible & or can't apply it (e.g. John 14:12) because you are another jebus' fraud!

&

Your mastery of the English language is equally inept! (See: ** - ** above!)

Your Mentor & Saviour Vindicated Moi? 

Nope I don't follow your cryptic style ramblings. So we should just leave it at that.

[composer]

Nope I don't follow your cryptic style ramblings. So we should just leave it at that.

Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater [works] than these shall he do; . . . . (John 14:12) ESV Story book fatal to GratefulApe & Co.

IF those words are cryptic to you? then I understand your inability to comprehend & apply them!

To ANY rational person such as Moi, it unambiguously refutes your claim you are a genuine believer who says that they can't ' convince ' any one of anything?

Your Vindicated Mentor, Saviour & Redeemer, Benevolent Moi!

[eyeshaveit]

Old Testament songs include: the Song of Moses (Exodus 15:1); the Song of Miriam (Exodus 15:21); the Song of Deborah (Judges 5:1) - What three songs are found in the Gospel of Luke?

Spoiler

Mary (Mother of Jesus) - The Magnificat - Luke 1:46-55.

?My soul magnifies the Lord,
    and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.
    For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
for he who is mighty has done great things for me,
    and holy is his name.
And his mercy is for those who fear him
    from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with his arm;
    he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;
he has brought down the mighty from their thrones
    and exalted those of humble estate;
he has filled the hungry with good things,
    and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel,
    in remembrance of his mercy,
as he spoke to our fathers,
    to Abraham and to his offspring forever.?

Zechariah (Father of John the Baptist) - The Benedictus - Luke 1:67- 79.

?Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,
    for he has visited and redeemed his people
and has raised up a horn of salvation for us
    in the house of his servant David,
as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old,
that we should be saved from our enemies
    and from the hand of all who hate us;
to show the mercy promised to our fathers
    and to remember his holy covenant,
the oath that he swore to our father Abraham, to grant us
that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies,
might serve him without fear,
in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.
And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High;
    for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,
to give knowledge of salvation to his people
    in the forgiveness of their sins,
because of the tender mercy of our God,
    whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high
to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
    to guide our feet into the way of peace.?

Simeon (Devout Jew) - The Nunc Dimittis - Luke 2:28-32.

?Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace,
    according to your word;
for my eyes have seen your salvation
that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
    and for glory to your people Israel.?

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

We know the descriptive terms of God's covenants as what?

Spoiler

Stipulations of the Law:

"These are the terms of the covenant the Lord commanded Moses to make with the Israelites in Moab" - Deuteronomy 29:1.

[close]

What rewards does God offer for keeping his covenant?

Spoiler

Blessings:

"If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. All these blessings will come on you and accompany you if you obey the Lord your God: You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country. The fruit of your womb will be blessed, and the crops of your land and the young of your livestock?the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks. Your basket and your kneading trough will be blessed. You will be blessed when you come in and blessed when you go out." - Deuteronomy 28:1-6.

[close]

Failure to keep God's covenant results in what?

Spoiler

Curses:

"However, if you do not obey the Lord your God and do not carefully follow all his commands and decrees I am giving you today, all these curses will come on you and overtake you: You will be cursed in the city and cursed in the country. Your basket and your kneading trough will be cursed. The fruit of your womb will be cursed, and the crops of your land, and the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks. You will be cursed when you come in and cursed when you go out." - Deuteronomy 28:15-19.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

Is the Lord God ever referred to as 'Father' in the Hebrew Scriptures / Old Testament?

Spoiler

This belief was not unknown: Moses, David, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Malachi, etc., all allude to God, as our father:

"And David said: ?Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of Israel our father, forever and ever." - 1 Chronicles 29.

[close]

What of God, as our Father, in the Greek Scriptures / New Testament?

Spoiler

Jesus certainly taught of the Fatherhood of God; mentioning God as our Father almost 200 times in the four Gospels:

?Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom" - Luke 12.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

?[Jesus] said to them, ?These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.? Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and said to them, ?Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.?? - Luke 24.

What was this, Luke 24 continued in Acts 2, Pentecost promise/prophecy all about?

Spoiler

Several things including,

1 - The Holy Spirit would come with great power:

?When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting? - Acts 2:1-2.

2 - The Holy Spirit would begin a worldwide communion of God's people: both Gentiles and Jews:

?Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language.? - Acts 2:5-6.

3 - The Holy Spirit would fulfill God's promise to Abraham (Genesis 22) that ?all the nations of the earth [would] be blessed?:

?And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians?we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.??

4 - The Holy Spirit would fulfill the Joel 2:28 prophecy, that prophets would no longer be needed; with all believers having individual access to God:

?But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel: ??And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams? - Acts 2:16-17.

5 - The Holy Spirit would fulfill the messianic prophecy found in Psalm 2:12, ?Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.?:

?And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.?? - Acts 2:21.

6 - The Holy Spirit would fulfill Christ's own prophecy, in Luke 24:47-49: ?[that] repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.?:

?Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing.? - Acts 2:33

7 - Etc.

[close]

[GratefulApe]

John 7:39
He was speaking about the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were later to receive. For the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not yet been glorified.



John 14:16-17
16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.


John 14:16

Spoiler

forever

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[eyeshaveit]

When was the Holy Bible divided into chapters and verses?

Spoiler

Stephen Langton, a professor of theology and a future  Archbishop of Canterbury, added chapter numbers circa 1205 AD.
Verses were first added to a Latin Bible, circa 1520, but Robert Stephanus, a printer, added different verse numbers (those we know today) to the New Testament circa 1550.
Stephanus, in a circa 1555 printing of the Latin Vulgate, was the first to divide the whole Bible into the (Langton's) chapters and his own verses.

These man-made divisions were constructed for convenience: to quickly access references and quotes, but these arbitrary divisions are not trouble-free; for example:

The last verse in Matthew 16(:28) in reality should be the first verse of Matthew 17.

?Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom. - Matthew 16:28

?And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves.? - Matthew 17:1.

Now, the two together as they were meant to be read:

?Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom. And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves.? - Matthew 16 / 17.

Also,

Dividing the Holy Bible into verses can leave one thinking that the scriptures are merely a compilation of maxims and pithy sayings; for example:

?Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch? - Colossians 2:21.

Standing alone, that seems to be encouraging self denial, but in the next two verses, Saint Paul goes on to say quite the opposite:

?These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.? - Colossians 2:23.

There are many reading versions of the Holy Bible, those printed without chapter and verse headings. These are not merely gimmicks to promote the sale of more books. They are really a better way to read the Bible as it was meant to be read.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

What is the doctrine of a "kinsman-redeemer"?

Spoiler

?A kinsman-redeemer is a male relative who, according to various laws found in the Pentateuch, had the privilege or responsibility to act for a relative who was in trouble, danger, or need of vindication.? - Bakers Evangelical Dictionary.

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What were a kinsman-redeemer's obligations under the Law?

Spoiler

1 - To redeem real property/land,

?If your brother becomes poor and sells part of his property, then his nearest redeemer shall come and redeem what his brother has sold.? - Leviticus 25:25.

2 - To redeem an indentured servant/slave,

?If a stranger or sojourner with you becomes rich, and your brother beside him becomes poor and sells himself to the stranger or sojourner with you or to a member of the stranger's clan, then after he is sold he may be redeemed. One of his brothers may redeem him, or his uncle or his cousin may redeem him, or a close relative from his clan may redeem him.? - Leviticus 25.

3 - To provide an heir,

?If brothers dwell together, and one of them dies and has no son, the wife of the dead man shall not be married outside the family to a stranger. Her husband's brother shall go in to her and take her as his wife and perform the duty of a husband's brother to her.? - Deuteronomy 25.

4 - To avenge an unlawful death,

?But if he struck him down with an iron object, so that he died, he is a murderer. The murderer shall be put to death ? The avenger of blood shall put the murderer to death when he meets him.? - Numbers 35.

5 - To be a fiduciary/trustee,

?When a man or woman commits any of the sins that people commit by breaking faith with the Lord, and that person realizes his guilt, he shall confess his sin that he has committed. And he shall make full restitution for his wrong, adding a fifth to it and giving it to him to whom he did the wrong. But if the man has no next of kin to whom restitution may be made for the wrong, the restitution for wrong shall go to the Lord for the priest? - Numbers 5.

In the Old Testament, the concept of a kinsman-redeemer is best understood in the Book of Ruth, by the example of Boaz, who was a kinsman-redeemer for Naomi and Ruth.

In the New Testament, Christ and his work of redemption brought into focus the picture of a perfect kinsman-redeemer:

?But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering. For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one source. That is why he is not ashamed to call them brothers? - Hebrews 2.

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[eyeshaveit]

"Justification is the action of declaring or making righteous in the sight of God." - Google definition.

In order of their popularity what are the four different religious world views of justification?

Spoiler

1 - By death, or Universalism, the most popular view

2- By works alone.

3 - By a combination of faith and works.

4 - By faith alone.

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[eyeshaveit]

What are some of the 'Works of the Holy Spirit' found in the New Testament?

Spoiler

1 ? The quiet work of the Holy Spirit in the incarnation of Jesus Christ:

?The angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin's name was Mary. ,,, And the angel said to her, ?Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. ? And Mary said to the angel, ?How will this be, since I am a virgin?? ? And the angel answered her, ?The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy?the Son of God?? - Luke 1.

?Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit.? - Matthew 1.

2 ? The anointing work of the Holy Spirit during John's baptism of Jesus:

?And when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heavens were opened, and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, ?You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.?? - Luke 3.

?As for the word that he sent to Israel, preaching good news of peace through Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all), you yourselves know what happened throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism that John proclaimed: how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power.? - Acts 10.

3 -  The reviving work of the Holy Spirit in Jesus Christ's resurrection from the dead:

?The Lord has risen indeed? - Luke 24.

?If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies? - Romans 8.

4 ? The quickening work of the Holy Spirit and his indwelling in God's people:

?And what they said pleased the whole gathering, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit? - Acts 6.

?Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you?? - 1 Corinthians 3.

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[eyeshaveit]

What was the loyalty oath that the Roman Empire used in the first centuries after Christ; the one that especially targeted Christians?

Spoiler

Citizens, under Roman rule, had to affirm, "Caesar is lord", and/or sprinkle incense on an altar dedicated to Caesar.

The penalty was death for failure to confess Caesar as lord. But many faithful Christians would not deny the 'one God' basic tenet of their faith, and thus they paid with their lives; including Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna, who was murdered in 155 AD, for not taking the oath.

"You shall have no other gods before me." - Exodus 20.

?And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: ?The words of the first and the last, who died and came to life. ??I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich) and the slander of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death.?" - Revelation 2.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

What negative interdiction was spoken by Jesus Christ more often than any other?

Spoiler

The phrase, "Fear not",

"Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom." - Luke 12.

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[eyeshaveit]

What is 'providence'?

Spoiler

"Providence: the protective care of God or of nature as a spiritual power." - Google

"Theism: the belief in the existence of a god or gods, especially belief in one god as creator of the universe, intervening in it and sustaining a personal relation to his creatures." - Google,

If Almighty God rules in Heaven, then nothing happens by a chance encounter or by luck or by accident:

"When Joseph's brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, ?It may be that Joseph will hate us and pay us back for all the evil that we did to him.?  So they sent a message to Joseph, saying, ?Your father gave this command before he died: ?Say to Joseph, ?Please forgive the transgression of your brothers and their sin, because they did evil to you.?? And now, please forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of your father.? Joseph wept when they spoke to him. His brothers also came and fell down before him and said, ?Behold, we are your servants.? But Joseph said to them, ?Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. So do not fear; I will provide for you and your little ones.? Thus he comforted them and spoke kindly to them." - Genesis 50.

"And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose." - Romans 8.

"Atheism: the disbelief or lack of belief in the existence of God or gods." - Google.

A universe powered by the physics of unreasoning and impersonal energies; that are subject to randomness and chance.

"We accept (well, those of us who know better) that there are things that we've demonstrated to be true using the scientific method, that our senses cannot comprehend.  The strange nature of this universe doesn't exist to give us answers or make things intelligible to us.  They simply exist.  It is up to us to keep looking passionately for answers without leaning on millennia old myths as comfortable explanations where we simply admit that we do not know, but must keep looking." - Dan Holliday - Atheist - 2014.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

What is Theology?

Spoiler

Theology is "the study of the nature of God and religious belief." - Google.

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What are the three systems of Christian Theology?

Spoiler

1 - Augustinianism. 

2 - Semi-Pelagianism.

3 - Pelagianism.

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How do these schools of theology differ?

Spoiler

They differ as to their understanding and teaching: of original sin. free will, grace, predestination and redemption.

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[eyeshaveit]

What is the doctrine of 'original sin'?

Spoiler

"Original Sin is the tendency to sin innate in all human beings, held to be inherited from Adam in consequence of the Fall." - Google.

If humans were born innocent, and in a state of 'moral neutrality', we would expect that some people would grow, mature and never sin. But that's not the situation at all. All people sin and defy all known moral precepts, the most familiar being the standards found in the Holy Bible. All people sin; human nature exhibits that of a fallen character. All people sin because they are sinners; they have inherited sin and a sinful nature from the first man, Adam.

"Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin! For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment. Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me." - Psalm 51.

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[eyeshaveit]

What are the eight "I Am, I Exist" (Greek - ego eimi) sayings of Jesus?

Spoiler

John 6:35, 48 -  "Jesus said to them, ?I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.""

John 8:12 - "Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, ?I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.?"

John 8:58 - "Jesus said to them, ?Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.?"

John 10:7 - "So Jesus again said to them, ?Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.""

John 10:11 - "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep."

John 11:25 -  "Jesus said to her, ?I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live""

John 14:6 - "Jesus said to him, ?I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.""

John 15:1 - "I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser."

[close]

[kevin]

what does the "T" in TULIP stand for?

Total Depravity:


Sin has affected all parts of man. The heart, emotions, will, mind, and body are all affected by sin. We are completely sinful. We are not as sinful as we could be, but we are completely affected by sin.

The doctrine of Total Depravity is derived from scriptures that reveal human character: Man?s heart is evil (Mark 7:21-23) and sick Jer. 17:9). Man is a slave of sin (Rom. 6:20). He does not seek for God (Rom. 3:10-12). He cannot understand spiritual things (1 Cor. 2:14). He is at enmity with God (Eph. 2:15). And, is by nature a child of wrath (Eph. 2:3). The Calvinist asks the question, "In light of the scriptures that declare man?s true nature as being utterly lost and incapable, how is it possible for anyone to choose or desire God?" The answer is, "He cannot. Therefore God must predestine."

Calvinism also maintains that because of our fallen nature we are born again not by our own will but God?s will (John 1:12-13); God grants that we believe (Phil. 1:29); faith is the work of God (John 6:28-29); God appoints people to believe (Acts 13:48); and God predestines (Eph. 1:1-11; Rom. 8:29; 9:9-23).

[eyeshaveit]

What is infanticide?

Spoiler

"Infanticide (or infant homicide) is the intentional killing of infants or children ... researchers have found that mothers are far more likely than fathers to be the perpetrator for neonaticide [murdering one's own child during the first 24 hours of life]. and slightly more likely to commit infanticide in general. In many past societies, certain forms of infanticide were considered permissible. In some countries, female infanticide is more common than the killing of male offspring, due to sex-selective infanticide. In China for example, the sex gap between males and females aged 0?19 year old was estimated to be 25 million in 2010 by the United Nations Population Fund." - Wikipedia.

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In the First Century AD, in the Roman Empire, what three peoples considered it a crime to commit infanticide?

Spoiler

Christians, Jews and the Ancient Germans:

?You shall not murder." - Exodus 20.

"... that no one might burn his son or his daughter as an offering to Molech" - 2 Kings 23.

"And Jesus said, ?You shall not murder" - Matthew 19.

"The Germani hold it shameful to kill any unwanted child." - Publius Cornelius Tacitus - Germania, On the Origin and Situation of the Germanic Peoples - Circa 98 AD.

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[eyeshaveit]

Where is the first mention of the Holy Spirit in the Holy Bible?

Spoiler

Genesis 1,

"In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters." - Genesis 1.

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Who was the first person to be filled with the Holy Spirit, and mentioned in the Bible?

Spoiler

Bezalel, the son of Uri,

"The Lord said to Moses, ?See, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with ability and intelligence, with knowledge and all craftsmanship, to devise artistic designs, to work in gold, silver, and bronze, in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, to work in every craft." - Exodus 31.

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[eyeshaveit]

When the Jewish rabbi, Jesus of Nazareth, walked the earth, what was the Hebrew system of writing numbers? 

Spoiler

"The system of Hebrew numerals is a quasi-decimal alphabetic numeral system using the letters of the Hebrew alphabet. The system was adopted from that of the Greek numerals in the late 2nd century BC; it is also known as the Hebrew alphabetic numerals" - Wikipedia.

"The first Greek number system we examine is their acrophonic system which was use in the first millennium BC. 'Acrophonic' means that the symbols for the numerals come from the first letter of the number name, so the symbol has come from an abreviation of the word which is used for the number." - University of St. Andrews (UK), School of Mathematics.

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Are there examples of mathematical functions in the Bible?

Spoiler

Yes:

Addition - "Now two men remained in the camp, one named Eldad, and the other named Medad, and the Spirit rested on them." - Numbers11.

Subtraction - "Suppose five of the fifty righteous are lacking. Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five?? And he said, ?I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there.? Again he spoke to him and said, ?Suppose forty are found there.? He answered, ?For the sake of forty I will not do it.? Then he said, ?Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak. Suppose thirty are found there.? He answered, ?I will not do it, if I find thirty there.? He said, ?Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord. Suppose twenty are found there.? He answered, ?For the sake of twenty I will not destroy it.? Then he said, ?Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak again but this once. Suppose ten are found there.? He answered, ?For the sake of ten I will not destroy it."" - Genesis 18.

Multiplication - "You shall count seven weeks of years, seven times seven years, so that the time of the seven weeks of years shall give you forty-nine years." - Leviticus 25.

Division - "divide the plunder into two parts between the warriors who went out to battle and all the congregation." - Numbers 31.

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[eyeshaveit]

"The Christian 'Pentecost' ... refers to the occasion of the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and other followers of Jesus Christ" - Wikipedia.

Was Pentecost prophesied in the Hebrew Scriptures?

Spoiler

Yes - ?And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. Even on the male and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit." - Joel 2.

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Was Pentecost prophesied in the Greek Scriptures?

Spoiler

Yes - ?[Jesus said,] Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.? - Luke 24.

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What three unusual things happened on the 'first' Pentecost?

Spoiler

1 -  "And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting."

2 - "And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them."

3 - "And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance." - Acts 2.

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What four ethnic/socio-cultural groups are described in the New Testament, as having Pentecost-Like experiences?

Spoiler

1 - "Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language." - Acts 2.

2 - Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that [the Samarians] had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John, 1who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, 16 for he had not yet fallen on any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 17 Then they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit." - Acts 8.

3 - "As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on [the God fearers*] just as on us at the beginning. 16 And I remembered the word of the Lord, how he said, ?John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.? If then God gave the same gift to them as he gave to us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in God's way?? - Acts 11.

4 - "[Paul said,] Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you [pagans/gentiles] believed?? And they said, ?No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.? And he said, ?Into what then were you baptized?? They said, ?Into John's baptism.? And Paul said, ?John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, Jesus.? On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking in tongues and prophesying." - Acts 19.

* The 'God fearers' were gentiles - uncircumcised Jewish proselytes - who desired to worship the God of Abraham. One such person was the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8. Jews referred to these people as 'Proselytes of the Gate'.

[close]

[kevin]

what does the "U" in TULIP stand for?

Unconditional Election:

God does not base His election on anything He sees in the individual. He chooses the elect according to the kind intention of His will (Eph. 1:4-8; Rom. 9:11) without any consideration of merit within the individual. Nor does God look into the future to see who would pick Him. Also, as some are elected into salvation, others are not (Rom. 9:15, 21).

[eyeshaveit]

"Sin is a transgression against divine law." - Google --- "Sin is cosmic treason." - Anon.

What three problems are associated with 'sin'?

Spoiler

1 - Sin incurs guilt.

2 - Sin subjects you to punishment.

3 - Sin sullies, taints and stains you.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

"Chance is the occurrence and development of events in the absence of any obvious design." - Google.

Do Christians believe in chance?

Spoiler

No - Chance can accomplish nothing because chance is nothing. Randomness cannot be achieved except by design.

"In him [God] we live and move and have our being" - Acts 17.

"In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will" - Ephesians 1.

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[kevin]

what does the "L" in TULIP stand for"

Limited atonement:

Jesus died only for the elect. Though Jesus? sacrifice was sufficient for all, it was not efficacious for all. Jesus only bore the sins of the elect. Support for this position is drawn from such scriptures as Matt. 26:28 where Jesus died for ?many'; John 10:11, 15 which say that Jesus died for the sheep (not the goats, per Matt. 25:32-33); John 17:9 where Jesus in prayer interceded for the ones given Him, not those of the entire world; Acts 20:28 and Eph. 5:25-27 which state that the Church was purchased by Christ, not all people; and Isaiah 53:12 which is a prophecy of Jesus? crucifixion where he would bore the sins of many (not all).

[eyeshaveit]

Who are the 'Sons of God' mentioned in the Holy Bible?

Spoiler

- The Angels,

"Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them" - Job 1.

2 - Jesus Christ,

"Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?" - 1 John.

3 - Spiritual people,

"For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God." - Romans 8.

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[eyeshaveit]

"Yea, and what have ye to do with me, O Tyre, and Zidon, and all the coasts of Palestine?" - Joel 3:4.

What is the etymology of the word Palestine?

Spoiler

"Though the definite origins of the word "Palestine" have been debated for years and are still not known for sure, the name is believed to be derived from the Egyptian and Hebrew word peleshet. Roughly translated to mean "rolling" or "migratory," the term was used to describe the inhabitants of the land to the northeast of Egypt - the Philistines. The Philistines were an Aegean people - more closely related to the Greeks and with no connection ethnically, linguisticly or historically with Arabia - who conquered in the 12th Century BCE the Mediterranean coastal plain that is now Israel and Gaza." - Jewish Virtual Library.

In 135 AD - and after putting down a revolt - the Romans renamed the Province of Judah; dubbing it Palestine.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

The Holy Bible is often variously described as: a history book; a science book; a law book; a book of systematic theology and even an ethics manual?

Is the Bible all of the above or none of the above?

Spoiler

Yes.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

Which of the following best describes the God of the Bible?

1 - An Unknowable Force Field?

2 - A Silent Impersonal God?

3 - A God Who Speaks?

Spoiler

The God of the Bible is a God who speaks - a personal God.

How does the God of the Bible speak?

Spoiler

There have to be words to maintain a personal relationship:

In the Old Testament, God spoke through the prophets: "Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets" - Hebrews 1.

In the New Testament, God spoke through completely and fully through Jesus Christ: "but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high" - Hebrews 1.

Notice that Christ "sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high". Sitting down is an indication that Christ's 'speaking work' was complete.

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[close]

[eyeshaveit]

"The Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, established in 1977, is the premier and the most comprehensive academic research organization and national center in the People's Republic of China for study in the fields of philosophy and social sciences, with the obligation of advancing and innovating in the scientific researches of philosophy, social sciences and policies." - Wikipedia.

The Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) has determined what to be "the pre-eminence" of Western Society "all over the world"?

Spoiler

Christianity -

"One of the things we were asked to look into was what accounted for the success, in fact, the pre-eminence of the West all over the world. We studied everything we could from the historical, political, economic, and cultural perspective. At first, we thought it was because you had more powerful guns than we had. Then we thought it was because you had the best political system. Next we focused on your economic system. But in the past twenty years, we have realized that the heart of your culture is your religion: Christianity. That is why the West is so powerful. The Christian moral foundation of social and cultural life was what made possible the emergence of capitalism and then the successful transition to democratic politics. We don?t have any doubt about this." - William J. Bennett - Tried by Fire: The Story of Christianity's First Thousand Years

[close]

[kevin]

what does the "I" in TULIP stand for?

Irresistible Grace:

When God calls his elect into salvation, they cannot resist. God offers to all people the gospel message. This is called the external call. But to the elect, God extends an internal call and it cannot be resisted. This call is by the Holy Spirit who works in the hearts and minds of the elect to bring them to repentance and regeneration whereby they willingly and freely come to God. Some of the verses used in support of this teaching are Romans 9:16 where it says that "it is not of him who wills nor of him who runs, but of God who has mercy"; Philippians 2:12-13 where God is said to be the one working salvation in the individual; John 6:28-29 where faith is declared to be the work of God; Acts 13:48 where God appoints people to believe; and John 1:12-13 where being born again is not by man?s will, but by God?s.
?All that the Father gives Me shall come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out," (John 6:37).

[eyeshaveit]

"The devil made me do it." - Flip Wilson.

"Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." - James 4.

What are some of the names and titles that the Holy Bible ascribes to "the devil"?

Spoiler

Ancient Serpent,
"And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years" - Revelation 20.

Satan,
"And the Lord said to Satan, ?The Lord rebuke you, O Satan!" - Zechariah 3.

Devil and Tempter,
"Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil ... And the tempter came and said to him, ?If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.?" - Matthew 4.

Abaddon or Apollyon,
"They have as king over them the angel of the bottomless pit. His name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek he is called Apollyon." - Revelation 9.

Accuser,
"Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God." - Revelation 12.

Roaring Lion and adversary,
"Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour." - 1 Peter 5.

Beelzebul,
"But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, ?It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this man casts out demons.? - Matthew 12.

Belial,
"What accord has Christ with Belial?" - 2 Corinthians 6.

Evil One,
"When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart." - Matthew 13.

Murderer and Father of Lies,
"You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies." - John 8.

God of this Age,
"In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God." - 2 Corinthians 4.

Ruler of this World,
"Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out." - John 12.

Prince of the Power of the Air,
"In which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience" - Ephesians 2.

Day Star,
?How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of Dawn! How you are cut down to the ground, you who laid the nations low!" - Isaiah 14.

Angel of Light,
"And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light." - 2 Corinthians 11.

And many others, etc.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

Are 'faith beliefs' limited to those who worship a deity?

Spoiler

No, not at all - consider the following questions:

Where did humans come from?
What are we here on earth for?
How should we be living?
Where are we going? 
Is there an afterlife?

The answer to these, and like questions, are all personal beliefs; things held in confidence, but that can't be proved i.e., 'faith beliefs'.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

What were the order of the Sabbath services in a first century synagogue, when Jesus of Nazareth walked the earth in Judea?

Spoiler

1 - The Shema (from Deuteronomy 11) was read:

"Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.  You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

"And if you will indeed obey my commandments that I command you today, to love the Lord your God, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul, he will give the rain for your land in its season, the early rain and the later rain, that you may gather in your grain and your wine and your oil. And he will give grass in your fields for your livestock, and you shall eat and be full. Take care lest your heart be deceived, and you turn aside and serve other gods and worship them; then the anger of the Lord will be kindled against you, and he will shut up the heavens, so that there will be no rain, and the land will yield no fruit, and you will perish quickly off the good land that the Lord is giving you.

?You shall therefore lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul, and you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall teach them to your children, talking of them when you are sitting in your house, and when you are walking by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates, that your days and the days of your children may be multiplied in the land that the Lord swore to your fathers to give them, as long as the heavens are above the earth."

2 - A prayer was offered.

3 - A reading of the Law.

4 - A reading from the prophets.

5 - An explanation of a Bible text.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

What are the three meanings of the Greek word "kyrios" (English = Lord) in the New Testament?

Spoiler

1 - Referring to a polite form of address - English = Sir.

2 - Referring to a slave owner - English = Master.

3 - Referring to an imperial use - English = King, Emperor, etc.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

What Old Testament Bible verse is most frequently mentioned in the New Testament?

Spoiler

Psalm 110:1,

"The LORD [Yahweh] says to my Lord [Adonai]: ?Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.?"

[close]

[composer]

What were the order of the Sabbath services in a first century synagogue, when Jesus of Nazareth walked the earth in Judea?

The only literal walking this Historical Mythical character did; was in the bible Story book!

[eyeshaveit]

What were the order of the Sabbath services in a first century synagogue, when Jesus of Nazareth walked the earth in Judea?

The only literal walking this Historical Mythical character did; was in the bible Story book!

You do know don't you, that each time you write the day's date on your correspondence or in your checkbook you commemorate the birth (The Year of our Lord) of Jesus Christ? 

[kevin]

what does the "P" in "TULIP" stand for?

Perseverance of the Saints:

You cannot lose your salvation. Because the Father has elected, the Son has redeemed, and the Holy Spirit has applied salvation, those thus saved are eternally secure. They are eternally secure in Christ. Some of the verses for this position are John 10:27-28 where Jesus said His sheep will never perish; John 6:47 where salvation is described as everlasting life; Romans 8:1 where it is said we have passed out of judgment; 1 Corinthians 10:13 where God promises to never let us be tempted beyond what we can handle; and Phil. 1:6 where God is the one being faithful to perfect us until the day of Jesus? return.

all done now. nothing left to add.

[eyeshaveit]

What is the difference between a 'born again Christian' and your 'regular everyday Christian"?

Spoiler

1 - Nothing - no difference - the term, 'born again Christian', is a redundancy - all Christians are "born again":

"Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, ?Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.? Jesus answered him, ?Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.?" - John 3.

2 - All Christian churches teach some form of a being 'born again', i.e., a new birth or regeneration.

"For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh." - Romans 7.

"For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God." - Romans 8.

[close]

[composer]

You do know don't you, that each time you write the day's date on your correspondence or in your checkbook you commemorate the birth (The Year of our Lord) of Jesus Christ?

I didn't make it to be that way!

It is still commemorating a Historical Myth!

i.e. of no meaningful consequence should I write a cheque!

[GratefulApe]

"The devil made me do it." - Flip Wilson.

"Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." - James 4.

What are some of the names and titles that the Holy Bible ascribes to "the devil"?

Spoiler

Ancient Serpent,
"And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years" - Revelation 20.

Satan,
"And the Lord said to Satan, ?The Lord rebuke you, O Satan!" - Zechariah 3.

Devil and Tempter,
"Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil ... And the tempter came and said to him, ?If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.?" - Matthew 4.

Abaddon or Apollyon,
"They have as king over them the angel of the bottomless pit. His name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek he is called Apollyon." - Revelation 9.

Accuser,
"Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God." - Revelation 12.

Roaring Lion and adversary,
"Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour." - 1 Peter 5.

Beelzebul,
"But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, ?It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this man casts out demons.? - Matthew 12.

Belial,
"What accord has Christ with Belial?" - 2 Corinthians 6.

Evil One,
"When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart." - Matthew 13.

Murderer and Father of Lies,
"You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies." - John 8.

God of this Age,
"In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God." - 2 Corinthians 4.

Ruler of this World,
"Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out." - John 12.

Prince of the Power of the Air,
"In which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience" - Ephesians 2.

Day Star,
?How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of Dawn! How you are cut down to the ground, you who laid the nations low!" - Isaiah 14.

Angel of Light,
"And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light." - 2 Corinthians 11.

And many others, etc.

[close]

The King of Tyre and The Anointed Cherub 

Spoiler

11 Again the word of the Lord came to me saying, 12 ?Son of man, take up a lamentation over the king of Tyre and say to him, ?Thus says the Lord God,

?You had the seal of perfection,
Full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.
13 ?You were in Eden, the garden of God;
Every precious stone was your covering:
The ruby, the topaz and the diamond;
The beryl, the onyx and the jasper;
The lapis lazuli, the turquoise and the emerald;
And the gold, the workmanship of your settings and sockets,
Was in you.
On the day that you were created
They were prepared.
14 ?You were the anointed cherub who covers,
And I placed you there.
You were on the holy mountain of God;
You walked in the midst of the stones of fire.
15 ?You were blameless in your ways
From the day you were created
Until unrighteousness was found in you.
16 ?By the abundance of your trade
You were internally filled with violence,
And you sinned;
Therefore I have cast you as profane
From the mountain of God.
And I have destroyed you, O covering cherub,
From the midst of the stones of fire.
17 ?Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty;
You corrupted your wisdom by reason of your splendor.
I cast you to the ground;
I put you before kings,
That they may see you.
18 ?By the multitude of your iniquities,
In the unrighteousness of your trade
You profaned your sanctuaries.
Therefore I have brought fire from the midst of you;
It has consumed you,
And I have turned you to ashes on the earth
In the eyes of all who see you.
19 ?All who know you among the peoples
Are appalled at you;
You have become terrified
And you will cease to be forever.???

[close]

[composer]

This lamentation is directed specifically at the King of Tyre! i.e. he was the anointed one!

Examine your quote which proves this, i.e. You were & your heart!

[GratefulApe]

"The devil made me do it." - Flip Wilson.

"Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." - James 4.

What are some of the names and titles that the Holy Bible ascribes to "the devil"?

Spoiler

Ancient Serpent,
"And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years" - Revelation 20.

Satan,
"And the Lord said to Satan, ?The Lord rebuke you, O Satan!" - Zechariah 3.

Devil and Tempter,
"Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil ... And the tempter came and said to him, ?If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.?" - Matthew 4.

Abaddon or Apollyon,
"They have as king over them the angel of the bottomless pit. His name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek he is called Apollyon." - Revelation 9.

Accuser,
"Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God." - Revelation 12.

Roaring Lion and adversary,
"Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour." - 1 Peter 5.

Beelzebul,
"But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, ?It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this man casts out demons.? - Matthew 12.

Belial,
"What accord has Christ with Belial?" - 2 Corinthians 6.

Evil One,
"When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart." - Matthew 13.

Murderer and Father of Lies,
"You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies." - John 8.

God of this Age,
"In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God." - 2 Corinthians 4.

Ruler of this World,
"Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out." - John 12.

Prince of the Power of the Air,
"In which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience" - Ephesians 2.

Day Star,
?How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of Dawn! How you are cut down to the ground, you who laid the nations low!" - Isaiah 14.

Angel of Light,
"And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light." - 2 Corinthians 11.

And many others, etc.

[close]

The King of Tyre and The Anointed Cherub 

Spoiler

11 Again the word of the Lord came to me saying, 12 ?Son of man, take up a lamentation over the king of Tyre and say to him, ?Thus says the Lord God,

?You had the seal of perfection,
Full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.
13 ?You were in Eden, the garden of God;
Every precious stone was your covering:
The ruby, the topaz and the diamond;
The beryl, the onyx and the jasper;
The lapis lazuli, the turquoise and the emerald;
And the gold, the workmanship of your settings and sockets,
Was in you.
On the day that you were created
They were prepared.
14 ?You were the anointed cherub who covers,
And I placed you there.
You were on the holy mountain of God;
You walked in the midst of the stones of fire.
15 ?You were blameless in your ways
From the day you were created
Until unrighteousness was found in you.
16 ?By the abundance of your trade
You were internally filled with violence,
And you sinned;
Therefore I have cast you as profane
From the mountain of God.
And I have destroyed you, O covering cherub,
From the midst of the stones of fire.
17 ?Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty;
You corrupted your wisdom by reason of your splendor.
I cast you to the ground;
I put you before kings,
That they may see you.
18 ?By the multitude of your iniquities,
In the unrighteousness of your trade
You profaned your sanctuaries.
Therefore I have brought fire from the midst of you;
It has consumed you,
And I have turned you to ashes on the earth
In the eyes of all who see you.
19 ?All who know you among the peoples
Are appalled at you;
You have become terrified
And you will cease to be forever.???

[close]

The idea is that He (Satan) is in control over the earthly kingdoms of this world.

The King of Babylon

Spoiler

Isaiah 14:4 with vv  12 14 NASB

4 that you will take up this taunt against the king of Babylon, and say,?How the oppressor has ceased,
And how fury has ceased!


12 ?How you have fallen from heaven,
O star of the morning, son of the dawn!
You have been cut down to the earth,
You who have weakened the nations!

14 ?I will ascend above the heights of the clouds;
I will make myself like the Most High.?

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

What are the Hebrew 'ages of man' as described in the Old Testament?

Spoiler

1 - Jeled - new born,

"For to us a child [jeled] is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon[a] his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." - Isaiah 9:6.

2 -  Jonek - suckling baby,

"The nursing child [jonek] shall play over the hole of the cobra" - Isaiah 11:8.

3 - Olel - talking, asking for bread,

"The children [olel] beg for food, but no one gives to them." - Lamentations 4:4.

4 - Gamul - a weaned infant,

"But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child [gamul] with its mother; like a weaned child is my soul within me." - Psalm 131:2.

5 - Taph - one still clinging to his mother,

"Letters were sent by couriers to all the king's provinces with instruction to destroy, to kill, and to annihilate all Jews, young and old, women and children [taph], in one day, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar, and to plunder their goods." - Esther 3:13.

6 - Elem - getting stronger,

"But if I say to the youth [elem], ?Look, the arrows are beyond you,? then go, for the Lord has sent you away" - 1 Samuel 20:22.

7 - Na'ar - young man,

"I was in my prime, when the friendship of God was upon my tent, when the Almighty was yet with me, when my children [na'ar] were all around me" - Job 29:4,5.

8 - Bachur - ripened youth, a warrior,

"And the Assyrian shall fall by a sword, not of man; and a sword, not of man, shall devour him; and he shall flee from the sword, and his young men [bachur] shall be put to forced labor." - Isaiah 31:8.

[close]

[kevin]

what is the Light?

Spoiler

The Light, and what Conservative Quakers believe it to be, is the most important defining characteristic of our faith.  Our understanding of the Light sets our beliefs and practices apart from other contemporary Christian groups, and from other Quakers.  It is perhaps best introduced metaphorically.  First and foremost, Quakers agree that the Light is something that illuminates, and reveals contrasts, just as natural light reveals flaws and casts shadows where it is obstructed.  The Light is a beacon to those seeking guidance.  The Light also makes significant changes.  Exposure to ordinary light in the natural world softens some substances and makes them more malleable.  Other substances are hardened and made more rigid and brittle.  In a similar way, exposure to the supernatural Inward Light raises the spiritual consciousness of receptive people, and results in spiritual degeneration in those who resist its power.  Those people who accept and welcome the revealing Light are at first made conscious of their sins, and then given the spiritual strength to resist them and become more holy in their walk with God.  Those who reject the open hand of God may find, like the Pharaoh of Exodus, that their hearts are hardened and the hand withdrawn.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

"The Ark of the Covenant, also known as the Ark of the Testimony, is a gold-covered wooden chest described in the Book of Exodus" - Google.

What objects were kept in this "wooden chest", the Ark of the Covenant?

Spoiler

"Behind the second curtain was a second section called the Most Holy Place, having the golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant covered on all sides with gold, in which was a golden urn holding the manna, and Aaron's staff that budded, and the tablets of the covenant." - Hebrews 9.

"Then the LORD said to Moses, ?Behold, I am about to rain bread from heaven for you, and the people shall go out and gather a day's portion every day ... in the morning dew lay around the camp. And when the dew had gone up, there was on the face of the wilderness a fine, flake-like thing, fine as frost on the ground. When the people of Israel saw it, they said to one another, ?What is it?? For they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them, ?It is the bread that the Lord has given you to eat ... Now the house of Israel called its name manna. It was like coriander seed, white, and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey." - Exodus 16.

?Speak to the people of Israel, and get from them staffs, one for each fathers' house, from all their chiefs according to their fathers' houses, twelve staffs. Write each man's name on his staff, and write Aaron's name on the staff of Levi. For there shall be one staff for the head of each fathers' house. Then you shall deposit them in the tent of meeting before the testimony, where I meet with you. And the staff of the man whom I choose shall sprout ... And Moses deposited the staffs before the LORD in the tent of the testimony. On the next day Moses went into the tent of the testimony, and behold, the staff of Aaron for the house of Levi had sprouted and put forth buds and produced blossoms, and it bore ripe almonds." - Numbers17.

"The LORD said to Moses, ?Cut for yourself two tablets of stone like the first, and I will write on the tablets the words that were on the first tablets, which you broke. Be ready by the morning, and come up in the morning to Mount Sinai, and present yourself there to me on the top of the mountain ... So Moses cut two tablets of stone like the first. And he rose early in the morning and went up on Mount Sinai, as the LORD had commanded him, and took in his hand two tablets of stone. The LORD descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD ... And the LORD said to Moses, ?Write these words, for in accordance with these words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel.? So he was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights. He neither ate bread nor drank water. And he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments." - Exodus 34.

[close]

[composer]

The King of Babylon

Spoiler

Isaiah 14:4 with vv  12 14 NASB

4 that you will take up this taunt against the king of Babylon, and say,?How the oppressor has ceased,
And how fury has ceased!

[close]

Even your version agrees with me, not you & Co.

Isaiah 14:4 with vv  12 14 NASB

4 that you will take up this taunt against the king of Babylon, . . . . .

[eyeshaveit]

"Arminianism is based on theological ideas of the Dutch Reformed theologian Jacobus Arminius (1560?1609) and his historic supporters known as Remonstrants." - Google.

What are the Five Points of Arminianism?

Spoiler

1 - Human Free Will - Everyone has free will and they may choose either to be saved or to resist God's call.

2 - Conditional Election - God uses foreknowledge to select those he will save (or not) on the basis of how they will respond to him.

3 - Universal Atonement - Jesus died on the cross so that everyone might be saved, but first a person must repent of sin and choose to accept salvation.

4 - Resistible Grace - Men and women can resist God's offer of grace.

5 - Fall From Grace - People can fall from grace at anytime during their life.

"Faiths leaning at least in part in the Arminian direction include Methodists, Free Will Baptists, Christian Churches and Churches of Christ, General Baptists, the Seventh-day Adventist Church, Church of the Nazarene, The Wesleyan Church, The Salvation Army, Conservative Mennonites, Old Order Mennonites, Amish and Charismatics." - Wikipedia

[close]

[kevin]

what is the first proposition of primitive christianity, revived?

Spoiler

The First Proposition

Concerning the true Foundation of Knowledge.

Seeing the height of all happiness is placed in the true knowledge of God, ("This is life eternal, to know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent,") the true and right understanding of this foundation and ground of knowledge, is that which is most necessary to be known and believed in the first place.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

"Then one of the twelve, whose name was Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, ?What will you give me if I deliver him over to you?? And they paid him thirty pieces of silver. And from that moment he sought an opportunity to betray him." - Matthew 26.

"And after a little while the bystanders again said to Peter, ?Certainly you are one of them, for you are a Galilean.? But he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, ?I do not know this man of whom you speak.?" - Mark 14.

Judas and Peter both betrayed and denied Christ. Judas hung himself and committed suicide, but Peter was restored to become a leader of the fledgling Christian Church.

Two men - two betrayals - two radically different outcomes - what made the difference?

Spoiler

Jesus prayed for Peter - he who later repented of his traitorous denial of Christ; whereas Judas - although remorseful, seemingly rejected Christ and freedom from sin:

The Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man [Judas] by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.? - Matthew 26.

?Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.? Peter said to him, ?Lord, I am ready to go with you both to prison and to death.? Jesus said, ?I tell you, Peter, the rooster will not crow this day, until you deny three times that you know me.? - Luke 22.

[close]

[kevin]

what is the second proposition of primitive christianity, revived?

Spoiler

The Second Proposition

Concerning Immediate Revelation.

2.1
Seeing "no man knoweth the Father but the Son, and he to whom the Son revealeth him;" and seeing the revelation of the Son is in and by the Spirit; therefore the testimony of the Spirit is that alone by which the true knowledge of God hath been, is, and can be only revealed; who as, by the moving of his own Spirit, he converted the chaos of this world into that wonderful order wherein it was in the beginning, and created man a living soul, to rule and govern it, so by the revelation of the same Spirit he hath manifested himself all along unto the sons of men, both patriarchs, prophets, and apostles; which revelations of God by the Spirit, whether by outward voices and appearances, dreams or inward objective manifestations in the hearts, were of old the formal object of their faith, and remain yet so to be; since the object of the saints' faith is the same in all ages, though set forth under diverse administrations.   

2.2
Moreover, these divine inward revelations, which we make absolutely necessary for the building up of true faith, neither do nor can ever contradict the outward testimony of the scriptures, or right and sound reason.   

2.3
Yet from hence it will not follow, that these divine revelations are to be subjected to the examination, either of the outward testimony of the scriptures, or of the natural reason of man, as to a more noble or certain rule or touchstone: for this divine and inward illumination, is that which is evident and clear of itself, forcing, by its own evidence and clearness, the well-disposed understanding to assent, irresistably moving the same thereunto; even as the common principles of natural truths move and incline the mind to a natural assent: as, that the whole is greater than its part; that two contradictory sayings cannot be both true, nor both false: which is also manifest, according to our adversaries' principle, who--supposing the possibility of inward divine revelations--will nevertheless confess with us, that neither scripture nor sound reason will contradict it: and yet it will not follow, according to them that the scripture, or sound reason, should be subjected to the examination of the divine revelations in the heart.

[close]

[composer]

Two men - two betrayals - two radically different outcomes - what made the difference?
[/quote]


Things like this happen in Story books, as their content is dictated by the humans that authored it!

[eyeshaveit]

Explain the differences between the 'visible church' and the 'invisible church'?

Spoiler

The visible church are those stated believers, who comprise the 'roll call' of the Christian Church worldwide.

The invisible church is known only to God: including those Christians alive on earth and those who have previously died.

There is a disconnect in the numbers of the visible church because human perceptions cannot discern the "very large mixture of hypocrites, who have nothing of Christ but the name and outward appearance"  John Calvin - Institutes 4.

"[Jesus] put another parable before them, saying, ?The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. And the servants of the master of the house came and said to him, ?Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?? He said to them, ?An enemy has done this.? So the servants said to him, ?Then do you want us to go and gather them?? But he said, ?No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, ?Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.??? - Matthew 13.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece and Rome were all world powers - mighty armies who fought over the land that God had bequeathed to his people, the Israelites. In terms of size, what are some modern state equivalents to this ancient land bridge, so often overrun by the chariots of war?

Spoiler

"Ancient Palestine [half of it desert] comprised about 9,500 square miles" - A History of Ancient Israel and Judah - J. Maxwell Miller.   

The country of Belgium and the U.S. State of Vermont are close in size to ancient Israel:

Belgium maps out at "11,787 square miles" - Wikipedia.

Vermont maps out at "9,623 square miles" - Wikipedia.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

What is a Christian's duty to the State?

Spoiler

To submit to authority:

"Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment." - Romans 13.

To pay taxes:

"For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed." - Romans 13.

To pray for those in authority:

"I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way." - 1 Timothy 2.

To render civil obedience, but no government may lawfully command what God forbids - and no state decree may forbid what God commands:

"So they [The Sanhedrin] called them and charged them [Peter and John] not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered them, ?Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge" - Acts 4.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

The Holy Bible tells us, "For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made" - Romans 1.

Philosophers tell us (summed up by Immanuel Kant), that we 'can't move from the visible to the invisible through science'.

Yet the questions continue to echo and resound. What are the possible answers; what are the 'big picture' explanations for creation?

Spoiler

1 - Creation is eternal.

2 - Creation is self created.

3 - Creation is created by something that is created.

4 - Other?

[close]

[composer]

The Holy Bible tells us,

4 - Other?[/spoiler]

The bible is actually a holey book! 

[eyeshaveit]

How disagreeable and terrible is sin - is sin ever fatal?

Spoiler

No, sin is not fatal; there is a cure.
Sin does become fatal in its denial: the refusal to admit that one is a sinner and/or the repudiation of and the denial of God.

[close]

[composer]

How disagreeable and terrible is sin - is sin ever fatal?

Spoiler

No, sin is not fatal; there is a cure.
Sin does become fatal in its denial: the refusal to admit that one is a sinner and/or the repudiation of and the denial of God.

[close]

Sin against a literal Supernatural God(s) is 100% human devised rubbish!

[eyeshaveit]

Sin against a literal Supernatural God(s) is 100% human devised rubbish!

Step outside and look up in the heavens; remembering that you are on a moving planet, speeding through space, with sublime and marvelous entities above and all about you. 

Look at the sky as a "child of the pure unclouded brow, and dreaming eyes of wonder." - C.S. Lewis.

?The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge.? - Psalm 19.

[kevin]

what is the third proposition of primitive christianity revived?

Spoiler

The Third Proposition

Concerning the Scriptures.

3.1
From these revelations of the Spirit of God to the saints, have proceeded the scriptures of truth, which contain, 1. A faithful historical account of the actings of God's people in divers ages, with many singular and remarkable providences attending them. 2. A prophetical account of several things, whereof some are already past, and some yet to come. 3. A full and ample account of all the chief principles of the doctrine of Christ, held forth in divers precious declarations, exhortations, and sentences, which, by the moving of God's Spirit, were at several times, and upon sundry occasions, spoken and written unto some churches and their pastors: nevertheless, because they are only a declaration of the fountain, and not the fountain itself, therefore they are not to be esteemed the principal ground of all truth and knowledge, nor yet the adequate primary rule of faith and manners. Nevertheless, as that which giveth a true and faithful testimony of the first foundation, they are and may be esteemed a secondary rule, subordinate to the Spirit, from which they have all their excellency and certainty; for as by the inward testimony of the Spirit we do alone truly know them, so they testify, that the Spirit is that guide by which the saints are led into all truth: therefore, according to the scriptures, the Spirit is the first and principal leader.   

3.2
And seeing we do therefore receive and believe the scriptures, because they proceed from the Spirit; therefore also the Spirit is more originally and principally the rule, according to that received maxim in the schools, Propter quod unumquodque est tale, illud ipsum est magis tale. Englished thus: "That for which a thing is such, that thing itself is more such."   

[close]

[composer]

Sin against a literal Supernatural God(s) is 100% human devised rubbish!

Step outside and look up in the heavens; remembering that you are on a moving planet, speeding through space, with sublime and marvelous entities above and all about you.

Praise e.g. Susan the Alien!

Look at the sky as a "child of the pure unclouded brow, and dreaming eyes of wonder." - C.S. Lewis.

And you quote Lewis, why?

?The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge.? - Psalm 19.

Your supposed preferred Story book?

How UNderwhelming!

[eyeshaveit]

"For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass away from the law, till all things be accomplished." - Matthew 5:18.

What are jots and tittles?

Spoiler

A jot is "the smallest letter of the Hebrew and Aramaic alphabets". - Wikipedia.

A tittle is the short "hook on Hebrew letters". - Wikipedia.

"[Jesus] uses [jots and tittles] as an example of extremely minor details. The phrase "jot and tittle" indicates that every small detail has received attention." - Wikipedia.

"Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark." - James 3.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

How UNderwhelming!

"My son ... Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones" - Proverbs 3.

[composer]

How UNderwhelming!

"My son ... Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones" - Proverbs 3.

Your quoting from your human devised Story book is pointless for you!

It is just propaganda written by men that you happen to want to parrot as if it had Supernatural based credibility, which it doesn't!

[eyeshaveit]

What are the Seven Deadly Sins?

Spoiler

"The seven deadly sins are pride, covetousness, lust, anger, gluttony, envy, and sloth." - Google.

The 'seven deadly' sins are variously described in the Bible, by Solomon (Proverbs) and the Apostles Paul (Epistles) and John (Revelation). They were later listed in Christian writings, but Thomas Aquinas, in his Summa Theologica, was probably the first to catalogue the seven sins: as "vainglory [pride], avarice [greed], gluttony, lust, sloth, envy and anger"

[close]

[composer]

What are the Seven Deadly Sins?

"The seven deadly sins are pride, covetousness, lust, anger, gluttony, envy, and sloth." - Google.

The 'seven deadly' sins are variously described in the Bible, by Solomon (Proverbs) and the Apostles Paul (Epistles) and John (Revelation). They were later listed in Christian writings, but Thomas Aquinas, in his Summa Theologica, was probably the first to catalogue the seven sins: as "vainglory [pride], avarice [greed], gluttony, lust, sloth, envy and anger"[/spoiler]

All of them are compatible with Story book God(s) & those who claim to follow them! Proofs -

1. Pride: I'm saved because my Story book tells me so!


2. Avarice: Greed for Story book promises of divine rewards, some even are prepared & have actually agreed to LIE to give a false semblance of Unity within their Cult! (Douglas-Walsh Trial Transcript, Scotland, 1954)


3. Gluttony: Overindulgence in their own conceit!


4. Lust: For Story book promises of divine rewards!

Some Cults even prepared & have actually agreed to LIE, to give a false semblance of Unity within their Cult! (Douglas-Walsh Trial Transcript, Scotland, 1954)


5. Sloth: A disinclination to work or exert yourself (WordWeb)

e.g. applies to lazy Story book jebus; abusing its powers & lazy by even sending others to gain monies for its own purposes -

But so that we don?t offend them, go to the lake and throw out a hook. Take the first fish that comes up, and when you open its mouth, you will find a four drachma coin.48 Take that and give it to them for me and you.? (Matthew 17:27) NET Story book


6. Envy (includes Genocidal narcissism & rampant Jeslousy): Moreover, these enemies of mine that did not want me to become king over them BRING here and slaughter them before me' " (Luke 19:27) KIT Story book

&

You must not bow down to them nor be enticed to serve them,+ for I, Jehovah your God, am a God who requires exclusive devotion,+ bringing punishment for the error of fathers upon sons, upon the third generation and upon the fourth generation of those who hate me, (Exod. 20:5) nw pretend translation


7. Anger: The biblical God(s) are Sinfully guilty of anger and will kill everyone that dares to stand in their way, whilst failing to adhere to their own supposed commandments for others! e.g. -

I will execute judgment on all the gods of Egypt.+ I am Jehovah. (Exod. 12:12) nw pretend translation

One wonders why this Sinful God(s) would threaten ' all the gods of Egypt ' if there is only one G/god?

&

Moreover, these enemies of mine that did not want me to become king over them BRING here and slaughter them before me' " (Luke 19:27) KIT Story book

The biblical God(s) are malignant Sinners hypocritically violating even their own supposed dictates to others!

e.g. - Let go of anger and abandon rage;. . . . (Psalm 37:8) nw pretend translation (cf. http://isgodimaginary.com/forum/index.php/topic,62632.msg819468.html#msg819468)



7b. Jealousy: e.g. (Exod. 20:5) ESV Story book Or . . . . I, Jehovah your God, am a God who requires exclusive devotion,+ bringing punishment for the error of fathers upon sons, upon the third generation and upon the fourth generation of those who hate me, (Exod. 20:5) nw pretend translation

[eyeshaveit]

You are being graded on the curve, but you are still flunking Catechism - you do know that don't you?

[composer]

You are being graded on the curve, but you are still flunking Catechism - you do know that don't you?

So called believers & their Story book God(s) are proven synonymous with their fatal manifestations of the so named ' 7 deadly Sins! '.

&

Unlike you & Co., I am entirely vindicated -

cathechism: A series of questions put to an individual (such as a political candidate) to elicit their views. (WordWeb)

[eyeshaveit]

"Therefore, my dear brother, learn Christ and him crucified, learn to pray to him, despairing of yourself, saying: 'Thou, Lord Jesus, art my righteousness, but I am thy sin." - Martin Luther - Lectures on Romans - page lviii.

[eyeshaveit]

Are Christian creeds important? The question arises as not a few Christian 'free churches' object to creeds, and they rather subscribe to a view of religion, that reads along the lines of: ?No book but the Bible - No creed but Christ - No law but Love.?

This sounds fine, but what is the irony and possible misunderstanding of such a 'statement of faith'?

Spoiler

1 - Endorsing the idea of, 'No book but the Bible - No creed but Christ - No law but Love', this is an irony - as it is a creed in itself.

2 - And without a written summary (creed), people tend to be vague and all over the place as to their faith beliefs: with some understanding correctly and others incorrectly. For example, ?No creed but the Bible?, may be used to conceal important details, such as a rejection of Christ's deity.

3 - Creeds and confessions of faith are not substitutes for the Holy Bible, but they ought not be avoided, as they do work toward merging faith in the Bible, to preserve the mission of Christ's Church.

[close]

[kevin]

what is the fourth proposition of primitive christianity revived?

Spoiler

The Fourth Proposition

Concerning the Condition of Man in the Fall.

4.1
All Adam's posterity, or mankind, both Jews and Gentiles, as to the first Adam, or earthly man, is fallen, degenerate, and dead, deprived of the sensation or feeling of this inward testimony or seed of God, and is subject unto the power, nature, and seed of the serpent, which he sows in men's hearts, while they abide in this natural and corrupted state; from whence it comes, that not their words and deeds only, but all their imaginations are evil perpetually in the sight of God, as proceeding from this depraved and wicked seed.   

4.2
Man, therefore, as he is in this state, can know nothing aright; yea, his thoughts and conceptions concerning God and things spiritual, until he be disjoined from this evil seed, and united to the divine light, are unprofitable both to himself and others: hence are rejected the Socinian and Pelagian errors, in exalting a natural light; as also of the Papists, and most Protestants, who affirm, That man, without the true grace of God, may be a true minister of the gospel.   

4.3
Nevertheless, this seed is not imputed to infants, until by transgression they actually join themselves therewith; for they are by nature the children of wrath, who walk according to the power of the prince of the air.

[close]

[composer]

"Therefore, my dear brother, learn Christ and him crucified, learn to pray to him, despairing of yourself, saying: 'Thou, Lord Jesus, art my righteousness, but I am thy sin." - Martin Luther - Lectures on Romans - page lviii.
[/quote]


So?

[eyeshaveit]

"If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church." - Matthew 18.

Then if church discipline must be applied, such authority invariably revolves around one recurrent sin, which is?

Spoiler

The sin of 'impenitence':

"Impenitence is not feeling regret about one's sin or sins" - Google.

"If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector." - Matthew 18.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

"And behold, a man came up to him, saying, ?Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?? And he said to him, ?Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments.? He said to him, ?Which ones?? And Jesus said, ?You shall not murder, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.? The young man said to him, ?All these I have kept. What do I still lack?? Jesus said to him, ?If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.? When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions." - Matthew 19.

Why did the rich young man go away 'sorrowful'?

Spoiler

1 - Jesus exposed the rich young man's idolatry: his love of possessions.

2 - Jesus exposed the man's folly: his not understanding that God alone offers genuine treasure - forgiveness of sins and righteousness.

3 - Jesus exposed the man's foolishness: his thinking that God's Kingdom was a token something; one that he could add to an already good life.


"For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?" - Matthew 16.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

"I for a long time accepted the argument of the First Cause, until one day, at the age of 18, I read John Stuart Mill?s autobiography, and I there found this sentence ?My father taught me that the question, ?Who made me?? cannot be answered, since it immediately suggests the further question, ?Who made God??? That very simple sentence showed me, as I still think, the fallacy in the argument of the First Cause. If everything must have a cause, then God must have a cause.? - Bertrand Russell - Why I'm Not A Christian.

In the above quote, Philosopher and Mathematician, Bertrand Russell, strays into natural science and makes what mistake?

Spoiler

Bertrand Russell applied the Law of Causality to God's existence:

"The law of causality is the law of identity applied to action. All actions are caused by entities. The nature of an action is caused and determined by the nature of the entities that act; a thing cannot act in contradiction to its nature" - Google.

The Law of Causality does not suppose that 'everything' has a cause; rather it postulates that every 'effect' has a cause. The self-existence of God violates no law of logic.

"God said to Moses, ?I am who I am.?" - Exodus 3.

"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change." - James 1.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

What is 'common grace'?

Spoiler

Common grace refers "to the grace of God that is either common to all humankind, or common to everyone" - Google

?Common grace curbs the destructive power of sin, maintains in a measure the moral order of the universe, thus making an orderly life possible, distributes in varying degrees gifts and talents among men, promotes the development of science and art, and showers untold blessings upon the children of men,? - Louis Berkhof.

Paraphrasing John Calvin - God's common grace has four aspects:
1 - "God?s sustaining care for his creation.
2 - "God's restraint of sin.
3 - "By God's common grace fallen mankind retains a conscience indicating the differences between right and wrong.
4 - "Providential blessings to mankind - Human advancements that come through the unredeemed are seen as outcomes of God's common grace. For example, medical and other technological advancements that improve the lives of both the redeemed and unredeemed are seen as initiated by common grace" - Quotes from Wikipedia.

[close]

[composer]

"I for a long time accepted the argument of the First Cause, until one day, at the age of 18, I read John Stuart Mill?s autobiography, and I there found this sentence ?My father taught me that the question, ?Who made me?? cannot be answered, since it immediately suggests the further question, ?Who made God??? That very simple sentence showed me, as I still think, the fallacy in the argument of the First Cause. If everything must have a cause, then God must have a cause.? - Bertrand Russell - Why I'm Not A Christian.

In the above quote, Philosopher and Mathematician, Bertrand Russell, strays into natural science and makes what mistake?

Bertrand Russell applied the Law of Causality to God's existence:

"The law of causality is the law of identity applied to action. All actions are caused by entities. The nature of an action is caused and determined by the nature of the entities that act; a thing cannot act in contradiction to its nature" - Google.

The Law of Causality does not suppose that 'everything' has a cause; rather it postulates that every 'effect' has a cause. The self-existence of God violates no law of logic.

"God said to Moses, ?I am who I am.?" - Exodus 3.

"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change." - James 1.

You are hypocritically inserting a self contradiction to your ideology! i.e. everything requires a maker except our human devised supernatural maker?

Bertrand Russell made no mistake there!

You & Co. do!   

[eyeshaveit]

Bertrand Russell applied the Law of Causality to God's existence:

"The law of causality is the law of identity applied to action. All actions are caused by entities. The nature of an action is caused and determined by the nature of the entities that act; a thing cannot act in contradiction to its nature" - Google.

The Law of Causality does not suppose that 'everything' has a cause; rather it postulates that every 'effect' has a cause. The self-existence of God violates no law of logic.

You are hypocritically inserting a self contradiction to your ideology! i.e. everything requires a maker except our human devised supernatural maker?

Bertrand Russell made no mistake there!

You & Co. do!   

You doing away with the 'Law of Causality', and replacing it what, other than bravado? 

[composer]

Bertrand Russell applied the Law of Causality to God's existence:

"The law of causality is the law of identity applied to action. All actions are caused by entities. The nature of an action is caused and determined by the nature of the entities that act; a thing cannot act in contradiction to its nature" - Google.

The Law of Causality does not suppose that 'everything' has a cause; rather it postulates that every 'effect' has a cause. The self-existence of God violates no law of logic.

You are hypocritically inserting a self contradiction to your ideology! i.e. everything requires a maker except our human devised supernatural maker?

Bertrand Russell made no mistake there!

You & Co. do!   

You doing away with the 'Law of Causality', and replacing it what, other than bravado? 

  Bravado is entirely yours & Co. in lieu of no proofs of your supernatural/spirit God(s)!   

Law of Causality = Man made fabricated excuse & self-contradiction for their fallible principle that everything must have a cause Oops! (ahem) EXCEPT their imaginary God(s)! LMAO@U & Co.

[kevin]

the fifth proposition of primitive christianity revived.

what do christians think of the universal redemption by christ?

Spoiler

Concerning the Universal Redemption by Christ,
and also the Saving and Spiritual Light, wherewith every man is enlightened.

The Fifth Proposition

5
God, out of his infinite love, who delighteth not in the death of a sinner, but that all should live and be saved, hath so loved the world, that he gave his only Son a light, that whosoever believeth in him should be saved; who enlighteneth every man that cometh into the world, and makest manifest all things that are reproveable, and teacheth all temperance, righteousness, and godliness: and in this light enlighteneth the hearts of all in a day [Pro tempore: for a time], in order to salvation, if not resisted: nor is it less universal than the seed of sin, being the purchase of his death, who tasted death for every man; "for as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive."

[close]

[composer]

the fifth proposition of primitive christianity revived.

what do christians think of the universal redemption by christ?

Spoiler

Concerning the Universal Redemption by Christ,
and also the Saving and Spiritual Light, wherewith every man is enlightened.

The Fifth Proposition

5
God, out of his infinite love, who delighteth not in the death of a sinner, but that all should live and be saved, hath so loved the world, that he gave his only Son a light, that whosoever believeth in him should be saved; who enlighteneth every man that cometh into the world, and makest manifest all things that are reproveable, and teacheth all temperance, righteousness, and godliness: and in this light enlighteneth the hearts of all in a day [Pro tempore: for a time], in order to salvation, if not resisted: nor is it less universal than the seed of sin, being the purchase of his death, who tasted death for every man; "for as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive."

[close]

Your first impediment is locating a genuine believer!

i.e. According to e.g. 1 John 3:6,8 Story book, there are currently still none! 

[eyeshaveit]

1 - Are you sorrowful about your sins, yes or no?
2 - Do you worship God and desire to go to Heaven, yes or no?
3 - Do you have confidence that Jesus Christ is your Savior, yes or no?

Consider the above - what do three 'yes' answers indicate?

Spoiler

That the one responding 'yes', to all three questions, is a Christian

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

Law of Causality = Man made fabricated excuse & self-contradiction for their fallible principle that everything must have a cause Oops! (ahem) EXCEPT their imaginary God(s)! LMAO@U & Co.

Sleight of hand gets you naught except an invoice and demand for dues from the Royal Society of Vanishing Magicians' Union. 

[composer]

Law of Causality = Man made fabricated excuse & self-contradiction for their fallible principle that everything must have a cause Oops! (ahem) EXCEPT their imaginary God(s)! LMAO@U & Co.

Sleight of hand gets you naught except an invoice and demand for dues from the Royal Society of Vanishing Magicians' Union. 

Your God(s) fail you so you introduce magic!

No doubt if there were a biblical jebus, it performed magic tricks pretending they were from a God(s)!

[eyeshaveit]

"The intertestamental period is the Protestant term ... for the gap of time between the period covered by the Hebrew Bible [canon] and the period covered by the Christian New Testament." - Google.

The "intertestamental period" was a gap of how many years? And that interval of time was positioned between what two prophets; both proclaimers of God's salvation?

Spoiler

1 - The intertestamental period "is considered to cover roughly four hundred years"

2 - It spans "the [prophetic] ministry of Malachi (c. 420 BC) to the appearance of John the Baptist in the early 1st century AD ... It is known by members of the Protestant community as the "400 Silent Years" because it is believed to have been a span where God revealed nothing new to his people"

Above two quotes from Wikipedia.

?For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble. The day that is coming shall set them ablaze, says the Lord of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch. But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall. And you shall tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet, on the day when I act, says the Lord of hosts. ?Remember the law of my servant Moses, the statutes and rules that I commanded him at Horeb for all Israel. ?Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.? - Malachi 4.

"In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, ?Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.?" - Matthew 3.

[close]

[kevin]

what do christians think of the Saving and Spiritual Light, wherewith every man is enlightened?

Spoiler

The Fifth Proposition



6.1
According to which principle (or hypothesis), all the objections against the universality of Christ's death are easily solved; neither is it needful to recur to the ministry of angels, and those other miraculous means, which, they say, God makes use of, to manifest the doctrine and history of Christ's passion unto such, who, living in those places of the world where the outward preaching of the gospel is unknown, have well improved the first and common grace; for hence it well follows, that as some of the old philosophers might have been saved, so also may now some--who by providence are cast into those remote parts of the world, where knowledge of the history is wanting--be made partakers of the divine mystery, if they receive and resist not that grace, "a manifestation whereof is given to every man to profit withal."   

6.2
This certain doctrine then being received, to wit: that there is an evangelical and saving light and grace in all, the universality of the love and mercy of God towards mankind--both in the death of his beloved Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, and in the manifestation of the light in the heart--is established and confirmed against the objections of those who deny it.   

6.3
Therefore "Christ hath tasted death for every man:" not only for all kinds of men, as some vainly talk, but for every one, of all kinds; the benefit of whose offering is not only extended to such, who have the distinct outward knowledge of his death and sufferings, as the same is declared in the scriptures, but even unto those who are necessarily excluded from the benefit of this knowledge by some inevitable accident; which knowledge we willingly confess to be very profitable and comfortable, but not absolutely needful to such, from whom God himself hath withheld it; yet they may be made partakers of the mystery of his death--though ignorant of the history--if they suffer his seed and light--enlightening their hearts--to take place; in which light, communion with the Father and Son is enjoined, so as of wicked men to become holy, and lovers of that power, by whose inward and secret touches they feel themselves turned from the evil to the good, and learn to do to others as they would be done by; in which Christ himself affirms all to be included.   

6.4
As they then have falsely and erroneously taught, who have denied Christ to have died for all men; so neither have they sufficiently taught the truth, who affirming him to have died for all, have added the absolute necessity of outward knowledge thereof, in order to the obtaining its saving effect; among whom the Remonstrants of Holland have been chiefly wanting, and many other asserters of Universal Redemption, in that they have not placed the extent of this salvation in that divine and evangelical principle of light and life, wherewith Christ enlighteneth every man that comes in to the world, which is excellently and evidently held forth in these scriptures, Gen, vi, 3. Deut. xxx. 14. John i. 7, 8, 9. Rom. x. 8. Tit. ii.11.

[close]

[composer]

what do christians think of the Saving and Spiritual Light, wherewith every man is enlightened?

Spoiler

The Fifth Proposition



6.1
According to which principle (or hypothesis), all the objections against the universality of Christ's death are easily solved; neither is it needful to recur to the ministry of angels, and those other miraculous means, which, they say, God makes use of, to manifest the doctrine and history of Christ's passion unto such, who, living in those places of the world where the outward preaching of the gospel is unknown, have well improved the first and common grace; for hence it well follows, that as some of the old philosophers might have been saved, so also may now some--who by providence are cast into those remote parts of the world, where knowledge of the history is wanting--be made partakers of the divine mystery, if they receive and resist not that grace, "a manifestation whereof is given to every man to profit withal."   

6.2
This certain doctrine then being received, to wit: that there is an evangelical and saving light and grace in all, the universality of the love and mercy of God towards mankind--both in the death of his beloved Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, and in the manifestation of the light in the heart--is established and confirmed against the objections of those who deny it.   

6.3
Therefore "Christ hath tasted death for every man:" not only for all kinds of men, as some vainly talk, but for every one, of all kinds; the benefit of whose offering is not only extended to such, who have the distinct outward knowledge of his death and sufferings, as the same is declared in the scriptures, but even unto those who are necessarily excluded from the benefit of this knowledge by some inevitable accident; which knowledge we willingly confess to be very profitable and comfortable, but not absolutely needful to such, from whom God himself hath withheld it; yet they may be made partakers of the mystery of his death--though ignorant of the history--if they suffer his seed and light--enlightening their hearts--to take place; in which light, communion with the Father and Son is enjoined, so as of wicked men to become holy, and lovers of that power, by whose inward and secret touches they feel themselves turned from the evil to the good, and learn to do to others as they would be done by; in which Christ himself affirms all to be included.   

6.4
As they then have falsely and erroneously taught, who have denied Christ to have died for all men; so neither have they sufficiently taught the truth, who affirming him to have died for all, have added the absolute necessity of outward knowledge thereof, in order to the obtaining its saving effect; among whom the Remonstrants of Holland have been chiefly wanting, and many other asserters of Universal Redemption, in that they have not placed the extent of this salvation in that divine and evangelical principle of light and life, wherewith Christ enlighteneth every man that comes in to the world, which is excellently and evidently held forth in these scriptures, Gen, vi, 3. Deut. xxx. 14. John i. 7, 8, 9. Rom. x. 8. Tit. ii.11.

[close]

As their own propaganda proves, there are NO genuine xtians, only those that ' claim to be ' (1 John 3:6) Story book

QED

[eyeshaveit]

List the salient political movements existing in Israel in the early First Century AD?

Spoiler

1 - The Herodians.

2 - The Sadducees.

3 - The Pharisees.

4 - The Zealots.

5 - The Essenes.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

Jesus said, ?It is written, ?Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.? - Matthew 4.

How important was bread to a first century Jew? And in ancient Israel how much time was spent each day, by the average family, to mill (mortar and pestle} flour from grain?

Spoiler

According to biblical scholar, Carol Myers - Archaeology and Women's Lives in Ancient Israel - bread made up about 50% of the caloric intake of the average Israelite. And grinding grain into flour was about a daily three hour task for a normal family.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

Where did John Bunyan write The Pilgrim's Progress?

Spoiler

In prison,
"Bunyan was arrested under the Conventicle Act of 1593, which made it an offence to attend a religious gathering other than at the parish church with more than five people outside their family. The offence was punishable by 3 months imprisonment followed by banishment or execution if the person then failed to promise not to re-offend ... as Bunyan refused to agree to give up preaching, his period of imprisonment eventually extended to 12 years and brought great hardship to his family" - Wikipedia.

"If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: ?A servant is not greater than his master.? If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you." - John 15.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

What did Jesus of Nazareth teach about 'the end times'?

Spoiler

More than a few false messiahs would arise.
Numerous peoples would be deceived.
There would be earthquakes and war.
There would be famine and pestilence.
Christ's followers would witness to kings.
Many believers would renounce their faith.
Others would be betrayed by close friends.
Overall iniquity and wickedness would rise.
There would be fearful events on earth.
There would be terrors and signs in Heaven.

See Matthew 24 & Luke 21.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

What are the three most important promises made by Jesus Christ?

Spoiler

1 - To forgive:

"If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us." - 1 John 1.

2 - To die:

"Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, ?Take, eat; this is my body.? And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, ?Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom.?" - Matthew 26.

3 - To judge:

"For the Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son, that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him. Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life." - John 5.

[close]

[composer]

What did Jesus of Nazareth teach about 'the end times'?

Nothing!

1. 'The Jesus of the Gospels is an artificial creation, a collective work of art who evolved through the combined consciousness of two generations of Christian worship.'

? A. N. Wilson (Paul, p144)


''Whether Jesus ever actually existed has long been debated. The argument (very well documented) is that there is absolutely no corroborating evidence of his existence in documents other than highly suspect Christian sources.'

? Riane Eisler (The Chalice & the Blade, p122)

[eyeshaveit]

What are the differences between the Anthropomorphic language and the Phenomenological language used in the Holy Bible?

Spoiler

Anthropomorphic language "refers to the perception of a divine being ... in human form or the recognition of human qualities" in God - Wikipedia.

"And he gave to Moses, when he had finished speaking with him on Mount Sinai, the two tablets of the testimony, tablets of stone, written with the finger of God." - Exodus 31.

"Phenomenological language refers to human "consciousness as experienced from the first-person [naked eye] point of view." - Wikipedia.

"The sun rises, and the sun goes down, and hastens to the place where it rises." - Ecclesiastes 1.

[close]

[kevin]

what do christians believe about the salvation of men and women who have never heard the gospel? and what of the saving Light of christ?

Spoiler

The Sixth Proposition

6.1
According to which principle (or hypothesis), all the objections against the universality of Christ's death are easily solved; neither is it needful to recur to the ministry of angels, and those other miraculous means, which, they say, God makes use of, to manifest the doctrine and history of Christ's passion unto such, who, living in those places of the world where the outward preaching of the gospel is unknown, have well improved the first and common grace; for hence it well follows, that as some of the old philosophers might have been saved, so also may now some--who by providence are cast into those remote parts of the world, where knowledge of the history is wanting--be made partakers of the divine mystery, if they receive and resist not that grace, "a manifestation whereof is given to every man to profit withal."   

6.2
This certain doctrine then being received, to wit: that there is an evangelical and saving light and grace in all, the universality of the love and mercy of God towards mankind--both in the death of his beloved Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, and in the manifestation of the light in the heart--is established and confirmed against the objections of those who deny it.   


6.3
Therefore "Christ hath tasted death for every man:" not only for all kinds of men, as some vainly talk, but for every one, of all kinds; the benefit of whose offering is not only extended to such, who have the distinct outward knowledge of his death and sufferings, as the same is declared in the scriptures, but even unto those who are necessarily excluded from the benefit of this knowledge by some inevitable accident; which knowledge we willingly confess to be very profitable and comfortable, but not absolutely needful to such, from whom God himself hath withheld it; yet they may be made partakers of the mystery of his death--though ignorant of the history--if they suffer his seed and light--enlightening their hearts--to take place; in which light, communion with the Father and Son is enjoined, so as of wicked men to become holy, and lovers of that power, by whose inward and secret touches they feel themselves turned from the evil to the good, and learn to do to others as they would be done by; in which Christ himself affirms all to be included.   

6.4
As they then have falsely and erroneously taught, who have denied Christ to have died for all men; so neither have they sufficiently taught the truth, who affirming him to have died for all, have added the absolute necessity of outward knowledge thereof, in order to the obtaining its saving effect; among whom the Remonstrants of Holland have been chiefly wanting, and many other asserters of Universal Redemption, in that they have not placed the extent of this salvation in that divine and evangelical principle of light and life, wherewith Christ enlighteneth every man that comes in to the world, which is excellently and evidently held forth in these scriptures, Gen, vi, 3. Deut. xxx. 14. John i. 7, 8, 9. Rom. x. 8. Tit. ii.11.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

Jesus Christ said, "You have heard that it was said, ?You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.? But I say to you, Love your enemies" - Matthew 5.

What are the practical steps - how do you "love your enemies"?

Spoiler

"But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven." - Matthew 5.

Pray for your enemies: focus on your enemy's needs; not on his flaws and shortcomings.

Pray and pay attention to these things - and you will have no time to hate.

[close]

[composer]

Jesus Christ said,

As Posts like yours demonstrate, the biblical jebus is a Historical MYTH!

What are the practical steps - how do you "love your enemies"?

Avoid narcissistic & violent as-holes like your Story book mythical jebus!

[eyeshaveit]

What is a Christ Hymn?

Spoiler

There are several Hymns to Christ in the New Testament; lauding both the person and work of Jesus Christ, in a most powerful way. These include:

John 1:1-18.
Philippians 2:5-11.
Colossians 1:15-20.
1 Timothy 3:16, etc.

"He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.
For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities?all things were created through him and for him.
And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
And he is the head of the body, the church.
He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent.
For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross." - Colossians 1:15-20.

[close]

[Case]

what do christians believe about the salvation of men and women who have never heard the gospel? and what of the saving Light of christ?

Spoiler

The Sixth Proposition

6.1
According to which principle (or hypothesis), all the objections against the universality of Christ's death are easily solved; neither is it needful to recur to the ministry of angels, and those other miraculous means, which, they say, God makes use of, to manifest the doctrine and history of Christ's passion unto such, who, living in those places of the world where the outward preaching of the gospel is unknown, have well improved the first and common grace; for hence it well follows, that as some of the old philosophers might have been saved, so also may now some--who by providence are cast into those remote parts of the world, where knowledge of the history is wanting--be made partakers of the divine mystery, if they receive and resist not that grace, "a manifestation whereof is given to every man to profit withal."   

6.2
This certain doctrine then being received, to wit: that there is an evangelical and saving light and grace in all, the universality of the love and mercy of God towards mankind--both in the death of his beloved Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, and in the manifestation of the light in the heart--is established and confirmed against the objections of those who deny it.   


6.3
Therefore "Christ hath tasted death for every man:" not only for all kinds of men, as some vainly talk, but for every one, of all kinds; the benefit of whose offering is not only extended to such, who have the distinct outward knowledge of his death and sufferings, as the same is declared in the scriptures, but even unto those who are necessarily excluded from the benefit of this knowledge by some inevitable accident; which knowledge we willingly confess to be very profitable and comfortable, but not absolutely needful to such, from whom God himself hath withheld it; yet they may be made partakers of the mystery of his death--though ignorant of the history--if they suffer his seed and light--enlightening their hearts--to take place; in which light, communion with the Father and Son is enjoined, so as of wicked men to become holy, and lovers of that power, by whose inward and secret touches they feel themselves turned from the evil to the good, and learn to do to others as they would be done by; in which Christ himself affirms all to be included.   

6.4
As they then have falsely and erroneously taught, who have denied Christ to have died for all men; so neither have they sufficiently taught the truth, who affirming him to have died for all, have added the absolute necessity of outward knowledge thereof, in order to the obtaining its saving effect; among whom the Remonstrants of Holland have been chiefly wanting, and many other asserters of Universal Redemption, in that they have not placed the extent of this salvation in that divine and evangelical principle of light and life, wherewith Christ enlighteneth every man that comes in to the world, which is excellently and evidently held forth in these scriptures, Gen, vi, 3. Deut. xxx. 14. John i. 7, 8, 9. Rom. x. 8. Tit. ii.11.

[close]

Too bad the Quakers gave up on theology after Barclay.

[Kiahanie]

Most Quaker theology is written as biography, not as logical theses.

[kevin]

they didnt do a lot of theology before, either.

fox was mostly forgotten for a century while the quakers busied themselves disowning each other

[eyeshaveit]

What is "Holy Ghost Greek"?

Spoiler

The German theologian, Hermann Cremer (1834 - 1903), is thought to be the first to used the phrase, "Holy Ghost Greek", to describe what were believed to be anomalies in the Greek text of the New Testament:

"The Greek of the New Testament is Koine, or Hellenistic Greek and it was the language of international commerce in the first century A.D. For centuries scholars were puzzled by the difference between New Testament Greek and the literary Greek of the classical poets, playwrights and philosophers. Some even supposed that the Bible used a special "Holy Ghost Greek." However, the discovery of first century letters and business documents from Egypt showed conclusively that the New Testament was written in the vernacular (plain, everyday language of people groups living in a specific geographic area) of the common people of that century." - Wikifoundry.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

"President-elect Donald Trump?s win has fed talk of secession among West Coast liberals, with some now wondering whether California could become Canada?s next province. Secessionists stirring the pot are nothing new on the West Coast, but in recent years ?Cascadia? had been the vision du jour in the Pacific Northwest. Depending on who is talking, this secession scheme would have British Columbia, Washington and Oregon as well as bits of the surrounding states and provinces break away. Now some of those pushing a CalExit referendum ? California?s exit from the United States, similar to Britain?s leaving of the European Union ? are arguing that all three Pacific states could join Canada. Some Canadians are even rolling out the welcome mats, even extending the olive branch to Nevada." - Levi Pulkkinen - San Francisco - sfgate.com - November 10, 2016.

What is the biblical origin of the phrase, "extending an olive branch"?

Spoiler

"It has a biblical origin. The sign that the flood was over was an olive branch brought back to the ark by a dove. Olive branches are symbols of peace." - Google.

"Then God remembered Noah, and every living thing, and all the animals that were with him in the ark. And God made a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters subsided. The fountains of the deep and the windows of heaven were also stopped, and the rain from heaven was restrained. And the waters receded continually from the earth. At the end of the hundred and fifty days the waters decreased. Then the ark rested in the seventh month, the seventeenth day of the month, on the mountains of Ararat. And the waters decreased continually until the tenth month. In the tenth month, on the first day of the month, the tops of the mountains were seen. So it came to pass, at the end of forty days, that Noah opened the window of the ark which he had made. Then he sent out a raven, which kept going to and fro until the waters had dried up from the earth. He also sent out from himself a dove, to see if the waters had receded from the face of the ground. But the dove found no resting place for the sole of her foot, and she returned into the ark to him, for the waters were on the face of the whole earth. So he put out his hand and took her, and drew her into the ark to himself. And he waited yet another seven days, and again he sent the dove out from the ark. Then the dove came to him in the evening, and behold, a freshly plucked olive leaf was in her mouth; and Noah knew that the waters had receded from the earth. So he waited yet another seven days and sent out the dove, which did not return again to him anymore." - Genesis 8.

[close]

[kevin]

what do christians teach about justification?

Spoiler

The Seventh Proposition

Concerning Justification.

7.1
As many as resist not this light, but receive the same, in them is produced an holy, pure, and spiritual birth, bringing forth holiness, righteousness, purity, and all those other blessed fruits which are acceptable to God; by which holy birth, to wit, Jesus Christ, formed within us, and working his works in us--as we are sanctified, so we are justified in the sight of God, according to the apostle's words, "But ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified, in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God."   

7.2
Therefore it is not by our works wrought in our will, nor yet by good works, considered as of themselves, but by Christ, who is both the gift and the giver, and the cause producing the effects in us; who, as he hath reconciled us while we were enemies, doth also in his wisdom save us, and justify us after this manner, as saith the same apostle elsewhere, "According to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and the renewing of the Holy Ghost."   

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

Did First Century Jews and Christians differ as to the origin of Scripture?

Spoiler

No:

"The Rabbinical teaching was that the Spirit of God rested on and in the prophets and spoke through them so that their words did not come from themselves, but from the mouth of God, and they spoke and wrote in the Holy Spirit. The early [Christian] church was in entire agreement with this view." - Linguistic Key to the Greek New Testament - By Fritz Reinecker and Cleon Rogers - 1980.

"And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone's own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit." - 2 Peter 1.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

What is Christianity's 'Golden Chain'?

Spoiler

The Golden Chain of Salvation (or Glory or Redemption or Grace) is simply God's order of salvation, found listed in Romans 8. The five links in the 'golden chain' are foreknowledge, predestination, calling, justification, and glorification:

"For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified." - Romans 8:29,30.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

What was it that the Puritans called, "The market day of the soul"?

Spoiler

The Puritans called the Sabbath, a "?market day of the soul", asking the question, ?What do I get to do with my God today?? the Lord?s Day will be anything but burdensome." - Joseph Pipa - The Lord's Day - page 41.

The Puritan's view of the Sabbath revolved around the prophet Isaiah - Chapter 58:

?If you turn back your foot from the Sabbath, from doing your pleasure on my holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight and the holy day of the Lord honorable; if you honor it, not going your own ways, or seeking your own pleasure, or talking idly; then you shall take delight in the Lord, and I will make you ride on the heights of the earth; I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.? - Isaiah 58:13,14.

The Puritans wondered of "doing your pleasure on my holy day", and by these words was God thus clarifying the commandment:

"Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God" - Exodus 20.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

"In Christianity, the Passion (from Late Latin: passionem "suffering, enduring") is the short final period in the life of Jesus" - Google.

What are the motifs or elements of Jesus Christ's Passion - parts of which are found in all four Gospels?

Spoiler

1 - Jesus of Nazareth arrives in Jerusalem.

2 - The Upper Room / The Last Supper.

3 - The Garden of Gethsemane.

4 - Christ's Arrest and Trial.

5 - The Crucifixion.

6 - Christ's Burial.

7 - The Resurrection.

8 - Jesus Christ's Post-Resurrection Appearances.


"He is not here, for he has risen, as he said." - Matthew 28.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

"The King James Version, also known as the Authorized Version or the King James Bible, is an English translation of the Christian Bible for the Church of England begun in 1604 and completed in 1611." - Wikipedia.

Before the King James Bible was published in 1611, how many English translations of the Bible had appeared in print:

None?
One?
Three?
Seven?

Spoiler

At least seven English translations of the King James Bible preceded the 'Authorized Version'. Today there are more than 100 English translations, of the Holy Bible, available to the reader or student of God's Word.

"The words of the LORD are pure words, like silver refined in a furnace on the ground, purified seven times" - Psalm 12.

[close]

[kevin]

the 1611 was never referred to as the "king james version."

modern king james bibles usually date back to an editorial creation made in 1769, which does not contain the full scriptural text of the 1611, none of its explanatory chapters or preface material, and none of the thousands of cross references or marginal notes included with it.

texts of the genuine 1611 are available online at eSword.com, as are texts of the king james for comparison.

[eyeshaveit]

As you suggest, the 1611 Bible was not called the KJV, when it was first printed, other than the obvious, "The Holy Bible", but that fact is a bit of minutia that escapes most of us, as does the history of the Bible conceived at the Hampton Court Conference in 1604. That history would make a great IGI Blog post and you are the just right man for that job.

@kevin

[kevin]

i have no interest in humoring you, eyes, nor in supporting your personal tour as to what christianity consists of.

i'll correct your grosser errors, but if you want to move beyond that, the responsibility is all yours.

[eyeshaveit]

i have no interest in humoring you, eyes, nor in supporting your personal tour as to what christianity consists of.

i'll correct your grosser errors, but if you want to move beyond that, the responsibility is all yours.

You're a trip, Kevin,

I'm no theologian, but I read them extensively, and by far most of them 'lump' all the printings of the 1611 Bible together under the heading of "The King James Bible".

And do correct the errors of this sinner man as you find them. It is very much appreciated.

+1

[eyeshaveit]

"I consider the government of the US. as interdicted by the Constitution from intermeddling with religious institutions, their doctrines, discipline, or exercises ... Certainly no power to prescribe any religious exercise, or to assume authority in religious discipline, has been delegated to the general government ... But it is only proposed that I should recommend, not prescribe a day of fasting & prayer. That is, that I should indirectly assume to the U. S. an authority over religious exercises which the Constitution has directly precluded them from ... civil powers alone have been given to the President of the US. and no authority to direct the religious exercises of his constituents."

What U.S. President is quoted above; explaining his hesitancy to proclaim a national day of Thanksgiving?

Spoiler

Thomas Jefferson, is quoted, from a letter dated January 23, 1808, to the Reverend Samuel Miller. Jefferson was averse to any federal regulations to be imposed upon any religious activities, including "fasting and prayer" and Thanksgiving. Jefferson thought that these things, if needed, to be best left up to the individual states.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

"The most extensive catalog of the world?s languages, generally taken to be as authoritative as any, is that of Ethnologue (published by SIL International), whose detailed classified list as of 2009 included 6,909 distinct languages." - Linguistic Society of America.

How many of these almost 7,000 languages are blessed with a translation of a Holy Bible?

Spoiler

"As of 2009, at least a portion of the bible had been translated into 2,508 different languages" - Linguistic Society of America.

Of the 2,508 different languages, it is estimated that the complete Bible has been translated into about 400 distinct languages, and the complete New Testament has been rendered in another 1,000 additional languages. - These figures are taken from the notes of a talk given by Hantz Bernard, the man who translated the Bible into the Haiti Creole language.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

"I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos" - Revelation 1:9.

What were the two reasons that the Apostle John found himself on the Isle of Patmos?

Spoiler

1 - "On account of the word of God" - The world rejects God's word: as a model and a measure for morality.

2 - "The testimony of Jesus" - The world rejects Jesus Christ as a unique Savior: and the only channel for pardon and forgiveness of sins and the 'gate and path' to eternal life.

"I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus." - Revelation 1:9.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

Legalism is a "dependence on moral law rather than on personal religious faith" - Google.

Legalism is found mostly in response to what Christian doctrine?

Spoiler

The Doctrine of Justification by Faith Alone:

"For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law." - Romans 3.

"We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified." - Galatians 2.

[close]

[kevin]

what do christians believe about becoming perfect in this life, on this earth?

   

Spoiler

The Eighth Proposition
Concerning Perfection.

8.1
In whom this holy and pure birth is fully brought forth the body of death and sin comes to be crucified and removed, and their hearts united and subjected unto the truth, so as not to obey any suggestion or temptation of the evil one, but to be free from actual sinning, and transgressing the law of God, and in that respect perfect.
   
8.2
Yet doth this perfection still admit of a growth; and there remaineth a possibility of sinning, where the mind doth not most diligently and watchfully attend unto the Lord.

[close]

[Francis]

what do christians believe about becoming perfect in this life, on this earth?

   

Spoiler

The Eighth Proposition
Concerning Perfection.

8.1
In whom this holy and pure birth is fully brought forth the body of death and sin comes to be crucified and removed, and their hearts united and subjected unto the truth, so as not to obey any suggestion or temptation of the evil one, but to be free from actual sinning, and transgressing the law of God, and in that respect perfect.
   
8.2
Yet doth this perfection still admit of a growth; and there remaineth a possibility of sinning, where the mind doth not most diligently and watchfully attend unto the Lord.

[close]

My personal understanding of what it means to become perfect in the Bible... or in becoming perfect in this life... on this earth... lines up perfectly with this entry from Wikipedia:

The terms "perfect" and "perfection" are drawn from the Greek teleios and telei?sis, respectively. The root word, telos, means an "end" or "goal". In contemporary translations, teleios and telei?sis are often rendered as "mature" and "maturity", respectively, so as not to imply infallibility or the absence of defects. Rather, in the Christian tradition, telei?sis has referred to progressing towards spiritual wholeness or health.

That is how I have always understood what the Bible was talking about when it teaches about becoming perfect in this life.

Respectfully

[kevin]

another expression of the idea:

Early Quakers, like many other Christians before them, understood that the transformation to which they were called led to a state of spiritual maturity called Perfection. It was a state of being able to live perfectly in accordance with God?s will, without any resistance or sin. Friends recognized that people are given different ?measures? of the light, and that there are degrees of perfection. As one is faithful to the measure one has received, more is given. Perfection is not a static state. One can fall out of that condition; once in it, one can continue to grow, endlessly.

[eyeshaveit]

What is the difference between a 'prophet' and a 'priest'?

Spoiler

It is a matter of vertical directions, up or down: a prophet is "one who utters divinely [downward] inspired revelations", and a priest is "a mediatory agent [upward] between humans and God"

Definitions courtesy of Meriam-Webster Dictionary.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

What is the extent of mankind's responsibility to maintain the purity of God's Word?

Spoiler

The Bible has a great deal to say, including:

"You shall not add to the word that I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God that I command you." - Deuteronomy 4.

"Everything that I command you, you shall be careful to do. You shall not add to it or take from it." - Deuteronomy 12.

"Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. Do not add to his words, lest he rebuke you and you be found a liar." - Proverbs 30.

"Thus says the Lord: Stand in the court of the Lord's house, and speak to all the cities of Judah that come to worship in the house of the Lord all the words that I command you to speak to them; do not hold back a word." - Jeremiah 26.

"I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book." - Revelation 22.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

Which of the following statements are true?

1 - "God's choices are all perfect, so there could not have been a better choice than Adam."

2 - "No human being can meet the standards set by Jesus' "Sermon on the Mount"."

3 - "The will of God is a divine hinge; on and about which all life swings."

4 - "The world has no use for an unholy church."

Spoiler

They are all true.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

"Fundamentalism usually has a religious connotation that indicates unwavering attachment to a set of irreducible beliefs" - Wikipedia.

What are the five 'Fundamentals of the Faith' that came out of the Niagara Bible Conference in the late nineteenth century?

Spoiler

1 - The Inspiration / Infallibility of the Bible.

2 - The Virgin Birth.

3 - Christ's Substitutionary Atonement.

4 - Christ's Bodily Resurrection.

5 - The Deity / Miracles of Christ.

Baptists denominations have added a sixth fundamental to the list: The Second Coming of Christ.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

"At the present time there exist upon the earth five races or varieties of man, each very different from the other in instincts, social customs, and, to an extent, in structure. These are the Ethiopian or negro type, originating in Africa; the Malay or brown race, from the islands of the Pacific; the American Indian; the Mongolian or yellow race, including the natives of China, Japan, and the Eskimos; and finally, the highest race type of all, the Caucasians, represented by the civilized white inhabitants of Europe and America" - George William Hunter - "A Civic Biology: Presented in Problems" - 1914.

The above excerpt, was one of not a few quotes, that sparked a storm, and became a cause celebre, that put organized religion in the spotlight of what famous law trial?

Spoiler

"The Scopes Trial, formally known as The State of Tennessee v. John Thomas Scopes and commonly referred to as the Scopes Monkey Trial, was an American legal case in 1925 in which a substitute high school teacher, John Scopes, was accused of violating Tennessee's Butler Act, which had made it unlawful to teach human evolution in any state-funded school. The trial was deliberately staged to attract publicity to the small town of Dayton, Tennessee, where it was held. Scopes was unsure whether he had ever actually taught evolution, but he purposely incriminated himself so that the case could have a defendant.

Scopes was found guilty and fined $100 (equivalent to $1,352 in 2015), but the verdict was overturned on a technicality. The trial served its purpose of drawing intense national publicity, as national reporters flocked to Dayton to cover the big-name lawyers who had agreed to represent each side. William Jennings Bryan, three-time presidential candidate, argued for the prosecution, while Clarence Darrow, the famed defense attorney, spoke for Scopes. The trial publicized the Fundamentalist?Modernist Controversy, which set Modernists, who said evolution was not inconsistent with religion, against Fundamentalists, who said the word of God as revealed in the Bible took priority over all human knowledge. The case was thus seen as both a theological contest and a trial on whether "modern science" should be taught in schools" - Wikipedia.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

The prohibition against unlawful killing, "Thou shalt not kill", and one of the Ten Commandments (God's moral law within Exodus and Deuteronomy), is commonly cited, in litigation, for the repeal of the death penalty. Why are such references often an oxymoron?   

Spoiler

Because execution, for murder, was a part of the creation covenant that God gave to Noah:   

"From his fellow man I will require a reckoning for the life of man. ?Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image."" - Genesis 9.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

"The Humanist Manifesto is the title of three manifestos laying out a Humanist worldview. They are the original Humanist Manifesto (1933, often referred to as Humanist Manifesto I), the Humanist Manifesto II (1973), and Humanism and Its Aspirations (2003, a.k.a. Humanist Manifesto III)." - Google.

How has the Humanist Manifesto changed over the years?

Spoiler

"The first Manifesto [1933] talked of a new "religion", and referred to Humanism as a religious movement to transcend and replace previous religions based on allegations of supernatural revelation. The document outlines a fifteen-point belief system, which, in addition to a secular outlook, opposes "acquisitive and profit-motivated society" and outlines a worldwide egalitarian society based on voluntary mutual cooperation"

"The second Manifesto [1973] ... begins with a statement that the excesses of Nazism and World War II had made the first seem "far too optimistic", and indicated a more hardheaded and realistic approach in its seventeen-point statement, which was much longer and more elaborate than the previous version"

"The third Manifesto [2003] ... listed seven primary themes, which echo those from its predecessors:
Knowledge of the world is derived by observation, experimentation, and rational analysis.
Humans are an integral part of nature, the result of evolutionary change, an unguided process.
Ethical values are derived from human need and interest as tested by experience.
Life?s fulfillment emerges from individual participation in the service of humane ideals.
Humans are social by nature and find meaning in relationships.
Working to benefit society maximizes individual happiness.
Respect for differing yet humane views in an open, secular, democratic, environmentally sustainable society."

All above citations - Wikipedia.

Notice, that over the seventy years, these humanists have 'lost' their 1933 religion, to become strictly secular in 2003.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

The Upper Room; Passover Week in Jerusalem - why did Christ choose 'bread and wine' instead of 'lamb and wine' to launch and commence the sacrament of the Lord's Supper?

Spoiler

Both bread and lamb were on the Passover table, but Jesus Christ choose the bread to illustrate that his death would be a permanent sacrifice; his blood would be the last to be shed as an offering for sin.

Jesus "took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, ?This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.?" - Luke 22.

[close]

[GratefulApe]

The Upper Room; Passover Week in Jerusalem - why did Christ choose 'bread and wine' instead of 'lamb and wine' to launch and commence the sacrament of the Lord's Supper?

Spoiler

Both bread and lamb were on the Passover table, but Jesus Christ choose the bread to illustrate that his death would be a permanent sacrifice; his blood would be the last to be shed as an offering for sin.

Jesus "took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, ?This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.?" - Luke 22.

[close]

The unleavened bread represented his sinless life. He chose the wine to represent the permanent sacrifice as it represented the last and perfect blood sacrifice.

[eyeshaveit]

What are the differences between the New Testament 'Gospels' and the 'Epistles'?

Spoiler

The four gospels are a narrative; they tell us the story. The twenty-one epistles are a teaching tool; they instruct and guide us through the nuances of the story.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

Montesquieu separated human government into what three categories?

Spoiler

1 - Tyranny - dictatorship - based on fear.

2 - Monarchy - hereditary - based on honor.

3 - Democracy - representative - based on virtue.

[close]

?Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you." - Exodus 20.

Which type of government is best suited to the office of parenting?

Spoiler

Monarchy with children submitting to their parents.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

John Calvin wrote of what 'four things that belong to God himself'?

Spoiler

1 - Adoration.

2 - Trust.

3 - Invocation.

4 - Thanksgiving.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

"In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters." - Genesis 1.

God's story continued, with what being His first act of creation?

Spoiler

Light, glorious light:

"And God said, ?Let there be light,? and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness." - Genesis 1.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

The Apostle Paul?s Letter to the Romans, chapters 1 to 11 contains 315 verses. In how many of these verses does Paul instruct and command the reader to act; to do something?

For example: "Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness." - Romans 6:13.

How many imperatives does the Apostle Paul present us with in those 300 plus verses?

Two?

Seven?

Twenty-seven?

Seventy-seven?

Spoiler

Only seven: Romans 6:12; 6:13; 6:19; 10:4; 11:18; 11:20; 11:22.

Paul commits the other 308 verses to glorify God; to narrate what God has done. The beginning of Romans and the dominant focus of the Bible is not to instruct, but to glorify, praise and extend honor to the Creator, the Lord of Heaven and Earth.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

What are the three promises of hope, proclaimed by God in the Book of Genesis?

Spoiler

1 - Dominion and procreation:

"Then God said, ?Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.? So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. And God blessed them. And God said to them, ?Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.?" - Genesis 1:26-28.

2 - Conquest of mankind's enemy:

""I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.?" - Genesis 3:15.

3 - Blessings through Abraham's seed:

"Now the Lord said to Abram, ?Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.?" - Genesis 12:1-3.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

Is there no justice on earth? Why did Jesus Christ have to die? Why did he who had no sin experience death?

Spoiler

All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself ... For our sake he made him [Christ] to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. - 2 Corinthians 5.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

Does the Holy Bible have Jesus of Nazareth talking more about Heaven or Hell?

Spoiler

Hell, it's not even close.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

Why should followers of Christ study the Bible'?

Spoiler

Because it is a serious responsibility and necessary to further your relationship with God, by carefully considering his Word:

"The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise" - Deuteronomy 6.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

How do Adam and Noah match up in the Bible?

Spoiler

Adam and Noah both walked with God; each receiving the Lord's promise and blessing.

Both sinned with fruit: Adam, disobeying God and eating of "the tree of the knowledge of good and evil"; Noah, "planted a vineyard. He drank of the wine and became drunk and lay uncovered in his tent"

Both were caretakers of the animals: they came to Adam to be named; they came to to Noah to be saved.

Adam and Noah both were farmers and tillers of the soil.

Adam and Noah each fathered three sons, with one of them each (Cain and Ham) being wicked and coming under a curse.

Quotes - Genesis ESV Version.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

What are the two most common complaints that unbelievers express about God's Word?

Spoiler

1 - They say that the Bible is not relevant in a modern world.

2 - They say that the Bible lacks clarity; it is too difficult to understand.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God." - Hebrews 12.

What was "the joy that was set before him" as Jesus looked forward to enduring "the cross"?

Spoiler

Jesus Christ's great pleasure to do God's will; concerning his atoning work (the reparation for sin) on the cross.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

How was Jesus' glory on display during his years on earth?

Spoiler

Christ's glory was revealed: in his Miracles; during his Transfiguration; by his work on the Cross; through his Resurrection and at his Ascension

[close]

[composer]

Is there no justice on earth? Why did Jesus Christ have to die? Why did he who had no sin experience death?

Spoiler

All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself ... For our sake he made him [Christ] to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. - 2 Corinthians 5.

[close]

1. Your Story book is not only founded upon MYTHS (e.g. Prov. 30:25 & 30) but is also founded upon self-contradiction, e.g. -

2. Rom. 3:23

[eyeshaveit]

"On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus? mother was there, and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine was gone, Jesus? mother said to him, ?They have no more wine.?" - John 2.

How much wine did Jesus produce at Cana?

Spoiler

Jesus miraculously changed more than 100 gallons of water into wine. It may have been as much as 180 gallons, for a first century Jewish wedding that typically lasted for seven days.

[close]

[Francis]

1. Your Story book is not only founded upon MYTHS (e.g. Prov. 30:25 & 30) but is also founded upon self-contradiction, e.g. -

What problem do you have with Proverbs 30:25 & 30?

[composer]

1. Your Story book is not only founded upon MYTHS (e.g. Prov. 30:25 & 30) but is also founded upon self-contradiction, e.g. -

What problem do you have with Proverbs 30:25 & 30?

None!

The problems are for those that claim their bible is inerrant - the truthful words of their God(s)

[eyeshaveit]

How many times is the word, "unclean", found in Leviticus 11 - 15:

23 times?

40 times?

69 times?

100 plus times?

Spoiler

The word, 'unclean,' is referenced more than 100 times in these 5 chapters of the Leviticus.

[close]

[Francis]

1. Your Story book is not only founded upon MYTHS (e.g. Prov. 30:25 & 30) but is also founded upon self-contradiction, e.g. -

What problem do you have with Proverbs 30:25 & 30?

None!
The problems are for those that claim their bible is inerrant - the truthful words of their God(s)

????????  If you have no problems with Proverbs 30:25 & 30, then why did you claim that the Bible is founded upon MYTHS?

How does Proverbs 30:25 & 30 show that the Bible is founded on myths?

Respectfully

[composer]

????????  If you have no problems with Proverbs 30:25 & 30, then why did you claim that the Bible is founded upon MYTHS?

How does Proverbs 30:25 & 30 show that the Bible is founded on myths?

Respectfully

Do some research on this Francis and let us know what you discover?

As you need desperate help, here's my Hint: Compare Prov. 30:25 & 30 against reality!

[Francis]

????????  If you have no problems with Proverbs 30:25 & 30, then why did you claim that the Bible is founded upon MYTHS?
How does Proverbs 30:25 & 30 show that the Bible is founded on myths?

Do some research on this Francis and let us know what you discover?

I'm asking you.  You made the claim.  And so the burden of proof is on you to demonstrate for us how Proverbs 30:25 & 30 shows that the Bible is founded on myths.

Respectfully

[composer]

????????  If you have no problems with Proverbs 30:25 & 30, then why did you claim that the Bible is founded upon MYTHS?
How does Proverbs 30:25 & 30 show that the Bible is founded on myths?

Do some research on this Francis and let us know what you discover?

I'm asking you.  You made the claim.  And so the burden of proof is on you to demonstrate for us how Proverbs 30:25 & 30 shows that the Bible is founded on myths.

Respectfully

Here ya go! 

1. http://isgodimaginary.com/forum/index.php/topic,62726.msg821636.html#msg821636 (IGI Thread: Is this a Myth?, Reply#4, Re: Prov. 30:25;  the proven MYTH)

2. http://isgodimaginary.com/forum/index.php/topic,62726.msg821710.html#msg821710 (IGI Thread: Is This a Myth? Reply#11, Re: Prov. 30:30; the next proven MYTH)

The Bible is founded on myths!     

QED

[composer]

"On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus? mother was there, and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine was gone, Jesus? mother said to him, ?They have no more wine.?" - John 2.

How much wine did Jesus produce at Cana?

Apparently NONE! -

John 5:30 Story book

[eyeshaveit]

Adam Smith discusses "the invisible hand", in his book, An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations. What is the 'invisible hand'?

Spoiler

"The unobservable market force that helps the demand and supply of goods in a free market to reach equilibrium automatically is the invisible hand. Adam Smith ... assumed that an economy can work well in a free market scenario where everyone will work for his/her own interest ... if the government will leave people alone to buy and sell freely among themselves ... if people were allowed to trade freely, self interested traders present in the market would compete with each other, leading markets towards the positive output with the help of an invisible hand." - The Economic Times.

[close]

[Case]

What has Adam Smith to do with Christian doctrine!? 

[eyeshaveit]

What has Adam Smith to do with Christian doctrine!? 

Smith wanted to apply new-fangled ideas (science) to the field of economics and this he did. But he found that a free economy is based on a moral foundation; a trust in contracts that will be upheld and honored. And that trust rests on a primary causal power. Enter God and his invisible hand.

[Case]

I get the theoretical Calvinist underpinnings of laissez-faire capitalism, but I'm reluctant to declare it as doctrine. In practice, capitalism  seems to me to be a failed experiment.

What about blessing the poor? What about biblical economic laws, like Sabbaths and jubilees, that manage human greed and income disparity? Has contemporary society nothing to learn from these laws?

[eyeshaveit]

Which of the four Gospels has the resurrected Jesus Christ assigning a mission work to his disciples?

Spoiler

All of four of them:

Matthew 28:18-20.
Mark !6:15-16.
Luke 24:45-47.
John 21:15-19.

[close]

[Francis]

????????  If you have no problems with Proverbs 30:25 & 30, then why did you claim that the Bible is founded upon MYTHS?
How does Proverbs 30:25 & 30 show that the Bible is founded on myths?

Do some research on this Francis and let us know what you discover?

I'm asking you.  You made the claim.  And so the burden of proof is on you to demonstrate for us how Proverbs 30:25 & 30 shows that the Bible is founded on myths.

Respectfully

Here ya go!
1. http://isgodimaginary.com/forum/index.php/topic,62726.msg821636.html#msg821636 (IGI Thread: Is this a Myth?, Reply#4, Re: Prov. 30:25;  the proven MYTH)

2. http://isgodimaginary.com/forum/index.php/topic,62726.msg821710.html#msg821710 (IGI Thread: Is This a Myth? Reply#11, Re: Prov. 30:30; the next proven MYTH)

The Bible is founded on myths! 

My answer is the same as Kiahanie's answer in the same thread which can can be found in REPLY #10 of the thread: "IS THIS A MYTH?".

http://isgodimaginary.com/forum/index.php/topic,62726.msg821707.html#msg821707

So the question still remains: 

"How does Proverbs 30:25 & 30 show that the Bible is founded on myths?"

Respectfully

[composer]

So the question still remains: 

"How does Proverbs 30:25 & 30 show that the Bible is founded on myths?"

I & TS have proven they are founded upon MYTHS!

It comes as no surprise you refuse to accept that, apart from incoherently denying it!

I can only take the horse to water, but I can't make it (you & Co.) drink it! (Metaph')

[eyeshaveit]

Do we humans sin because we are sinners, or are we sinners only because we commit sinful acts?

Spoiler

The former: we commit sinful acts because we are sinners.

"For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous." - Romans 5.

[close]

[Francis]

So the question still remains: 

"How does Proverbs 30:25 & 30 show that the Bible is founded on myths?"

I & TS have proven they are founded upon MYTHS!

It comes as no surprise you refuse to accept that, apart from incoherently denying it!

I can only take the horse to water, but I can't make it (you & Co.) drink it! (Metaph')

You obviously didn't understand the answer I gave or the answer Kiahanie gave.

[composer]

So the question still remains: 

"How does Proverbs 30:25 & 30 show that the Bible is founded on myths?"

I & TS have proven they are founded upon MYTHS!

It comes as no surprise you refuse to accept that, apart from incoherently denying it!

I can only take the horse to water, but I can't make it (you & Co.) drink it! (Metaph')

You obviously didn't understand the answer I gave or the answer Kiahanie gave.

Meanwhile, Proverbs 30:25 & 30 remain proven MYTHS, upon which your Story book is founded! (cf. 1 & 2   shown below)

Let's get you to come clean and put your answers in a nutshell Francis!


Are Ants weak? Prov. 30:25 state they are!

Yes or No?

Let your word be 'Yes, yes' or 'No, no.' More than this is from the evil one. (Matt. 5:37) NET Story book


&

Do Lions never retreat from anyone? Prov. 30:30 state they do not!

Yes or No?

Let your word be 'Yes, yes' or 'No, no.' More than this is from the evil one. (Matt. 5:37) NET Story book

We can then compare the facts against your Yes Or No responses!


cf. 1. http://isgodimaginary.com/forum/index.php/topic,62726.msg821636.html#msg821636 (IGI Thread: Is this a Myth?, Reply#4, Re: Prov. 30:25;  the proven MYTH)

2. http://isgodimaginary.com/forum/index.php/topic,62726.msg821710.html#msg821710 (IGI Thread: Is This a Myth? Reply#11, Re: Prov. 30:30; the next proven MYTH)

[Francis]

So the question still remains: 

"How does Proverbs 30:25 & 30 show that the Bible is founded on myths?"

I & TS have proven they are founded upon MYTHS!

It comes as no surprise you refuse to accept that, apart from incoherently denying it!

I can only take the horse to water, but I can't make it (you & Co.) drink it! (Metaph')

You obviously didn't understand the answer I gave or the answer Kiahanie gave.

Meanwhile, Proverbs 30:25 & 30 remain proven MYTHS, upon which your Story book is founded! (cf. 1 & 2   shown below)

Let's get you to come clean and put your answers in a nutshell Francis!


Are Ants weak? Prov. 30:25 state they are!

Yes or No?

Let your word be 'Yes, yes' or 'No, no.' More than this is from the evil one. (Matt. 5:37) NET Story book


&

Do Lions never retreat from anyone? Prov. 30:30 state they do not!

Yes or No?

Let your word be 'Yes, yes' or 'No, no.' More than this is from the evil one. (Matt. 5:37) NET Story book

We can then compare the facts against your Yes Or No responses!


cf. 1. http://isgodimaginary.com/forum/index.php/topic,62726.msg821636.html#msg821636 (IGI Thread: Is this a Myth?, Reply#4, Re: Prov. 30:25;  the proven MYTH)

2. http://isgodimaginary.com/forum/index.php/topic,62726.msg821710.html#msg821710 (IGI Thread: Is This a Myth? Reply#11, Re: Prov. 30:30; the next proven MYTH)

You're still showing that you don't understand my answer or Kiahanie's answer.  How can we proceed when you don't even understand the answer you are given?

Respectfully

[composer]

So the question still remains: 

"How does Proverbs 30:25 & 30 show that the Bible is founded on myths?"

I & TS have proven they are founded upon MYTHS!

It comes as no surprise you refuse to accept that, apart from incoherently denying it!

I can only take the horse to water, but I can't make it (you & Co.) drink it! (Metaph')

You obviously didn't understand the answer I gave or the answer Kiahanie gave.

Meanwhile, Proverbs 30:25 & 30 remain proven MYTHS, upon which your Story book is founded! (cf. 1 & 2   shown below)

Let's get you to come clean and put your answers in a nutshell Francis!


Are Ants weak? Prov. 30:25 state they are!

Yes or No?

Let your word be 'Yes, yes' or 'No, no.' More than this is from the evil one. (Matt. 5:37) NET Story book


&

Do Lions never retreat from anyone? Prov. 30:30 state they do not!

Yes or No?

Let your word be 'Yes, yes' or 'No, no.' More than this is from the evil one. (Matt. 5:37) NET Story book

We can then compare the facts against your Yes Or No responses!


cf. 1. http://isgodimaginary.com/forum/index.php/topic,62726.msg821636.html#msg821636 (IGI Thread: Is this a Myth?, Reply#4, Re: Prov. 30:25;  the proven MYTH)

2. http://isgodimaginary.com/forum/index.php/topic,62726.msg821710.html#msg821710 (IGI Thread: Is This a Myth? Reply#11, Re: Prov. 30:30; the next proven MYTH)

You're still showing that you don't understand my answer or Kiahanie's answer.  How can we proceed when you don't even understand the answer you are given?

Respectfully

As anticipated, your response is from the evil one!

Your own propaganda has exposed you and vindicated Moi!

[Francis]

wow   

[composer]

wow   

Wow alright!

jebus said you & Co are  its rejects (1 John 3:6) & your true Master is your Devil (1 John 3:8) i.e. - the supposed evil one, and YOU reconfirmed what vindicated I already knew & YOU re-proved my vindicated findings based upon your own propaganda, also founded upon MYTHS!

[Francis]

wow   

Wow alright!

jebus said you & Co are  its rejects (1 John 3:6) & your true Master is your Devil (1 John 3:8) i.e. - the supposed evil one, and YOU reconfirmed what vindicated I already knew & YOU re-proved my vindicated findings based upon your own propaganda, also founded upon MYTHS!

who is jebus?  I looked in the Bible, and there is no mention of jebus, so I have no clue what you are talking about.

Anyway, you will believe what you want to believe no matter what anyone says.

Have a Merry Christmas.

[composer]

wow   

Wow alright!

jebus said you & Co are  its rejects (1 John 3:6) & your true Master is your Devil (1 John 3:8) i.e. - the supposed evil one, and YOU reconfirmed what vindicated I already knew & YOU re-proved my vindicated findings based upon your own propaganda, also founded upon MYTHS!

who is jebus?  I looked in the Bible, and there is no mention of jebus, so I have no clue what you are talking about.

  You obviously couldn't work out    that jebus is the term I have consistently used here for years even in our past responses, that I use for your imaginary biblical miracle working person that rejected YOU (1 John 3:6) and exposed your true identity, as expressed by 1 John 3:8.

Anyway, you will apparently corruptly believe what you want to believe, no matter what the proven MYTH based bible says.

Your Vindicated Mentor, Saviour, Redeemer, Vindicated & Benevolent Moi!

[eyeshaveit]

Can an unbeliever become a Christian without repentance?

Spoiler

No:

"From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, ?Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.? - Matthew 4.

"Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, ?Brothers, what shall we do?? And Peter said to them, ?Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." - Acts 2.

[close]

[kevin]

once saved, can a christian become un-saved?

Spoiler

The Ninth Proposition
Concerning Perseverance, and the Possibility of Falling from Grace.

9.1
Although this gift, and inward grace of God, be sufficient to work out salvation, yet in those in whom it is resisted it both may and doth become their condemnation.   

Moreover, in whom it hath wrought in part, to purify and sanctify them, in order to their further perfection, by disobedience such may fall from it, and turn it to wantonness, making shipwreck of faith; and after "having tasted of the heavenly gift, and been made partakers of the Holy Ghost, again fall away."   

9.3
Yet such an increase and stability in the truth may in this life be attained, from which there cannot be a total apostasy.

[close]

[Francis]

once saved, can a christian become un-saved?

Spoiler

The Ninth Proposition
Concerning Perseverance, and the Possibility of Falling from Grace.

9.1
Although this gift, and inward grace of God, be sufficient to work out salvation, yet in those in whom it is resisted it both may and doth become their condemnation.   

Moreover, in whom it hath wrought in part, to purify and sanctify them, in order to their further perfection, by disobedience such may fall from it, and turn it to wantonness, making shipwreck of faith; and after "having tasted of the heavenly gift, and been made partakers of the Holy Ghost, again fall away."   

9.3
Yet such an increase and stability in the truth may in this life be attained, from which there cannot be a total apostasy.

[close]

This is my personal opinion only and I understand I can be wrong.  I had always been a "once saved, always saved" (OSAS) believer.  But after listening to some thinkers that I admire... and looking at the evidence on both sides... I'm not a OSAS believer at this moment.  That could change of course.

So... once saved, I do believe that a Christian can become un-saved.  But it is not easy to become unsaved because of God's mercy and grace.

But I could be wrong.

[eyeshaveit]

"And now it is true that I am a redeemer.? - Ruth 3.

What are the qualifications of a 'kinsman redeemer'?

Spoiler

1 - He must be kin to the one needing redemption.

2 - He must be able to afford the price of redemption.

3 - He must be willing to pay the price.

"Yet there is a redeemer nearer than I. Remain tonight, and in the morning, if he will redeem you, good; let him do it. But if he is not willing to redeem you, then, as the Lord lives, I will redeem you." - Ruth 3.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

Who are the 'Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse' described in Revelation 6?

Spoiler

God's judgment on his enemies:

1 - White - Birth pangs / Antichrist.

2 - Red - Divine judgment / Bloodshed.

3 - Black - Economic depression / Famine.

4 - Pale (sickly green) - Pestilence / Death.

"Now I watched when the Lamb opened one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures say with a voice like thunder, ?Come!? And I looked, and behold, a white horse! And its rider had a bow, and a crown was given to him, and he came out conquering, and to conquer.

When he opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, ?Come!? And out came another horse, bright red. Its rider was permitted to take peace from the earth, so that people should slay one another, and he was given a great sword.

When he opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, ?Come!? And I looked, and behold, a black horse! And its rider had a pair of scales in his hand. And I heard what seemed to be a voice in the midst of the four living creatures, saying, ?A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius, and do not harm the oil and wine!?

When he opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, ?Come!? And I looked, and behold, a pale horse! And its rider's name was Death, and Hades followed him. And they were given authority over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by wild beasts of the earth." - Revelation 6.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

"Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience" - Colossians 3:12.

Why is Paul, in his letter to the Colossians,  using the Doctrine of Election, as an urgent request, that Christians should be 'compassionate, kind, humble meek and patient' to [love] others?

Spoiler

"Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive" - Colossians 3:12-13.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

Is God's sovereignty ever limited by man's freedom?

Spoiler

No - Almighty God would not be sovereign if he were limited by anyone/anything.

[close]

[composer]

"Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience" - Colossians 3:12.

I must be a chosen one!

[eyeshaveit]

Does Jesus Christ deserve to be worshiped?

Spoiler

Of course: his name "is above every name", and "at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth", "and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord",

"Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." - Philippians 2.

[close]

[composer]

Does Jesus Christ deserve to be worshiped?

If you wish to worship this Historical MYTH, then that is your irrational decision!

[eyeshaveit]

Are Christians first 'saved by grace', but then do they have to 'work' to preserve their salvation?

Spoiler

No, a Christian's sin is neither an obstacle to his redemption's nor its completion. No sin is that mighty or powerful enough to overcome God's grace:

"I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ." - Philippians 1.

[close]

[composer]

Are Christians first 'saved by grace', but then do they have to 'work' to preserve their salvation?

Spoiler

No, a Christian's sin is neither an obstacle to his redemption's nor its completion. No sin is that mighty or powerful enough to overcome God's grace:

"I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ." - Philippians 1.

[close]

There are NO genuine christians, only those that falsely claim to be, 1 John 3:6 alone proves that!

[eyeshaveit]

The United States of America provides for 'separation of church and state' in which of the following documents,

The United States Declaration of Independence?

The Constitution of the United States of America?

The United States Bill of Rights?

Spoiler

None of the above

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

What is a kairotic moment

Spoiler

"Kairos (??????) is an ancient Greek word meaning the right or opportune moment (the 'supreme moment'). The ancient Greeks had two words for time: Greek: ?????? (chronos) and kairos. While the former refers to chronological or sequential time, the latter signifies a period or season, a moment of indeterminate time in which an event of significance happens." - Wikipedia.

"In the New Testament, "kairos" means "the appointed time in the purpose of God", the time when God acts ... "Kairos" is used 86 times in the New Testament." - Wikipedia.

A kairotic moment is a nexus; a crucial occurrence; a pivotal moment that overflows with meaning: The Exodus; the birth of Christ; the Last Supper were/are all kairiotic moments,

"So they were seeking to arrest him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his hour [Kairos] had not yet come." - John 7.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

Who was the U.S. State of Virginia named after?

1 - The Virgin Mary?

2 - Queen Elizabeth?

3 - Virginia Dare, the first English child born in the British colonies in the New World?

Spoiler

Elizabeth 1, of England, the Virgin Queen.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

Describe the series of steps that comprised Simon Peter's downfall, on the night Jesus was arrested in Gethsemane?

Spoiler

Verses taken from the Book of Matthew.

Boasting:
"Peter answered him, ?Though they all fall away because of you, I will never fall away.?" - verse 33.

Denial:
"Peter said to him, ?Even if I must die with you, I will not deny you!?" - verse 35.

Lack of prayer:
"And he said to Peter, ?And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. "So, could you not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation."" - verses 40 - 41.

Recklessness:
"And behold, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear." - verse 51.

Run away:
"Then all the disciples left him and fled." - verse 56.

Collapse:
"And Peter remembered the saying of Jesus, ?Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.? And he went out and wept bitterly." - verse 75.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

In the Gospel of John the word 'world' is presented, as having at least 10 different definitions. How many do you know?

Spoiler

1 - The entire universe - John 17:5.

2 - The earth - John 13:1.

3 - Humankind minus believers - John 7:7.

4 - Humankind - John 3:16.

5 - Ordinary people - John 7:4.

6 - The world system - John 12:31.

7 - A crowd of people - John 12:19.

8 - A crowd of both Jews and Gentiles - John 1:29.

9 - The Elect - John 3:17.

10 - The Non-Elect - John 17:9.

?For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." - John 3:16.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

What is the primary work of the Holy Spirit?

Spoiler

The primary work of the Holy Spirit is to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ:

"When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you." - John 16.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

List as many as you can of the thirty-nine categories of work forbidden to Jews on the Sabbath.

Spoiler

Sowing
Plowing
Reaping
Binding Sheaves
Threshing
Winnowing
Selecting
Grinding
Sifting
Kneading
Baking

Shearing Wool
Cleaning
Combing
Dyeing
Spinning
Stretching the Threads
Making Loops
Weaving Threads
Separating the Threads
Tying a Knot
Untying a Knot
Sewing
Tearing

Trapping
Slaughtering
Skinning
Tanning
Smoothing
Ruling Lines
Cutting

Writing
Erasing

Building
Breaking Down

Extinguishing a Fire
Kindling a Fire
Striking the Final Hammer Blow
Carrying

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

How many of the key beliefs, of Israel's first century Pharisees, do you know?

Spoiler

The conservative Pharisees were vigilant keepers of the Mosaic Law.

They believed in gaining merit by keeping the Law.

They believed that God would deliver Israel.

Pharisees believed in an afterlife.

And a resurrection of the body.

Pharisees believed in the immortality of the soul.

They believed in Angels and Spirits.

The Pharisees floated between the Essenes (predestination) and the Sadducees (free will). Pharisees  believed in predestination, but according to Josephus, 'Pharisees insisted that the decision to do good or evil lies with man'. 

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

Who said, "Can a mortal ask questions which God finds unanswerable? Quite easily, I should think. All nonsense questions are unanswerable."

Spoiler

C. S. Lewis

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

Provide scriptural proof that the Apostle Peter plainly believed that the Holy Spirit was a personality (God) and not just a supernatural force?

Spoiler

Acts 5:3,4: "But Peter said, ?Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit ... You have not lied to man but to God.?

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

What is 'modalism'

Spoiler

"Modalism is the doctrine that the persons of the Trinity represent only three modes or aspects of the divine revelation, not distinct and coexisting persons in the divine nature." - Google.

Modalism proclaims a God, who wears different 'hats' at different times: Father (pre-incarnation hat); Son (incarnation hat); Holy Spirit (post resurrection hat).

The Holy Bible does not perform 'hat tricks':

"The LORD says to my Lord: ?Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.? The LORD sends forth from Zion your mighty scepter. Rule in the midst of your enemies!" - Psalm 110.

"And Jesus came and said to them, ?All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.?" - Matthew 28.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

"Behold, the wicked man conceives evil and is pregnant with mischief and gives birth to lies. He makes a pit, digging it out, and falls into the hole that he has made. His mischief returns upon his own head, and on his own skull his violence descends." - Psalm 7.

How does 'evil' sow the seeds of its own ruination?

Spoiler

1 - Liars are lied to.

2 - Haters are hated.

3 - Swindlers are swindled.

4 - Deceivers are deceived.

5 - Double-crossers are double-crossed, etc.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

What are 'The Standing Orders of the Gospel'?

Spoiler

"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." - 1 Thessalonians 5.

1 - "Rejoice always", as in 'always'; not sometimes.

2 - "Pray without ceasing", as in 'without ceasing'; not occasionally.

3 - "Give thanks in all circumstances", as in 'all circumstances'; not just when you are in the mood.

"For this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you"

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

Which of the Lord's Apostles "walked on water"?

Spoiler

Peter:

"And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, ?It is a ghost!? and they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, ?Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.? And Peter answered him, ?Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.? He said, ?Come.? So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus." - Matthew 14.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

Which Bible verses best illustrate the contrast between the union of unbelievers with Adam, and the union of believers with Jesus Christ?

Spoiler

"For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive." - 1 Corinthians 15.

[close]

[composer]

Which of the Lord's Apostles "walked on water"?

Spoiler

Peter:

"And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, ?It is a ghost!? and they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, ?Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.? And Peter answered him, ?Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.? He said, ?Come.? So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus." - Matthew 14.

[close]

Perhaps you believe DYNAMO is a modern day apostle?

http://isgodimaginary.com/forum/index.php/topic,62791.msg823893.html#msg823893

[eyeshaveit]

Peter Jones and Mark Driscoll often preach of 'One-ism versus Two-ism'; what's that all about?

Spoiler

One-ism, meaning that everything (all creation) is one, including God.

Two-ism, meaning that God and his creation are separate and distinct.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

Can Satan's evil wiles separate a Christian from God's grace?

Spoiler

No.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, a German philosopher, believed that all religions progressed through what four forms or phases?

Spoiler

Animism, Polytheism, Henotheism, and lastly Monotheism

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

What is a 'self-referential absurdity'?

Spoiler

An application of a truth claim that refutes what is being claimed:

Truth claims, such as there are no absolutes, or that it is wrong to make moral judgments of any sort. Such commonly offered truth claims contradict themselves.

John Frame offers several different types of Self-Refuting Statements:
http://frame-poythress.org/self-refuting-statements/

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

What is the biblical foundation for the sanctity and dignity of all human life?

Spoiler

Man was created in God's image:

"Then God said, ?Let us make man in our image, after our likeness ... So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them." - Genesis 1.

"The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life." - Job 33.

"Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people" - Psalm 100.

"You have heard that it was said to those of old, ?You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.? But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ?You fool!? will be liable to the hell of fire." - Matthew 5.

[close]

[Teaspoon Shallow]

Yet he kills King David's baby to teach David a lesson. (2 Samuel 12)  Where is the sanctity in that action?

Fetuses to be terminated by rituals, incantations and curses if a wife may have had another partner other than her husband.  (Numbers 5:11-22)  Where is the sanctity in that action?

I will have no compassion, even though he thrives among his brothers. An east wind from the Lord will come, blowing in from the desert; his spring will fail and his well dry up. His storehouse will be plundered of all its treasures.
16 The people of Samaria must bear their guilt, because they have rebelled against their God. They will fall by the sword; their little ones will be dashed to the ground, their pregnant women ripped open.  (Hosea 13:15-16) Where is the sanctity in that action?


When examined as a whole,  I don't think the few cherry picked passages make the barbaric more palatable.  Keep the good, get rid of the bad.   Shame religious dogma shackles you from doing that.

[composer]

Yet he kills King David's baby to teach David a lesson. (2 Samuel 12)  Where is the sanctity in that action?

Fetuses to be terminated by rituals, incantations and curses if a wife may have had another partner other than her husband.  (Numbers 5:11-22)  Where is the sanctity in that action?

Story book hypocrisy abounds again, e.g. Mary we are told had another partner that allegedly made her pregnant with the little narcissistic bastard jebus, but instead of it being killed according to Numb. 5:11-12, this Story book God(s) contradicts its own laws and rewards jebus & as for trinitarians, it rewards itself!

[eyeshaveit]

Yet he kills King David's baby to teach David a lesson. (2 Samuel 12)  Where is the sanctity in that action?

In this fallen world many an 'innocent' person has paid a price for forgiveness. Consider the innocent and the sinless Jesus Christ: God ordained Christ to be nailed to a cross and killed.

Your horror of the crucifixion and the like is all quite meaningless, as long as you only wish to remain x number of kilograms of fertilizer waiting to be spread.

[eyeshaveit]

Yet he kills King David's baby to teach David a lesson. (2 Samuel 12)  Where is the sanctity in that action?

Fetuses to be terminated by rituals, incantations and curses if a wife may have had another partner other than her husband.  (Numbers 5:11-22)  Where is the sanctity in that action?

Story book hypocrisy abounds again, e.g. Mary we are told had another partner that allegedly made her pregnant with the little narcissistic bastard jebus, but instead of it being killed according to Numb. 5:11-12, this Story book God(s) contradicts its own laws and rewards jebus & as for trinitarians, it rewards itself!

Your faith belief in your very own story book god, the little narcissistic bastard jebus, says it all, and that's not saying very much.

[composer]

In this fallen world many an 'innocent' person has paid a price for forgiveness.

The useless fertilizer is entirely yours & Co's religious mentality!

Re: Story book jebus' alleged sacrifice/substitution -

There is no operation of Divine wisdom that has been so completely misapprehended and misrepresented as the shedding of the blood of Christ. Popular preaching brings it down to a level with the sacrifices of idolatrous superstition, by which wrathful deities are supposed to be placated by the blood of a substitutionary victim. Christ is represented as having paid our debts?as having died instead of us?as having stood in our room like a substitute in military service, or like a man rushing to the scaffold where a criminal is about to be executed, and offering to die instead of him (a favourite illustration in the evangelical pulpit).

Such views are contradicted by even the most superficial facts of the case; for if Christ died instead of us, then we ought not to die (which we do); and if he paid the penalty naturally due from us?death?he ought not to have risen (which he did). And if his death was of the character alleged, the redeeming power lay in itself and not in the resurrection that followed; whereas Paul declares to the Corinthians that, notwithstanding the death of Christ, ?if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain: ye are yet in your sins? (1- Corinthians 15:17).

Further, if Christ has paid our debts, our debts are not ?forgiven,? for it would be out of place for a creditor to talk of having forgiven a debt which someone else has paid for the debtor; and thus is blotted out the very first feature of the gospel of the grace of God?the forgiveness of our sins ?through the forbearance of God? (Romans 3:25 ). (Robert Roberts)

Not only is your own bible based upon MYTHS but the very core of your Cult's ideology is rendered spurious by its own propaganda!

QED

[Teaspoon Shallow]

Yet he kills King David's baby to teach David a lesson. (2 Samuel 12)  Where is the sanctity in that action?

In this fallen world many an 'innocent' person has paid a price for forgiveness. Consider the innocent and the sinless Jesus Christ: God ordained Christ to be nailed to a cross and killed.

Your horror of the crucifixion and the like is all quite meaningless, as long as you only wish to remain x number of kilograms of fertilizer waiting to be spread.

Once again Eyes, you failed to answer a question that was directly related to your post.
I am sure god was demonstrating his love for "his image" when he flooded the earth or was that not a literal event?

[eyeshaveit]

Yet he kills King David's baby to teach David a lesson. (2 Samuel 12)  Where is the sanctity in that action?

In this fallen world many an 'innocent' person has paid a price for forgiveness. Consider the innocent and the sinless Jesus Christ: God ordained Christ to be nailed to a cross and killed.

Your horror of the crucifixion and the like is all quite meaningless, as long as you only wish to remain x number of kilograms of fertilizer waiting to be spread.

Once again Eyes, you failed to answer a question that was directly related to your post.
I am sure god was demonstrating his love for "his image" when he flooded the earth or was that not a literal event?

By definition, fertilizer-in-waiting generally isn't sure of anything supernatural.

For example, anyone (consider myself) who has no actual knowledge of the behavior, habitat and range of the apex predators of the ocean, can only mumble inanities when coming upon the image of a bull shark.

And endless rules about posting, such as my failing to answer a question; such directives are meaningless unless you codify and enforce them. The Pharisees were ultra polite, but they lacked the truth. They were fertilizer-in-waiting. 

[Teaspoon Shallow]

Ah but you Eyes are special, you are not fertilizer-in-waiting because are sure of things supernatural, you have your own little god detector but unfortunately you are unable to show it to anyone else. 

Good for you I guess. 

[eyeshaveit]

Ah but you Eyes are special, you are not fertilizer-in-waiting because are sure of things supernatural, you have your own little god detector but unfortunately you are unable to show it to anyone else. 

Good for you I guess. 

1 - One should not be afraid of a relationship with their Lord and God, the supernatural Creator of the Universe; if that makes me "sure" of something, then so be it.

2 - No one to my knowledge has ever been issued a God Detector; doubt that such exists.

3 - Christians don't have to "show" anyone anything; we are merely commissioned to preach the Gospel of God, on a take-it-or-leave-it basis. Pray you "take it, but never that it would be forced on you. 

[Teaspoon Shallow]

You cannot detect god?  What kind of relationship can you have with a thing that cannot be detected? 
How can you tell if it is real or imaginary?

[eyeshaveit]

You cannot detect god?  What kind of relationship can you have with a thing that cannot be detected? 
How can you tell if it is real or imaginary?

1 - Detect might be the correct word if you were searching for something or someone created by the supernatural Creator of the Universe.

2 - But Almighty God answers prayers; He redeems and sanctifies believers, they enjoy a relationship with the LORD. And a Christian's answered prayers can be rewarding indeed.

3 - And agnostics and unbelievers, they also benefit mightily of God's undeserved common grace.

(We have been through all this before.) 

[composer]

3 - And agnostics and unbelievers, they also benefit mightily of God's undeserved common grace.

  Again yours is another ideology/belief system that contradicts itself!

You speak of alleged ' undeserved divine grace ', whilst also claiming some one had to sacrifice themselves/pay the price for you, so you can enjoy this (ahem) not for free ' grace? '.   

(Christian theology) the free and unmerited favour or beneficence of God (WordWeb)

Your ideological reality - (Christian theology) the free and unmerited favour or beneficence of God

[eyeshaveit]

"And when they came to the crowd, a man came up to him and, kneeling before him, said, ?Lord, have mercy on my son, for he has seizures and he suffers terribly. For often he falls into the fire, and often into the water. And I brought him to your disciples, and they could not heal him.? ... And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him, and the boy was healed instantly.Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, ?Why could we not cast it out?? He said to them, ?Because of your little faith." - Matthew 17.

What is so important about a Christian's faith?

Spoiler

Faith in God, in spite of unanswered prayers or whatever unworkable or unthinkable situation, means we (continue to) believe. Belief in God is a bedrock of Christianity: 

"And Jesus asked his father, ?How long has this been happening to him?? And he said, ?From childhood. And it has often cast him into fire and into water, to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.? And Jesus said to him, ??If you can?! All things are possible for one who believes.? - Mark 9.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

What is doctrine?

Spoiler

"Doctrine is any belief or set of beliefs held and taught by a church, political party, or other group." - Google.

In the most fundamental sense, doctrine is any type of teaching; that of man or God:

"This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.? You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men.? - Mark 7 - the teaching of men.

"It is written in the Prophets, ?And they will all be taught by God." - John 6 - the teaching of God.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

Explain the differences between cataphatic theology and apophatic theology?

Spoiler

"Cataphatic theology is theology that uses "positive" terminology to describe or refer to the divine ? specifically, God" - Wikipedia.

"Apophatic theology attempts to describe God in terms of what may not be said about the perfect goodness that is God" - Wikipedia.

The theology of affirmation (Greek: kataphatic - affirm} describes what God is: God is holy; God is good; etc.

The theology of negation (Greek: apophatic = deny) describes what God is not: God is infinite (not finite); God is immaterial (not material); etc.

Spoiler

[close]

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

What is "The Sinner's Prayer?

Spoiler

The Sinner's Prayer is an evangelical Christian term referring to any prayer of repentance, prayed by individuals who feel convicted of the presence of sin in their lives and have the desire to form or renew a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ ... It is not intended as liturgical like a creed ... but rather, is intended to be an act of initial conversion to Christianity" - Wikipedia.

Example:
"Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner, and I ask for Your forgiveness. I believe You died for my sins and rose from the dead. I turn from my sins and invite You to come into my heart and life. I want to trust and follow You as my Lord and Savior. In Your Name. Amen" - Billy Graham.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

Does the Holy Bible offer any grounds for divorce?

Spoiler

Two are mentioned,

1 - Adultery:

"But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery." - Matthew 5.

2 - Intentional (beyond repair) separation by an unbelieving spouse:

"But if the unbelieving partner separates, let it be so. In such cases the brother or sister is not enslaved. God has called you to peace." - 1 Corinthians 7.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

'The person of Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man.'

'The person of Jesus Christ is truly God and truly man.'

Which of the above statements (or both) is correct?

Spoiler

The word 'fully' imply 'one' nature. Jesus Christ has two natures; He is truly God and truly man.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

"And Achan answered Joshua, ?Truly I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel, and this is what I did: when I saw among the spoil a beautiful cloak from Shinar, and 200 shekels of silver, and a bar of gold weighing 50 shekels, then I coveted them and took them. And see, they are hidden in the earth inside my tent, with the silver underneath.?" - Joshua 7.

If Julius Caesar 'came, saw and conquered', what did Achan do?

Spoiler

Achan 'saw, coveted, took and hid'.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

What is the last link in the 'golden chain'; the Apostle Paul's order of salvation (ordo salutis) in Romans 8?

Spoiler

Glorification:

"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified." - Romans 8.

"Glorification is the final stage of the ordo salutis ... It refers to the nature of believers after death and judgement, "the final step in the application of redemption." - Wikipedia.

The practical aspects of glorification include: no more sin, no more tears, no more death, etc.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

Explain the difference of the 'formal principle' and the 'material principle' as they apply to the Scriptures?

Spoiler

The formal principle relates to the supremacy of Scripture.
The material principle relates to the substance of Scripture.

Christianity rests on these two principles: affirming both the authority of the Holy Bible and its content.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

Did Judas Iscariot come to faith; only later to recant?

Spoiler

No, Judas was never 'reborn'.

"Jesus answered them, ?Did I not choose you, the twelve? And yet one of you is a devil.? He spoke of Judas the son of Simon Iscariot, for he, one of the twelve, was going to betray him." - John 6.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

What are the three levels of Christian faith?

Spoiler

1 - Notei: Information, content, data.

2 - Assensus: Correct understanding of the information.

3 - Fiducia: Trust of and dependence on the information.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

What is Amillennialism?

Spoiler

Amillennialism (no thousand years) refers to Revelation 20 and its six different mentions of 'a thousand years'. For example:

"Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain. And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years" - Revelation 20:1,2.

"And when the thousand years are ended, Satan will be released from his prison and will come out to deceive the nations that are at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them for battle; their number is like the sand of the sea." - Revelation 20:7,8.

Amillennialists believe that this 'thousand years' is figurative and merely symbolic - and that it simply refers to the long period of time between Jesus' resurrection and his 'second coming'.

"Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done." - Revelation 20:12b.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

What is Pluralism?

Spoiler

"Pluralism is the acceptance of all religious paths as equally valid, promoting coexistence" - Wikipedia.

Pluralism is the assertion that all religions are fundamentally the same: as to knowing the truth about God; as to leading believers to God. And whether you are Mormon, Roman Catholic Storefront Baptist, etc., you are going to get the same bang for your eternal buck. Dogmatic Pluralism says that Christianity is no better than Wicca or Voodoo.

But should we really want to bet our eternal life on there being no God, or no sin, or judgment for sin?

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

The German philosopher and essayist, Gottfried Leibniz (1646 - 1716), described (what) three types of evil?

Spoiler

1 - Metaphysical Evil.
2 - Physical Evil.
3 - Moral Evil.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

"We have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord ... bearing fruit in every good work ..." - Colossians 1.

What is a 'good work'?

Spoiler

"so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him" - Colossians 1.

A good work is anything pleasing to God.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

What is the Glory of God?

Spoiler

1) There is intrinsic glory: God's revelation of his attributes; the completeness of God's perfection,

"Now the appearance of the glory of the Lord was like a devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the sight of the people of Israel." - Exodus 24.

"For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea." - Habakkuk 2.   

2) There is God?s ascribed glory: The glory, praise and honor that mankind owes to God,

"To him be glory forever. Amen." - Romans 11.

"To the King of ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen." - 1 Timothy 1.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

What is the primary work of the Holy Spirit?

Spoiler

The principle work of the Holy Spirit is to glorify Jesus Christ.

[Jesus said,] "When the Spirit of truth comes ... He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you." - John 16.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

Explain 'analogia entis'?

Spoiler

"Analogia entis is (the "analogy of being" ... It is the notion that the very being (entis) of the created world offers an analogy by which we can (in a very limited way) comprehend God. For example, if you've looked at a sunset and wondered that perhaps God is similarly beautiful, you've intuitively employed what theologians call the analogia entis." - Matthew J. Milliner.

Full discussion -
http://www.millinerd.com/2006/12/whos-afraid-of-analogia-entis.html

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

What is Reconciliation?

Spoiler

"Reconciliation, in Christian theology, is an element of salvation that refers to the results of atonement. Reconciliation is the end of the estrangement, caused by original sin, between God and humanity. John Calvin describes reconciliation as the peace between humanity and God that results from the expiation of religious sin and the propitiation of God's wrath" - Wikipedia.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

How does Chapter 10 of Daniel prove that God hears and answers prayers?

Spoiler

"I have been sent to you ... Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and humbled yourself before your God, your words have been heard, and I have come because of your words." - Daniel 10: 11,12.

A messenger, an Angel had come to Daniel, in answer to his prayers. Read the whole of Chapter 10 for more understanding.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

What is embryo adoption?

Spoiler

Embryo adoption is the 'pre-birth' adoption of children who are in a cryogenic (frozen) state, waiting to be thawed and transferred to their adopting (not genetically related) mother.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

"So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, ?How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.? Jesus answered them, ?I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father's name bear witness about me, but you do not believe because you are not among my sheep. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. I and the Father are one.? - John 10.

What was Jesus of Nazareth explaining in the above Bible verses?

Spoiler

Jesus was telling a group of Jews, that their lack of commitment to him was not due to too little information. But in truth some of them had "ears to hear?* him and some did not. Jesus was describing a dividing line; one that no middle course.

* Mark 4.

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[eyeshaveit]

"Salvific refers to having the intent or power to save or redeem" - Merriam-Webster.

So, why is God's salvific love conditional?

Spoiler

God exhibits goodwill and kindness toward all mankind, but God's salvific and saving love requires both repentance and faith:

"No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish." - Luke 13

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

Does Hell display the presence of God or absence of God?

Spoiler

Both:
God is present as concerning his judgment and wrath - God is absent as concerning his grace being lifted and removed.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

What is the Day-Age Theory of Creation?

Spoiler

The Day-Age Theory considers that the six days of creation as not normal 24 hour days (day/night-light/dark cycles):

"And God said, ?Let there be light,? and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day." - Genesis 1.

"Day-age creationism, a type of old Earth creationism, is an interpretation of the creation accounts in Genesis. It holds that the six days referred to in the Genesis account of creation are not ordinary 24-hour days, but are much longer periods (of thousands or millions of years). The Genesis account is then reconciled with the age of the Earth. Proponents of the day-age theory can be found among both theistic evolutionists, who accept the scientific consensus on evolution, and progressive creationists, who reject it. The theories are said to be built on the understanding that the Hebrew word yom is also used to refer to a time period, with a beginning and an end and not necessarily that of a 24-hour day." - Wikipedia.

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[eyeshaveit]

"Epistemology studies the nature of knowledge, justification, and the rationality of belief." - Wikipedia.

What are the three (main) branches of epistemology?

Spoiler

1 - Rationalism - Truth through the mind.

2 - Empiricism - Truth through the senses.

3 - Idealism - Truth through (wired) innate intuition.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

Johann Sebastian Bach. wrote the initials SDG at the bottom of each piece of music he wrote. What means this 'SDG'?

Spoiler

Soli Deo Gloria = To God alone be the Glory.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

A Christian is:

1 - A citizen of a Christian country?

2 - A member of a Christian church?

3 - A follower of Jesus Christ?

4 - Other?

Spoiler

Other,
A Christian is one who possesses eternal life.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

List the four categories of Sins?

Spoiler

1 - Worship - idolatry, demonic, cult.

2 - Overindulgence - all things good made bad.

3 - Sexual - thoughts, words, actions.

4 - Relational - murder, theft, hate, jealousy, etc..

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

"Omniscience is the state of knowing everything" - Google.

The Bible describes God's omniscience as possessing what forms of knowledge?

Spoiler

All forms of infinite knowledge. There is nothing that Almighty God does not know. The Bible describes these things as:

1 - Perfect knowledge.

2 - Self knowledge.

3 - Possible knowledge.

4 - Immediate knowledge.

5 - Future knowledge.

6 - Eternal knowledge.

7 - Exhaustive knowledge.

8 - Penetrating knowledge.

9 - Etc.

"He determines the number of the stars; he gives to all of them their names." - Psalm 147.

Modern astronomers estimate, that there are 100,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 stars in our Universe. Imagine the catalog-effort to name 100 sextillion stars; could it be done without numbers?

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

What is the etymology / meaning of 'zodiac'?

Spoiler

Zodiac literally means 'a circle of little animals' - a fish, crab, scorpion, etc., grouping of stars - Online Etymology Dictionary.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

?And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper*, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. - John 14.

"The Greek word translated ?Helper? is 'paraclete'.  Thus if the "Spirit of truth" is "another Helper/Paraclete", who was the first; which Paraclete came before the Holy Spirit?

Spoiler

Jesus Christ, himself, was the 'first' Paraclete (Helper).

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

"Robin Dunbar is an anthropologist and evolutionary psychology professor at Oxford (UK). His research delves into the behavioral mechanics of social bonding. In the 1990s he postulated a hypothesis that has come to be known as Dunbar's Number. What is Dunbar's Number?

Spoiler

Dunbar's research found that, "each species of primate can manage to keep up a social bond with a certain number of other members of its own species. That number goes up as primates? brain size increases, from monkeys to apes. Humans, Dunbar found, are capable of maintaining significantly more social ties than the size of our brains alone could explain. He proved that each human is surprisingly consistent in the number of social ties we can maintain: About five with intimate friends, 50 with good friends, 150 with friends and 1,500 with people we could recognize by name.? - Washington Post quote - February 27, 2017.

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What are the social factors that promote higher Dunbar Numbers?

Spoiler

The factors that trigger the most endorphins and promote social bonding and thus higher Dunbar Numbers:
1 - Laughter.
2 - Singing.
3 - Religion.
4 - Repetitive motions - dancing, bowing, applause, etc.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

"Herbert Spencer (1820 - 1903) was an English philosopher, biologist, anthropologist, sociologist, and prominent classical liberal political theorist." - Wikipedia.

Herbert Spencer proposed what five knowable categories of the natural sciences?

Spoiler

Spencer's five categories were: time, force, motion, space, matter.

"In the beginning [time], God [force] created [motion] the heavens [space] and the earth [matter]." - Genesis 1:1.

[close]

[GratefulApe]

?And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper*, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. - John 14.

"The Greek word translated ?Helper? is 'paraclete'.  Thus if the "Spirit of truth" is "another Helper/Paraclete", who was the first; which Paraclete came before the Holy Spirit?

Spoiler

Jesus Christ, himself, was the 'first' Paraclete (Helper).

[close]

Father, Son and Holy Spirit always existed so in this case I would say that Jesus was speaking of giving them the Holy Spirit to live IN them where in the past the Holy Spirit was on them or guiding them in the Old Testament before Jesus came for the first time. Now all believers would have the Holy Spirit sealed IN them forever.

[GratefulApe]

A Christian is:

1 - A citizen of a Christian country?

2 - A member of a Christian church?

3 - A follower of Jesus Christ?

4 - Other?

Spoiler

Other,
A Christian is one who possesses eternal life.

[close]

A Christian is a follower of Jesus Christ who has been given eternal life in paradise. All people have an eternal life as the soul is eternal it's just a matter of where they spend that eternity.

[composer]

A Christian is:

1 - A citizen of a Christian country?

2 - A member of a Christian church?

3 - A follower of Jesus Christ?

4 - Other?

Spoiler

Other,
A Christian is one who possesses eternal life.

[close]

A Christian is a follower of Jesus Christ who has been given eternal life in paradise.

This miracle working person is a Historical MYTH!

(Source, e.g. - http://www.vexen.co.uk/religion/christianity_nojesus.html)

All people have an eternal life as the soul is eternal

Apart from the fallible bible founded upon MYTHS (e.g. Prov. 30:25 & 30), your source of this current empty assertion is taken from what?

it's just a matter of where they spend that eternity.

More of your empty speculation based upon what?

[Francis]

A Christian is:

1 - A citizen of a Christian country?

2 - A member of a Christian church?

3 - A follower of Jesus Christ?

4 - Other?

Spoiler

Other,
A Christian is one who possesses eternal life.

[close]

A Christian is a follower of Jesus Christ who has been given eternal life in paradise.

This miracle working person is a Historical MYTH!

(Source, e.g. - http://www.vexen.co.uk/religion/christianity_nojesus.html)

As usual Composer, to defend your position that Jesus never existed, you always pick sources that are not credentialed historians.... or legitimate Biblical scholars with degrees in Biblical studies anywhere... etc.   But it's a fact that it is the near unanimous consensus among all legitimate historians with degrees in history  and published Biblical scholars... ATHEISTS and theists... that Jesus was a real person.

That doesn't prove that Jesus was the Messiah or divine.  But the near unanimous opinion among the experts is that Jesus was a real person.

Vexen Crabtree is a hardcore atheist (he calls himself an explicit atheist) and isn't even a legit historian... and he doesn't offer any new arguments or information that hasn't been looked at by all the Biblical experts.

Respectfully

[composer]

That doesn't prove that Jesus was the Messiah or divine.  But the near unanimous opinion among the experts is that Jesus was a real person.

There were probably thousands of real people called by that name, so what?

NONE qualified as the biblical miracle working one!

Those like YOU are following a fabricated MYTH, which you apparently agree!

1. 'The Jesus of the Gospels is an artificial creation, a collective work of art who evolved through the combined consciousness of two generations of Christian worship.'

? A. N. Wilson (Paul, p144)


''Whether Jesus ever actually existed has long been debated. The argument (very well documented) is that there is absolutely no corroborating evidence of his existence in documents other than highly suspect Christian sources.'

? Riane Eisler (The Chalice & the Blade, p122)

Mormons have Professors with advanced Degrees, you better sign up with them! 

Many Catholic trinitarian priests have degrees also, you better choose between which ' degreed ' Cult you wish?

[eyeshaveit]

What is Pentecostalism?

Spoiler

"Pentecostalism is a renewal movement within Protestant Christianity that places special emphasis on a direct personal experience of God through the baptism with the Holy Spirit." - Wikipedia.

Pentecostalism is also known as 'Charismatic Renewal', and features personal revelation: such as prophecy, gifts-of-tongue and ecstatic experiences.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

How many of the dozen or more forms of writing, found in the Holy Bible, can you name?

Spoiler

Apocalypse.
Architectural Blueprints.
Gospels.
History.
Inventories.
Laws.
Letters.
Parables.
Poetry.
Prophecy.
Proverbs.
Sermons.
Travel Accounts.
Treaties (Covenant).
Etc.

[close]

[Francis]

1. 'The Jesus of the Gospels is an artificial creation, a collective work of art who evolved through the combined consciousness of two generations of Christian worship.'

? A. N. Wilson (Paul, p144)


''Whether Jesus ever actually existed has long been debated. The argument (very well documented) is that there is absolutely no corroborating evidence of his existence in documents other than highly suspect Christian sources.'

? Riane Eisler (The Chalice & the Blade, p122)

Composer....

First it was Vexen Crabtree. Now it is Riane Eisler  and A. N. Wilson. As usual Composer, to defend your position that Jesus never existed, you always pick sources that are not legitimate Biblical scholars or credentialed historians with degrees in Biblical studies anywhere.

Riane Eisler is not a biblical scholar or a biblical historian.  And her book "The Chalice & the Blade" is not a scholarly book and research about the Bible, but instead, it is about her perspective and opinion on the evolution of culture and social systems involving the sexes throughout history in general.  Indeed, even the statement that you quoted from her doesn't say that Jesus did not exist. In fact, on Amazon.com in the Editorial Reviews section,  Publishers Weekly said that she suggests that Jesus' teachings had a feminist bent. Well, how can she say that Jesus' teachings had a feminist bent if Jesus didn't exist?

And A. N. Wilson is an atheist writer, novelist and newspaper columnist. Yes, he sometimes does write biographies. And he wrote one about Jesus.  But he is not an accredited Historian or Biblical scholar with degrees in those areas. In fact, his biography about Hitler was heavily criticized in a review by the historian Richard J. Evans for significant factual inaccuracies, lack of original research and analysis, and personal biases (source: Wiki).  Wilson is simply not careful in his research as evidenced by him being duped by a hoax when he wrote a biography of Sir John Betjeman. (source: Wiki). This shows why he is not considered an expert in history... even about Jesus.

So everything I said about you is true. To defend your position that Jesus never existed, you always pick sources that are not legitimate Biblical scholars or credentialed historians with degrees in Biblical studies anywhere.

The fact remains that it is the near unanimous consensus among all legitimate historians with degrees in history... and published Biblical scholars... ATHEISTS and theists... that Jesus was a real person.

Respectfully

[composer]

1. 'The Jesus of the Gospels is an artificial creation, a collective work of art who evolved through the combined consciousness of two generations of Christian worship.'

? A. N. Wilson (Paul, p144)


''Whether Jesus ever actually existed has long been debated. The argument (very well documented) is that there is absolutely no corroborating evidence of his existence in documents other than highly suspect Christian sources.'

? Riane Eisler (The Chalice & the Blade, p122)

Composer....

First it was Vexen Crabtree. Now it is Riane Eisler  and A. N. Wilson. As usual Composer, to defend your position that Jesus never existed, you always pick sources that are not legitimate Biblical scholars or credentialed historians with degrees in Biblical studies anywhere.

Your accusation remains false, e.g. See below  - ***

&

You are attacking these people because they apparently don't conform as being ' degreed ', but you can't refute what they say!

Riane Eisler is not a biblical scholar or a biblical historian.  And her book "The Chalice & the Blade" is not a scholarly book and research about the Bible, but instead, it is about her perspective and opinion on the evolution of culture and social systems involving the sexes throughout history in general.  Indeed, even the statement that you quoted from her doesn't say that Jesus did not exist. In fact, on Amazon.com in the Editorial Reviews section,  Publishers Weekly said that she suggests that Jesus' teachings had a feminist bent. Well, how can she say that Jesus' teachings had a feminist bent if Jesus didn't exist?

Apparently she was remarking on the teachings as portrayed by the hearsay of those claiming to be its followers of this MYTHICAL person.

And A. N. Wilson is an atheist writer, novelist and newspaper columnist. Yes, he sometimes does write biographies. And he wrote one about Jesus.  But he is not an accredited Historian or Biblical scholar with degrees in those areas.

Accredited by whom?

In fact, his biography about Hitler was heavily criticized in a review by the historian Richard J. Evans for significant factual inaccuracies, lack of original research and analysis, and personal biases (source: Wiki).  Wilson is simply not careful in his research as evidenced by him being duped by a hoax when he wrote a biography of Sir John Betjeman. (source: Wiki). This shows why he is not considered an expert in history... even about Jesus.

Not considered an expert by whom?

So everything I said about you is true. To defend your position that Jesus never existed, you always pick sources that are not legitimate Biblical scholars or credentialed historians with degrees in Biblical studies anywhere.

The fact remains that it is the near unanimous consensus among all legitimate historians with degrees in history... and published Biblical scholars... ATHEISTS and theists... that Jesus was a real person.

I agree your own admission that YOU are ' not that bright! ".

You just wrote - " near unanimous consensus "   

You also said earlier -

" That doesn't prove that Jesus was the Messiah or divine. " (Source: http://isgodimaginary.com/forum/index.php/topic,62517.msg829433.html#msg829433)

&

HISTORICAL SCHOLARS

Many problems occur with the reliability of the accounts from ancient historians. Most of them did not provide sources for their claims, as they rarely included bibliographic listings, or supporting claims. They did not have access to modern scholarly techniques, and many times would include hearsay as evidence. No one today would take a modern scholar seriously who used the standards of ancient historians, yet this proves as the only kind of source that Christology comes from. Couple this with the fact that many historians believed as Christians themselves, sometimes members of the Church, and you have a built-in prejudice towards supporting a "real" Jesus.

In modern scholarship, even the best historians and Christian apologists play the historian game. They can only use what documents they have available to them. If they only have hearsay accounts then they have to play the cards that history deals them. Many historians feel compelled to use interpolation or guesses from hearsay, and yet this very dubious information sometimes ends up in encyclopedias and history books as fact.

In other words, Biblical scholarship gets forced into a lower standard by the very sources they examine. *** A renowned Biblical scholar illustrated this clearly in an interview when asked about Biblical interpretation. David Noel Freeman (the General editor of the Anchor Bible Series and many other works) responded with:

"We have to accept somewhat looser standards. In the legal profession, to convict the defendant of a crime, you need proof beyond a reasonable doubt. In civil cases, a preponderance of the evidence is sufficient. When dealing with the Bible or any ancient source, we have to loosen up a little; otherwise, we can't really say anything."

-David Noel Freedman (in Bible Review magazine, Dec. 1993, p.34)

The implications appear obvious. If one wishes to believe in a historical Jesus, he or she must accept this based on loose standards. Couple this with the fact that all of the claims come from hearsay, and we have a foundation made of sand, and a castle of information built of cards. "

i.e. Belief in a Historical jebus according to this ' reknowned scholar ' is founded upon hearsay, a foundation of sand and a castle o information built  of cards! ".

&

QUOTES FROM A FEW SCHOLARS:

Although apologist scholars believe that an actual Jesus lived on earth, the reasons for this appear obvious considering their Christian beliefs. Although some secular freethinkers and atheists accept a historical Jesus (minus the miracles), they, like most Christians, simply accept the traditional view without question. As time goes on, more and more scholars have begun to open the way to a more honest look at the evidence, or should I say, the lack of evidence. So for those who wish to rely on scholarly opinion, I will give a few quotes from Biblical scholars, past and present:

When the Church mythologists established their system, they collected all the writings they could find and managed them as they pleased. It is a matter altogether of uncertainty to us whether such of the writings as now appear under the name of the Old and New Testaments are in the same state in which those collectors say they found them, or whether they added, altered, abridged or dressed them up.

-Thomas Paine (The Age of Reason)


The world has been for a long time engaged in writing lives of Jesus... The library of such books has grown since then. But when we come to examine them, one startling fact confronts us: all of these books relate to a personage concerning whom there does not exist a single scrap of contemporary information -- not one! By accepted tradition he was born in the reign of Augustus, the great literary age of the nation of which he was a subject. In the Augustan age historians flourished; poets, orators, critics and travelers abounded. Yet not one mentions the name of Jesus Christ, much less any incident in his life.

-Moncure D. Conway [1832 - 1907] (Modern Thought)


It is only in comparatively modern times that the possibility was considered that Jesus does not belong to history at all.

-J.M. Robertson (Pagan Christs)



Many people-- then and now-- have assumed that these letters [of Paul] are genuine, and five of them were in fact incorporated into the New Testament as "letters of Paul." Even today, scholars dispute which are authentic and which are not. Most scholars, however, agree that Paul actually wrote only eight of the thirteen "Pauline" letters now included in the New Testament. collection: Romans, 1 and 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Philippians, 1 Thessalonians, and Philemon. Virtually all scholars agree that Paul himself did not write 1 or 2 Timothy or Titus-- letters written in a style different from Paul's and reflecting situations and viewpoints in a style different from those in Paul's own letters. About the authorship of Ephesias, Colossians, and 2 Thessalonians, debate continues; but the majority of scholars include these, too, among the "deutero-Pauline"-- literally, secondarily Pauline-- letters."

-Elaine Pagels, Professor of Religion at Princeton University, (Adam, Eve, and the Serpent)



We know virtually nothing about the persons who wrote the gospels we call Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

-Elaine Pagels, Professor of Religion at Princeton University, (The Gnostic Gospels)



Some hoped to penetrate the various accounts and to discover the "historical Jesus". . . and that sorting out "authentic" material in the gospels was virtually impossible in the absence of independent evidence."

-Elaine Pagels, Professor of Religion at Princeton University



We can recreate dimensions of the world in which he lived, but outside of the Christian scriptures, we cannot locate him historically within that world.

-Gerald A. Larue (The Book Your Church Doesn't Want You To Read)



The gospels are so anonymous that their titles, all second-century guesses, are all four wrong.

-Randel McCraw Helms (Who Wrote the Gospels?)



Far from being an intimate of an intimate of Jesus, Mark wrote at the forth remove from Jesus.

-Randel McCraw Helms (Who Wrote the Gospels?)



Mark himself clearly did not know any eyewitnesses of Jesus.

-Randel McCraw Helms (Who Wrote the Gospels?)



All four gospels are anonymous texts. The familiar attributions of the Gospels to Matthew, Mark, Luke and John come from the mid-second century and later and we have no good historical reason to accept these attributions.

-Steve Mason, professor of classics, history and religious studies at York University in Toronto (Bible Review, Feb. 2000, p. 36)



The question must also be raised as to whether we have the actual words of Jesus in any Gospel.

-Bishop John Shelby Spong



Many modern Biblical archaeologists now believe that the village of Nazareth did not exist at the time of the birth and early life of Jesus. There is simply no evidence for it.

-Alan Albert Snow (The Book Your Church Doesn't Want You To Read)



But even if it could be proved that John's Gospel had been the first of the four to be written down, there would still be considerable confusion as to who "John" was. For the various styles of the New Testament texts ascribed to John- The Gospel, the letters, and the Book of Revelations-- are each so different in their style that it is extremely unlikely that they had been written by one person.

-John Romer, archeologist & Bible scholar (Testament)



It was not until the third century that Jesus' cross of execution became a common symbol of the Christian faith.

-John Romer, archeologist & Bible scholar (Testament)



What one believes and what one can demonstrate historically are usually two different things.

-Robert J. Miller, Bible scholar, (Bible Review, December 1993, Vol. IX, Number 6, p. 9)



When it comes to the historical question about the Gospels, I adopt a mediating position-- that is, these are religious records, close to the sources, but they are not in accordance with modern historiographic requirements or professional standards.

-David Noel Freedman, Bible scholar and general editor of the Anchor Bible series (Bible Review, December 1993, Vol. IX, Number 6, p.34)



It is said that the last recourse of the Bible apologist is to fall back upon allegory. After all, when confronted with the many hundreds of biblical problems, allegory permits one to interpret anything however one might please.

-Gene Kasmar, Minnesota Atheists



Paul did not write the letters to Timothy to Titus or several others published under his name; and it is unlikely that the apostles Matthew, James, Jude, Peter and John had anything to do with the canonical books ascribed to them.

-Michael D. Coogan, Professor of religious studies at Stonehill College (Bible Review, June 1994)



A generation after Jesus' death, when the Gospels were written, the Romans had destroyed the Jerusalem Temple (in 70 C.E.); the most influential centers of Christianity were cities of the Mediterranean world such as Alexandria, Antioch, Corinth, Damascus, Ephesus and Rome. Although large number of Jews were also followers of Jesus, non-Jews came to predominate in the early Church. They controlled how the Gospels were written after 70 C.E.

-Bruce Chilton, Bell Professor of Religion at Bard College (Bible Review, Dec. 1994, p. 37)



James Dunn says that the Sermon on the Mount, mentioned only by Matthew, "is in fact not historical."



How historical can the Gospels be? Are Murphy-O-Conner's speculations concerning Jesus' baptism by John simply wrong-headed? How can we really know if the baptism, or any other event written about in the Gospels, is historical?

-Daniel P. Sullivan (Bible Review, June 1996, Vol. XII, Number 3, p. 5)



David Friedrich Strauss (The Life of Jesus, 1836), had argued that the Gospels could not be read as straightforward accounts of what Jesus actually did and said; rather, the evangelists and later redactors and commentators, influenced by their religious beliefs, had made use of myths and legends that rendered the gospel narratives, and traditional accounts of Jesus' life, unreliable as sources of historical information.

-Bible Review, October 1996, Vol. XII, Number 5, p. 39



The Gospel authors were Jews writing within the midrashic tradition and intended their stories to be read as interpretive narratives, not historical accounts.

-Bishop Shelby Spong, Liberating the Gospels



Other scholars have concluded that the Bible is the product of a purely human endeavor, that the identity of the authors is forever lost and that their work has been largely obliterated by centuries of translation and editing.

-Jeffery L. Sheler, "Who Wrote the Bible," (U.S. News & World Report, Dec. 10, 1990)



Yet today, there are few Biblical scholars-- from liberal skeptics to conservative evangelicals- who believe that Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John actually wrote the Gospels. Nowhere do the writers of the texts identify themselves by name or claim unambiguously to have known or traveled with Jesus.

-Jeffery L. Sheler, "The Four Gospels," (U.S. News & World Report, Dec. 10, 1990)



Once written, many experts believe, the Gospels were redacted, or edited, repeatedly as they were copied and circulated among church elders during the last first and early second centuries.

-Jeffery L. Sheler, "The Four Gospels," (U.S. News & World Report, Dec. 10, 1990)



The tradition attributing the fourth Gospel to the Apostle John, the son of Zebedee, is first noted by Irenaeus in A.D. 180. It is a tradition based largely on what some view as the writer's reference to himself as "the beloved disciple" and "the disciple whom Jesus loved." Current objection to John's authorship are based largely on modern textural analyses that strongly suggest the fourth Gospel was the work of several hands, probably followers of an elderly teacher in Asia Minor named John who claimed as a young man to have been a disciple of Jesus.

-Jeffery L. Sheler, "The Four Gospels," (U.S. News & World Report, Dec. 10, 1990)



Some scholars say so many revisions occurred in the 100 years following Jesus' death that no one can be absolutely sure of the accuracy or authenticity of the Gospels, especially of the words the authors attributed to Jesus himself.

-Jeffery L. Sheler, "The catholic papers," (U.S. News & World Report, Dec. 10, 1990)



Three letters that Paul allegedly wrote to his friends and former co-workers Timothy and Titus are now widely disputed as having come from Paul's hand.

-Jeffery L. Sheler, "The catholic papers," (U.S. News & World Report, Dec. 10, 1990)

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[composer]

 

*** Cnt'd (Comments by scholars)

The Epistle of James is a practical book, light on theology and full of advice on ethical behavior. Even so, its place in the Bible has been challenged repeatedly over the years. It is generally believed to have been written near the end of the first century to Jewish Christians. . . but scholars are unable conclusively to identify the writer.

Five men named James appear in the New Testament: the brother of Jesus, the son of Zebedee, the son of Alphaeus, "James the younger" and the father of the Apostle Jude.

Little is known of the last three, and since the son of Zebedee was martyred in A.D. 44, tradition has leaned toward the brother of Jesus. However, the writer never claims to be Jesus' brother. And scholars find the language too erudite for a simple Palestinian. This letter is also disputed on theological grounds. Martin Luther called it "an epistle of straw" that did not belong in the Bible because it seemed to contradict Paul's teachings that salvation comes by faith as a "gift of God"-- not by good works.

-Jeffery L. Sheler, "The catholic papers," (U.S. News & World Report, Dec. 10, 1990)



The origins of the three letters of John are also far from certain.

-Jeffery L. Sheler, "The catholic papers," (U.S. News & World Report, Dec. 10, 1990)



Christian tradition has held that the Apostle Peter wrote the first [letter], probably in Rome shortly before his martyrdom about A.D. 65. However, some modern scholars cite the epistle's cultivated language and its references to persecutions that did not occur until the reign of Domitian (A.D. 81-96) as evidence that it was actually written by Peter's disciples sometime later.

Second Peter has suffered even harsher scrutiny. Many scholars consider it the latest of all New Testament books, written around A.D. 125. The letter was never mentioned in second-century writings and was excluded from some church canons into the fifth century. "This letter cannot have been written by Peter," wrote Werner Kummel, a Heidelberg University scholar, in his highly regarded Introduction to the New Testament.

-Jeffery L. Sheler, "The catholic papers," (U.S. News & World Report, Dec. 10, 1990)



The letter of Jude also is considered too late to have been written by the attested author-- "the brother of James" and, thus, of Jesus. The letter, believed written early in the second century.

-Jeffery L. Sheler, "The catholic papers," (U.S. News & World Report, Dec. 10, 1990)



According to the declaration of the Second Vatican Council, a faithful account of the actions and words of Jesus is to be found in the Gospels; but it is impossible to reconcile this with the existence in the text of contradictions, improbabilities, things which are materially impossible or statements which run contrary to firmly established reality.

-Maurice Bucaille (The Bible, the Quran, and Science)

The bottom line is we really don't know for sure who wrote the Gospels.

-Jerome Neyrey, of the Weston School of Theology, Cambridge, Mass. in "The Four Gospels," (U.S. News & World Report, Dec. 10, 1990)


Most scholars have come to acknowledge, was done not by the Apostles but by their anonymous followers (or their followers' followers). Each presented a somewhat different picture of Jesus' life. The earliest appeared to have been written some 40 years after his Crucifixion.

-David Van Biema, "The Gospel Truth?" (Time, April 8, 1996)


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[composer]

 

*** Cnt'd (Comments by scholars)


So unreliable were the Gospel accounts that "we can now know almost nothing concerning the life and personality of Jesus."

-Rudolf Bultmann, University of Marburg, the foremost Protestant scholar in the field in 1926



The Synoptic Gospels employ techniques that we today associate with fiction.

-Paul Q. Beeching, Central Connecticut State University (Bible Review, June 1997, Vol. XIII, Number 3, p. 43)



Josephus says that he himself witnessed a certain Eleazar casting out demons by a method of exorcism that had been given to Solomon by God himself-- while Vespasian watched! In the same work, Josephus tells the story of a rainmaker, Onias (14.2.1).

-Paul Q. Beeching, Central Connecticut State University (Bible Review, June 1997, Vol. XIII, Number 3, p. 43)



For Mark's gospel to work, for instance, you must believe that Isaiah 40:3 (quoted, in a slightly distorted form, in Mark 1:2-3) correctly predicted that a stranger named John would come out of the desert to prepare the way for Jesus. It will then come as something of a surprise to learn in the first chapter of Luke that John is a near relative, well known to Jesus' family.

-Paul Q. Beeching, Central Connecticut State University (Bible Review, June 1997, Vol. XIII, Number 3, p. 43)



The narrative conventions and world outlook of the gospel prohibit our using it as a historical record of that year.

-Paul Q. Beeching, Central Connecticut State University (Bible Review, June 1997, Vol. XIII, Number 3, p. 54)



Jesus is a mythical figure in the tradition of pagan mythology and almost nothing in all of ancient literature would lead one to believe otherwise. Anyone wanting to believe Jesus lived and walked as a real live human being must do so despite the evidence, not because of it.

-C. Dennis McKinsey, Bible critic (The Encyclopedia of Biblical Errancy)



The gospels are very peculiar types of literature. They're not biographies.

-Paula Fredriksen, Professor and historian of early Christianity, Boston University (in the PBS documentary, From Jesus to Christ, aired in 1998)



The gospels are not eyewitness accounts

-Allen D. Callahan, Associate Professor of New Testament, Harvard Divinity School



We are led to conclude that, in Paul's past, there was no historical Jesus. Rather, the activities of the Son about which God's gospel in scripture told, as interpreted by Paul, had taken place in the spiritual realm and were accessible only through revelation.

-Earl Doherty, "The Jesus Puzzle," p.83



Before the Gospels were adopted as history, no record exists that he was ever in the city of Jerusalem at all-- or anywhere else on earth.

-Earl Doherty, "The Jesus Puzzle," p.141



Even if there was a historical Jesus lying back of the gospel Christ, he can never be recovered. If there ever was a historical Jesus, there isn't one any more. All attempts to recover him turn out to be just modern remythologizings of Jesus. Every "historical Jesus" is a Christ of faith, of somebody's faith. So the "historical Jesus" of modern scholarship is no less a fiction.

-Robert M. Price, "Jesus: Fact or Fiction, A Dialogue With Dr. Robert Price and Rev. John Rankin," Opening Statement



It is important to recognize the obvious: The gospel story of Jesus is itself apparently mythic from first to last."

-Robert M. Price, professor of biblical criticism at the Center for Inquiry Institute (Deconstructing Jesus, p. 260)



CONCLUSION

Belief cannot produce historical fact, and claims that come from nothing but hearsay do not amount to an honest attempt to get at the facts. Even with eyewitness accounts we must tread carefully. Simply because someone makes a claim, does not mean it represents reality. For example, consider some of the bogus claims that supposedly come from many eyewitness accounts of alien extraterrestrials and their space craft. They not only assert eyewitnesses but present blurry photos to boot! If we can question these accounts, then why should we not question claims that come from hearsay even more? Moreover, consider that the hearsay comes from ancient and unknown people that no longer live.

Unfortunately, belief and faith substitute as knowledge in many people's minds and nothing, even direct evidence thrust on the feet of their claims, could possibly change their minds. We have many stories, myths and beliefs of a Jesus but if we wish to establish the facts of history, we cannot even begin to put together a knowledgeable account without at least a few reliable eyewitness accounts.

Of course a historical Jesus may have existed, perhaps based loosely on a living human even though his actual history got lost, but this amounts to nothing but speculation. However we do have an abundance of evidence supporting the mythical evolution of Jesus. Virtually every detail in the gospel stories occurred in pagan and/or Hebrew stories, long before the advent of Christianity. We simply do not have a shred of evidence to determine the historicity of a Jesus "the Christ." We only have evidence for the belief of Jesus.

So if you hear anyone who claims to have evidence for a witness of a historical Jesus, simply ask for the author's birth date. Anyone whose birth occurred after an event cannot serve as an eyewitness, nor can their words alone serve as evidence for that event.

(Source: http://nobeliefs.com/exist.htm)

[eyeshaveit]

"Vellum is a fine parchment made originally from the skin of a calf." - Google.

How many calf skins were necessary to produce a Gutenberg Bible?

Spoiler

According to the British Library, it took the skins of about 170 calves for each Gutenberg Bible printed.

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[eyeshaveit]

Why did Jesus of Nazareth heal the sick and disabled?

Spoiler

Christ's healings were exhibitions of his power and his compassion. They were proof of his deity; as they demonstrated his divine authority. The healings also displayed Christ's ability to free mankind from sin: both sin's bondage and sin's penalty, the wrath of God.

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[composer]

Why did Jesus of Nazareth heal the sick and disabled?

Spoiler

Christ's healings were exhibitions of his power and his compassion. They were proof of his deity; as they demonstrated his divine authority. The healings also displayed Christ's ability to free mankind from sin: both sin's bondage and sin's penalty, the wrath of God.

[close]

Only in a Story book! 

[eyeshaveit]

Why is the illumining work of the Holy Spirit necessary?

Spoiler

Without the Holy Spirit, one cannot come to 'know' or truly comprehend the scriptures. One's understanding, knowledge and wisdom gained remains limited:

"These things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. For who knows a person's thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God." - 1 Corinthians 10.

[close]

[composer]

Why is the illumining work of the Holy Spirit necessary?

Spoiler

Without the Holy Spirit, one cannot come to 'know' or truly comprehend the scriptures. One's understanding, knowledge and wisdom gained remains limited:

"These things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. For who knows a person's thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God." - 1 Corinthians 10.

[close]

Another fabricated mentality!

[Teaspoon Shallow]

What is pseudepigrapha and why does it cause problems with bible scholars?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pseudepigrapha

[eyeshaveit]

When did God choose to give mankind eternal life?

Spoiler

God granted mankind 'eternal life' at the world's foundation, down through all eternity:

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him." - Ephesians 1.

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[Teaspoon Shallow]

When did God choose to give mankind eternal life?

Osiris was granting eternal life since time began....apparently.

Yhwh only started what 2000 years ago?

[eyeshaveit]

When did God choose to give mankind eternal life?

Osiris was granting eternal life since time began....apparently.

Yhwh only started what 2000 years ago?

Osiris (WSJR) is a mythological creature/god.

YHWH is the creator of everything seen and unseen (including time).

[Teaspoon Shallow]

Osiris (WSJR) is a mythological creature/god.

YHWH is the creator of everything seen and unseen (including time).

Osiris revealed himself to his chosen people, the Egyptians. The warmongering and corrupt Roman Christians killed the believers and forced their fabricated blood god onto others.  The Roman Christians perpetuated the propaganda that Osiris is a myth but they will all face Osiris when they die.

You should repent of your sins against Osiris, the god you know in your heart is the one true god.  He gave you life and will one day take it away from you.  You will face him and be held accountable for your many transgressions. All you need to do is open your heart to Osiris and proclaim that Osiris is the one true god to be saved. 

Don't shun the real god you know exists by worshipping man made idols such as Jehovah. Osiris wants to save you and have a relationship with you but you have to have faith in him.   

[eyeshaveit]

Osiris (WSJR) is a mythological creature/god.

YHWH is the creator of everything seen and unseen (including time).

Osiris revealed himself to his chosen people, the Egyptians. The warmongering and corrupt Roman Christians killed the believers and forced their fabricated blood god onto others.  The Roman Christians perpetuated the propaganda that Osiris is a myth but they will all face Osiris when they die.

You should repent of your sins against Osiris, the god you now in your heart is the one true god.  He gave you life and will one day take it away from you.  You will face him and be held accountable for your many transgressions. All you need to do is open your heart to Osiris and proclaim that Osiris is the one true god to be saved. 

Don't shun the real god you know exists by worshipping man made idols such as Jehovah. Osiris wants to save you and have a relationship with you but you have to have faith in him.   

Needs polishing - satire is not your strong suit - don't quit your day job. 

[Teaspoon Shallow]

I note a dismissal but not a counter argument.

[eyeshaveit]

I note a dismissal but not a counter argument.

Stepping into your Osiris shtick/satire is not to anyone's benefit.   

[eyeshaveit]

"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished." - Matthew 5.

What is this "iota" that Jesus of Nazareth mentioned in the Sermon on the Mount?

Spoiler

The iota (Hebrew yodh) is the smallest letter in the Hebrew alphabet. There are approximately 66,000 yodhs in the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament).

[close]

[composer]

"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished." - Matthew 5.

What is this "iota" that Jesus of Nazareth mentioned in the Sermon on the Mount?

This person is a Historical MYTH, and you are defiantly & angrily quoting from your proven Story book founded upon MYTHS! (e.g. Prov. 30:25 & 30)

[eyeshaveit]

"The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ?Among these the land shall be divided for inheritance according to the number of names. To a large tribe you shall give a large inheritance, and to a small tribe you shall give a small inheritance; every tribe shall be given its inheritance in proportion to its list. But the land shall be divided by lot. According to the names of the tribes of their fathers they shall inherit. Their inheritance shall be divided according to lot between the larger and the smaller.?" - Numbers 26.

The City of Jerusalem was the inheritance, of which of the twelve tribes, when Canaan was divided?

Spoiler

The Tribe of Benjamin - Israel and Rachel's youngest and most favored son, inherited Jerusalem.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

What is Docetism?

Spoiler

"Docetism is a doctrine, important in Gnosticism, that Christ's body was not human but either a phantasm or of real but celestial substance, and that therefore his sufferings were only apparent." - Google.

"Docetism - from the Greek ??????/??????? doke?n (to seem) d?k?sis (apparition, phantom)" - Wikipedia.

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[eyeshaveit]

What is 'schadenfreude' ?

Spoiler

"Schadenfreude is pleasure derived from the misfortune of others. Borrowed from German into English and several other languages, it is a feeling of joy that comes from seeing or hearing about another person's troubles or failures. It is an expression of pleasure or self-satisfaction at another's failure" - Wikipedia.

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[eyeshaveit]

"Mayday is an emergency procedure word used internationally as a distress signal in voice procedure radio communications." - Wikipedia.

From whence did the word, "mayday" come ?

Spoiler

"A quick check of the OED shows the origin of this English word is French for ?Help me!? The Oxford English Dictionary says it is a phonetic reproduction of the French that has become an international signal of distress. The International Radio Telegraph Convention of 1927 lists 51 Rules, and this is among them. So the word ?mayday? was officially born in 1927 ... The French is wrong. ?Help me!? in French would be ?Aidez-moi!? [not M'aidez] But then ... the International Radio Telegraph Convention was held in Washington, where French was not exactly a second language." - Myth Busters

"The call is always given three times in a row ("Mayday Mayday Mayday") to prevent its being mistaken for some similar-sounding phrase under noisy conditions, and to distinguish an actual Mayday call from a message about a Mayday call" - Wikipedia.

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[eyeshaveit]

In 1646, what 'Rules and Precepts' were adopted by Harvard College: guidelines that brought God and Theology to the fore, as central to the arts and sciences ?

Spoiler

1 - When any scholar is able to read ex tempore, ? speak and read Latin ? and decline* perfectly, then may he be admitted in to the college ...

2 - Every one shall consider the main end of his life and studies to know God and Jesus Christ which is eternal life.

3 - Seeing the Lord giveth wisdom, every one shall seriously by prayer in secret seek wisdom of Him.

4 - Every one shall so exercise himself in reading the Scriptures twice a day that they be ready to give an account of their proficiency therein, both in theoretical observations of language and logic, and in practical and spiritual truths ...

*"In linguistics, declension is the inflection of nouns, pronouns, adjectives, and articles to indicate number (at least singular and plural), case (nominative or subjective, genitive or possessive, etc.), and gender." - Wikipedia.

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[eyeshaveit]

" For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf. Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the holy places every year with blood not his own, for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him." - Hebrews 9:24-28.

What are these three 'appearances' of Jesus Christ referenced in Hebrews 9 ?

Spoiler

1 - Jesus Christ appeared 2,000 years ago to do away sin through his death and sacrifice on the cross.

2 - Jesus Christ ascended to Heaven and presently appears before God on behalf of believers.

3 - Jesus Christ will appear on earth again to save believers watching and waiting for him.

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[eyeshaveit]

"This is the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah the son of David, the son of Abraham ... Thus there were fourteen generations in all from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Messiah." - Matthew 1.

What is the significance of the groups of fourteen generations in Matthew's genealogy of Jesus Christ ?

Spoiler

The Hebrew alphabet (no vowels) was used to represent numbers And to first century Jews, King David's name was a most important number of 14: D (4) + V (6) + D (4) = 14.

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[eyeshaveit]

What are 'miracles' ?

Spoiler

Miracles are God's proof: corroboration authenticating His prophets and 'agents of revelation'.

[close]

[Francis]

Hello Composer...

I haven't forgotten your post  #322-#324 submitted on March 04 of this year.  I have a lot of things I'm going through.  And on top of that, I've been very busy working on a big production for Easter for our Church.

But what I've done, is go through every sentence of your multi post and I did a lot of research so that I can respond intelligently.  I'm 98% done.  I'm hoping to be done by tomorrow some time... or by the end of this weekend.  Since I'm responding to everything you wrote... my post will be as long as yours since I have to quote every part of your post as I  respond  to each quote and section.

It will be a long post.  Far longer than your 3 page post.  Sorry about that. 

Respectfully

[eyeshaveit]

"And behold, he shall be born of Mary, at  _________  which is the land of our forefathers, she being a virgin, a precious and chosen vessel, who shall be overshadowed and conceive by the power of the Holy Ghost, and bring forth a son, yea, even the Son of God." - Alma 7:10.

Where does The Book of Mormon say that Jesus was born ?

Spoiler

In Jerusalem; not Bethlehem.

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[eyeshaveit]

The complete account of God's revelation to man includes: _____, _________, _________, _________, ______.

Fill in the blanks.

Spoiler

The complete account of God's revelation to man includes: origin, necessity, authority, reception, effect.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

Where in the Holy Bible does it read, "Man ate of the bread of the angels",

1 - Exodus 11 ?
2 - Numbers 11 ?
3 - Psalm 78 ?
4 - Hebrews 9 ?

Spoiler

"Yet he commanded the skies above and opened the doors of heaven, and he rained down on them manna to eat and gave them the grain of heaven. Man ate of the bread of the angels; he sent them food in abundance." - Psalm 78.

[close]

[Teaspoon Shallow]

I note a dismissal but not a counter argument.

Stepping into your Osiris shtick/satire is not to anyone's benefit.

If an argument is sound, it should not matter who uses it correct?  The apologetic arguments are often heard by a number of different religions.  Kalam Cosmological Argument originates with the Muslim faith but then pushed by some Christians.  Shouldn't that give you reasons to pause and ponder the reason why?   

[eyeshaveit]

I note a dismissal but not a counter argument.

Stepping into your Osiris shtick/satire is not to anyone's benefit.

If an argument is sound, it should not matter who uses it correct?  The apologetic arguments are often heard by a number of different religions.  Kalam Cosmological Argument originates with the Muslim faith but then pushed by some Christians.  Shouldn't that give you reasons to pause and ponder the reason why?

Who and/or what judges the 'soundness' of an argument that might give a Christian pause ?

Are Al-Ghazali?s Kalam Cosmological Argument and Ibn Taymiyya?s Argument the kind of a vigorous example for a Christian to 'ponder' ?

But why bother when a neighborhood Atheist has already struck a fatal blow to Christianity with his 'Ants Weak Christians Weep Lions Retreat Proverbs Neat Yes No My Treat Argument' ? 

[Teaspoon Shallow]

I note a dismissal but not a counter argument.

Stepping into your Osiris shtick/satire is not to anyone's benefit.

If an argument is sound, it should not matter who uses it correct?  The apologetic arguments are often heard by a number of different religions.  Kalam Cosmological Argument originates with the Muslim faith but then pushed by some Christians.  Shouldn't that give you reasons to pause and ponder the reason why?

Who and/or what judges the 'soundness' of an argument that might give a Christian pause ?

Any who find value in the truth, no matter how unpleasant it might be.  Some prefer to remain comfortably ignorant.
Do you value truth or the comfort of ignorance?

Are Al-Ghazali?s Kalam Cosmological Argument and Ibn Taymiyya?s Argument the kind of a vigorous example for a Christian to 'ponder' ?

If you find an theistic argument convincing but it does not necessarily follow that it is your particular god that it was designed for, is an argument really satisfying?  What is missing that you remain unconvinced and not a believer in their god?

Would you consider answering "If an argument is sound, it should not matter who uses it correct?"

If Allah has revealed the Kalam Cosmological Argument to a muslim, is it honest to plagiarize / hijack / steal that argument for use of the Christian god? 

[composer]

Do you value truth or the comfort of ignorance?

Blundering on still claiming to believe the bible is an accurate - Supernatural God-given/inspired book, is unambiguous proof of manifest ' comfort of ignorance! ' (e.g. MYTHS Prov. 30:25 & 30)

[eyeshaveit]

I note a dismissal but not a counter argument.

Stepping into your Osiris shtick/satire is not to anyone's benefit.

If an argument is sound, it should not matter who uses it correct?  The apologetic arguments are often heard by a number of different religions.  Kalam Cosmological Argument originates with the Muslim faith but then pushed by some Christians.  Shouldn't that give you reasons to pause and ponder the reason why?

Who and/or what judges the 'soundness' of an argument that might give a Christian pause ?

Any who find value in the truth, no matter how unpleasant it might be.  Some prefer to remain comfortably ignorant.
Do you value truth?

Yes, highly.

Do you value ... the comfort of ignorance?

Not for myself, but perhaps 'yes indeed' for a world, that knows not God's wrath intertwined in the prayer, "Let your [rule begin] Kingdom come". 

Are Al-Ghazali?s Kalam Cosmological Argument and Ibn Taymiyya?s Argument the kind of a vigorous example for a Christian to 'ponder' ?

If you find an theistic argument convincing but it does not necessarily follow that it is your particular god that it was designed for, is an argument really satisfying?

'Two pulled pork sandwiches and a pot of beer' is a "really satisfying argument" here, but my family physician offers a most "convincing" counterargument.     

What is missing that you remain unconvinced and not a believer in their god?

"For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus" - 1 Timothy 2.

Would you consider answering "If an argument is sound, it should not matter who uses it correct?"

See above /\ /\ /\ as you pause and ponder.

If Allah has revealed the Kalam Cosmological Argument to a muslim, is it honest to plagiarize / hijack / steal that argument for use of the Christian god?

That's fearless; most fashionable 'atheist think' at work, mate.

[eyeshaveit]

'If something can be established as a effect, then a cause is also immediately established; understood and accepted.'
True or False ?

Spoiler

TRUE

[close]

[ak.yonathan]

'If something can be established as a effect, then a cause is also immediately established; understood and accepted.'
True or False ?

Spoiler

TRUE

[close]

I wouldn't be so sure about that if I were you. What if there is in fact no causality relation? What evidence do you have that the causality relation will always hold under all circumstances?

Sent from my SM-T331 using Tapatalk

[eyeshaveit]

'If something can be established as a effect, then a cause is also immediately established; understood and accepted.'
True or False ?

Spoiler

TRUE

[close]

I wouldn't be so sure about that if I were you. What if there is in fact no causality relation? What evidence do you have that the causality relation will always hold under all circumstances?

What "effect" lacking a "cause" negates the above stated theorem ? 

[GratefulApe]

'If something can be established as a effect, then a cause is also immediately established; understood and accepted.'
True or False ?

Spoiler

TRUE

[close]

Understood? not hardly. What about miracles? Sometimes a miracle defies natural laws. Like getting water from a rock. Exodus 17.

[eyeshaveit]

'If something can be established as a effect, then a cause is also immediately established; understood and accepted.'
True or False ?

Spoiler

TRUE

[close]

Understood? not hardly. What about miracles? Sometimes a miracle defies natural laws. Like getting water from a rock. Exodus 17.

Are you saying, that the "effect" of a specific "miracle"; one that in fact (you believe) did happen, had no "cause" ?

[GratefulApe]

'If something can be established as a effect, then a cause is also immediately established; understood and accepted.'
True or False ?

Spoiler

TRUE

[close]

Understood? not hardly. What about miracles? Sometimes a miracle defies natural laws. Like getting water from a rock. Exodus 17.

Are you saying, that the "effect" of a specific "miracle"; one that in fact (you believe) did happen, had no "cause" ?

No, I'm saying that I don't understand HOW God did it. You said that if you accepted the cause and effect that one immediately understands basically everything about it.   

[eyeshaveit]

'If something can be established as a effect, then a cause is also immediately established; understood and accepted.'
True or False ?

Spoiler

TRUE

[close]

Understood? not hardly. What about miracles? Sometimes a miracle defies natural laws. Like getting water from a rock. Exodus 17.

Are you saying, that the "effect" of a specific "miracle"; one that in fact (you believe) did happen, had no "cause" ?

No, I'm saying that I don't understand HOW God did it. You said that if you accepted the cause and effect that one immediately understands basically everything about it.

No - forgive the semantic stumbling,
What was meant to be implied was that an "effect" leads to an "immediate" understanding of a related "cause".

[GratefulApe]

'If something can be established as a effect, then a cause is also immediately established; understood and accepted.'
True or False ?

Spoiler

TRUE

[close]

Understood? not hardly. What about miracles? Sometimes a miracle defies natural laws. Like getting water from a rock. Exodus 17.

Are you saying, that the "effect" of a specific "miracle"; one that in fact (you believe) did happen, had no "cause" ?

No, I'm saying that I don't understand HOW God did it. You said that if you accepted the cause and effect that one immediately understands basically everything about it.

No - forgive the semantic stumbling,
What was meant to be implied was that an "effect" leads to an "immediate" understanding of a related "cause".

No it doesn't. Understanding cause and effect often takes time. Why do you think that Peter didn't want Jesus to die? because he didn't immediately understand cause and effect concerning the death of the Jewish Messiah.

[eyeshaveit]

No it doesn't. Understanding cause and effect often takes time. Why do you think that Peter didn't want Jesus to die? because he didn't immediately understand cause and effect concerning the death of the Jewish Messiah.

Peter's lacking understanding does not cancel out "cause and effect", any more than it would negate the law of gravity,

But more to the point, first century Jews were looking for a Messiah King, who would drive out their Roman rulers. Clues abound in the Hebrew Scriptures, of a Suffering Servant Messiah, but the Jews were focused on narrow military prowess; not on Christ's atonement for mankind's salvation.     

[GratefulApe]

No it doesn't. Understanding cause and effect often takes time. Why do you think that Peter didn't want Jesus to die? because he didn't immediately understand cause and effect concerning the death of the Jewish Messiah.

Peter's lacking understanding does not cancel out "cause and effect", any more than it would negate the law of gravity,

But more to the point, first century Jews were looking for a Messiah King, who would drive out their Roman rulers. Clues abound in the Hebrew Scriptures, of a Suffering Servant Messiah, but the Jews were focused on narrow military prowess; not on Christ's atonement for mankind's salvation.     

Clues? what would be the need for clues if everyone immediately understood cause and effect? besides it seems like you are negating the idea that one can have a revelation about a cause and its effect long after the event.

[eyeshaveit]

No it doesn't. Understanding cause and effect often takes time. Why do you think that Peter didn't want Jesus to die? because he didn't immediately understand cause and effect concerning the death of the Jewish Messiah.

Peter's lacking understanding does not cancel out "cause and effect", any more than it would negate the law of gravity,

But more to the point, first century Jews were looking for a Messiah King, who would drive out their Roman rulers. Clues abound in the Hebrew Scriptures, of a Suffering Servant Messiah, but the Jews were focused on narrow military prowess; not on Christ's atonement for mankind's salvation.     

Clues? what would be the need for clues if everyone immediately understood cause and effect?

There is a great difference between understanding that every "effect" has a "cause", and lnowing just exactly what the cause might be:

Water coming out of a rock; Jesus walking on water; feeding thousands with just a few loaves of bread, these are just a few of the miracles mentioned in the Bible, but not knowing the cause of any one of these miraculous things (effects) does not negate a cause.

Every effect has a cause.   

[GratefulApe]

No it doesn't. Understanding cause and effect often takes time. Why do you think that Peter didn't want Jesus to die? because he didn't immediately understand cause and effect concerning the death of the Jewish Messiah.

Peter's lacking understanding does not cancel out "cause and effect", any more than it would negate the law of gravity,

But more to the point, first century Jews were looking for a Messiah King, who would drive out their Roman rulers. Clues abound in the Hebrew Scriptures, of a Suffering Servant Messiah, but the Jews were focused on narrow military prowess; not on Christ's atonement for mankind's salvation.     

Clues? what would be the need for clues if everyone immediately understood cause and effect?

There is a great difference between understanding that every "effect" has a "cause", and lnowing just exactly what the cause might be:

Water coming out of a rock; Jesus walking on water; feeding thousands with just a few loaves of bread, these are just a few of the miracles mentioned in the Bible, but not knowing the cause of any one of these miraculous things (effects) does not negate a cause.

Every effect has a cause.   

Yes every effect has a cause but it is not true that it is immediately understood what the cause is. Nobody can be that sure about every effect and its cause. I get that you are (i think) trying to glorify God and His Sovereignty but there are things effects and causes that as Christians we can not know. I'm OK with that. 

[composer]

It would be fascinating to read the proofs & mechanism how eyes & Co. legitimately distinguish this supposed ' cause ', to be his supposed Supernatural God(s), when in his own propaganda mentality, the cause could well be his ' Supernatural naughty Satan ' masquerading as an angel of light? (2 Cor. 11:14) 

[eyeshaveit]

It would be fascinating to read the proofs & mechanism how eyes & Co. legitimately distinguish this supposed ' cause ', to be his supposed Supernatural God(s), when in his own propaganda mentality, the cause could well be his ' Supernatural naughty Satan ' masquerading as an angel of light? (2 Cor. 11:14) 

Satan's powers are indeed limited, but well he might pose-n-post as a "valued member" here, eh ? 

[composer]

It would be fascinating to read the proofs & mechanism how eyes & Co. legitimately distinguish this supposed ' cause ', to be his supposed Supernatural God(s), when in his own propaganda mentality, the cause could well be his ' Supernatural naughty Satan ' masquerading as an angel of light? (2 Cor. 11:14) 

Satan's powers are indeed limited, but well he might pose-n-post as a "valued member" here, eh ?

YOUR profile states YOU are a Valued Member!

Offline eyeshaveit
Valued Member

YOUR propaganda states malignant Sinners (e.g. catholics that require constant Confession) are counted among the agents of your supposed Devil you also call Satan -

he that doeth sin is of the devil; . . . . (1 John 3:8) ASV Story book founded upon MYTHS (e.g. Prov. 30:25 & 30) 

That being the case, it is YOU & Co., according to your own propaganda, that truly qualify as ' agents of your Devil/Satan, masquerading as an angel(s) of light! '

QED

[eyeshaveit]

What are the eight elements of The Gospel ?

Spoiler

1 - Jesus' pre-existence.

2 - Jesus' incarnation.

3 - Jesus' atoning death.

4 - Jesus' burial.

5 - Jesus' physical resurrection.

6 - Jesus' appearance to 500 plus disciples.

7 - Jesus' ascension to Heaven.

8 - Jesus' second coming.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

Why do Christians call God, "Our Father" ?

Spoiler

A Christian has the right and privilege to approach God, as 'Our Father':

"But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven ... Pray then like this: ?Our Father in heaven," - Matthew 5 and 6.

Almighty God is our adopted Father; we are sons and heirs with Christ:

"For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, ?Abba! Father!? The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs?heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him." - Romans 8.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

What do Christmas lights represent ?

Spoiler

Christmas lights speak to the 'Light of the World'; the incarnate Jesus Christ, who came to earth to dwell with mankind:

"Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, ?I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.? - John 8.

"For at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light" - Ephesians 5.

"For so the Lord has commanded us, saying, ??I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.?? - Acts 13. 

"Is not the day of the Lord darkness, and not light, and gloom with no brightness in it?" - Amos 5.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

Mormons (LDS Church) have pinpointed the 'exact' location of the Holy Bible's Garden of Eden, where ?

Daviess, Missouri (USA) ?

Derbe, Turkey ?

Dilean, Israel ?

Dura, Iraq ?

Spoiler

Daviess, Missouri

[close]

[GratefulApe]

Mormons (LDS Church) have pinpointed the 'exact' location of the Holy Bible's Garden of Eden, where ?

Daviess, Missouri (USA) ?

Derbe, Turkey ?

Dilean, Israel ?

Dura, Iraq ?

Spoiler

Daviess, Missouri

[close]

lol

[eyeshaveit]

In the Book of Leviticus, a Jubilee year (Hebrew: ?????? y???l) is mentioned to occur every fiftieth year, during which ______ ______ ______ and the mercies of God would be particularly manifest." - Google.

What were the three scriptural requisites of a 'Jubilee Year' ?

Spoiler

1 - Liberty (freedom) for all Israelite indentured slaves.

2 - Restoring (return) of all property sold outside of (walled) cities. Ancestral land was never to be sold permanently. This included all Levitical land (in or out) of cities.

3 - Rest (yearlong) for the land. It was to lie fallow, which in the case of a Jubilee year was (a second year) two years in a row.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

What is Armageddon ?

Spoiler

The name Armageddon occurs only once in the Bible:

"For they are demonic spirits, performing signs, who go abroad to the kings of the whole world, to assemble them for battle on the great day of God the Almighty. (?Behold, I am coming like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake, keeping his garments on, that he may not go about naked and be seen exposed!?) And they assembled them at the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon." - Revelation 16.

"Armageddon will coincide with the second coming of Christ ... Armageddon is a Hebrew word, although it does not occur in the Old Testament. Its meaning is not exactly clear, but it is best taken to mean Mount Megiddo, since "Har" in Hebrew means mountain and "Mageddon" is the place-name of Megiddo." - Baker's Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology.

"Megiddo (Hebrew: ???????) ... is an ancient city whose remains form a tell (archaeological mound), situated in northern Israel ... about 30 km south-east of Haifa." - Wikipedia.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

"When Adam had lived 130 years, he fathered a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth ..." - Genesis 3.

Following the Genesis chronology - Adam, Seth, Enos, Kenan, Mahalalel, Jared, Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech, Noah - how many years passed between the creation of Adam and the Flood ?

Spoiler

About 1656 years had passed.

"Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters came upon the earth." - Genesis 7.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

"At the end of forty days Noah opened the window of the ark that he had made and sent forth a _____. It went to and fro until the waters were dried up from the earth. Then he sent forth a ____ from him, to see if the waters had subsided from the face of the ground." - Genesis 8.

What two birds did Noah send forth ?

Spoiler

"At the end of forty days Noah opened the window of the ark that he had made and sent forth a raven. It went to and fro until the waters were dried up from the earth. Then he sent forth a dove from him, to see if the waters had subsided from the face of the ground."

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

What is 'modalism' ?

Spoiler

"Modalism is the doctrine that the persons of the Trinity represent only three modes or aspects of the divine revelation, not distinct and coexisting persons in the divine nature." - Google.

"Modalism is a heresy that maintains that ?Father,? ?Son,? and ?Holy Spirit? are three names for, or *modes*, (thus *mod*-alism) of, one and the same person. They are not three persons. Modalism fails to account for several matters. One is the baptism of Jesus: all three persons of the Trinity were active, as the Father spoke words of commendation about his baptized Son, on whom the Spirit was descending (Mark 1:9-11). Another event is Jesus praying: the Son of God did not direct his prayers to himself but directed them to his Father, who is a person distinct from the Son (John 17)." - The Baker Compact Dictionary of Theological Terms.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

"Authority is the power or right to give orders, make decisions, and enforce obedience." - Google.

What is the source of God's authority; choose all those that apply:

The (Apostle's, etc.) Creeds ?
The (Westminster, etc.) Confessions ?
Christian Experience ?
Christian Reasoning ?
God's Word ?
The Inner Light ?
The Inner Voice ?
The Mind of the Church ?

Spoiler

God's word.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

What is the first scientific discipline mentioned in the Holy Bible ?

Spoiler

Taxonomy - "that branch of science concerned with classification, especially of organisms; systematics." - Google.

"Now out of the ground the Lord God had formed every beast of the field and every bird of the heavens and brought them to the man to see what he would call them. And whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. The man gave names to all livestock and to the birds of the heavens and to every beast of the field." - Genesis 2.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

Born into a family beset with violence.
Even my dear grandmother wanted to kill me.
But my uncle was a priest; he and my aunt hid me.
And then at the age of seven I became the King of Israel.

Who am I ?

Spoiler

Joash, the son of Ahaziah:
Read the account in 2 Chronicles 22 and 23.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

Looking for a ratio:
In the New Testament, how many times is Jesus referred to as the 'Son of Man': in the four Gospels versus Paul's 13 epistles ?

Gospels 00 vs Paul 50 ?

Gospels 10 vs Paul 25 ?

Gospels 25 vs Paul 10 ?

Gospels 50 vs Paul 00 ?

Spoiler

Jesus is called the Son of Man 50 times in the four Gospel accounts, and never once in Paul's 13 letters.

The title, "Son of Man", does occur once in Acts:

"Now when they heard these things they were enraged, and they ground their teeth at him [Stephen]. But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. And he said, ?Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.?" - Acts 7.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

True or False :

A - Animals are conscious; they have minds ?

B - Animals are controlled by chemistry, physics and instinct ?

C - Animals are happy and good ?

D - Animals are moral and rational ?

Spoiler

'A' and 'B' are true; 'C' and 'D' are false.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

What was the message of the early Christian Church, concerning the teachings of Jesus ?

Spoiler

1 - That God exists.
2 - That Jesus' death and resurrection occurred.
3 - That God ordained Jesus' death and resurrection.
4 - And by raising the dead Jesus of Nazareth, God blessed and confirmed his teachings.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

How did the Book of Numbers get it's name ?

Spoiler

From the 'numbers' that resulted from the two censuses found in Numbers:

"The Lord spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the tent of meeting, on the first day of the second month, in the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt, saying, ?Take a census of all the congregation of the people of Israel, by clans, by fathers' houses, according to the number of names, every male, head by head. From twenty years old and upward, all in Israel who are able to go to war, you and Aaron shall list them, company by company." - Numbers 1.

"After the plague, the Lord said to Moses and to Eleazar the son of Aaron, the priest, ?Take a census of all the congregation of the people of Israel, from twenty years old and upward, by their fathers' houses, all in Israel who are able to go to war.?" - Numbers 26.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

What percentage of young Christians stop worshiping God while attending a secular college or university ?

20%
40%
60%
80%

Spoiler

More than 60% of college students 'leave' the church during their college years. One outlier poll registered a dropout rate of 93%.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

Hail Caesar: Julius, Augustus, Tiberius, Nero, Trajan, etc.
How many Roman Emperors 'took' the title of 'Caesar' ?

20 Caesars ?
40 Caesars ?
60 Caesars ?
80 Caesars ?

Spoiler

History records 80 Caesars.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

What do Christians know ?

1 - Life does not stink - true or false ?
2 - Optimism is best - true or false ?
3 - Death is natural - true or false ?

Spoiler

1 - False - Christians know that this life is tough; it stinks.
2 - False - Christians are not optimists; they have joy and confidence in God.
3 - False - Christians know that dying and death are not 'natural' occurrences.

[close]

[composer]

What do Christians know ?

Their own propaganda exposes them as jebus' frauds & rejects (1 John 3:6)

Their own propaganda also exposes and reveals their true identity = Agents of their Devil (1 John 3:8) Story book

Their own propaganda is founded upon MYTHs!

[eyeshaveit]

Who killed Jesus of Nazareth ?

1 - Pontius Pilate, Emperor Tiberius' prefect of the Roman province of Judaea ?

2 - The High Priest, Caiaphas, and the Jews ?

2 - The Roman soldiers ?

4 - Other ?

Spoiler

Other - Jesus was killed by (Almighty God) his Father.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

"But the serpent said to the woman, ?You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.?" - Genesis 3.

What was the nature of the serpent's lie ?

Spoiler

The nature of the serpent's (Satan's) lie was twofold: you can't trust God; you can't live for God.

[close]

[composer]

"But the serpent said to the woman, ?You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.?" - Genesis 3.

What was the nature of the serpent's lie ?

The Story book Serpent didn't lie!

They didn't die that same Day in any way!

Story book God was the liar! 

[eyeshaveit]

"So Jesus said ... and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." - John 8.

What is the truth and the Christian 'life-giving' message ?

Spoiler

The Christian life-giving truth is the 'good news' about what Jesus Christ has done; not what he said, but what he has done: Christ shed his blood to save others.

[close]

[composer]

The Christian life-giving truth is the 'good news' about what Jesus Christ has done; not what he said, but what he has done: Christ shed his blood to save others.

Regarding Story book christ!, e.g. -

There is no operation of Divine wisdom that has been so completely misapprehended and misrepresented as the shedding of the blood of Christ. Popular preaching brings it down to a level with the sacrifices of idolatrous superstition, by which wrathful deities are supposed to be placated by the blood of a substitutionary victim. Christ is represented as having paid our debts?as having died instead of us?as having stood in our room like a substitute in military service, or like a man rushing to the scaffold where a criminal is about to be executed, and offering to die instead of him (a favourite illustration in the evangelical pulpit).

Such views are contradicted by even the most superficial facts of the case; for if Christ died instead of us, then we ought not to die (which we do); and if he paid the penalty naturally due from us?death?he ought not to have risen (which he did). And if his death was of the character alleged, the redeeming power lay in itself and not in the resurrection that followed; whereas Paul declares to the Corinthians that, notwithstanding the death of Christ, ?if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain: ye are yet in your sins? (1- Corinthians 15:17).

Further, if Christ has paid our debts, our debts are not ?forgiven,? for it would be out of place for a creditor to talk of having forgiven a debt which someone else has paid for the debtor; and thus is blotted out the very first feature of the gospel of the grace of God?the forgiveness of our sins ?through the forbearance of God? (Romans 3:25 ). (Robert Roberts)

[eyeshaveit]

Is God's salvation a reward for those righteous folks among us ?

Spoiler

Salvation is not a reward for the righteous,
Salvation is a gift to the guilty.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

Regarding Story book christ!, e.g. -

Who or what is this "Story book" ?
Who or what is this "christ" ?

[composer]

Regarding Story book christ!, e.g. -

Who or what is this "Story book" ?

Yours appears to be the one founded upon MYTHS like Prov. 30:25  & 30

Who or what is this "christ" ?

The fraud mentioned in your Story book, along with other MYTHICAL persons such as Moses, Pauly, apostles to name a few!

[eyeshaveit]

Who or what is this "christ" ?

The fraud mentioned in your Story book, along with other MYTHICAL persons such as Moses, Pauly, apostles to name a few!

What "fraud" ?
Who or what is this "Story book" with the "Mythical persons" ?

[eyeshaveit]

Hard news comes to us in the form of stories: about politics, crime, taxes, war, the weather, etc.

Soft news comes to us in the form of ideas, human interest and heartwarming stories, consumer tips, etc..

In the first-century Mediterranean world, was Christianity (The Way) preached as hard or soft news ?

Spoiler

Christianity was not heralded as 'how to live better' (soft news), but The Way was preached as hard news, and the world-changing event that it was.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

What is the essence of sin ?

Spoiler

The essence of sin is the lie - consider the first insinuation and first lie:

"Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made.
He said to the woman, ?Did God actually say, ?You shall not eat of any tree in the garden??? And the woman said to the serpent, ?We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, ?You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.?? But the serpent said to the woman, ?You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.? - Genesis 3.

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[eyeshaveit]

What is 'Second Temple Judaism' ?

Spoiler

"Second Temple Judaism is Judaism between the construction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem, c. 515 BCE, and its destruction by the Romans in 70 CE. The development of the Hebrew Bible canon, the synagogue, Jewish apocalyptic expectations for the future, and Christianity, can all be traced to the Second Temple period." - Google.

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[composer]

What is the essence of sin ?

Spoiler

The essence of sin is the lie - consider the first insinuation and first lie:

"Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made.
He said to the woman, ?Did God actually say, ?You shall not eat of any tree in the garden??? And the woman said to the serpent, ?We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, ?You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.?? But the serpent said to the woman, ?You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.? - Genesis 3.

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The Serpent in your holey  Story book spoke the Truth, they didn't die in any way that same day they partook!

In fact also Eve was NOT forbidden access, only Story book Adam was! (Gen. 2:16-17) holey bible Story book

Hence the first lie was made by Story book God! (Gen. 2:17) holey bible Story book fatal to eyes & Co. 

[eyeshaveit]

"The Code of Hammurabi is a well-preserved Babylonian law code of ancient Mesopotamia, dating back to about 1754 BC. It is one of the oldest deciphered writings of significant length in the world." - Google.

The Code of Hammurabi consists of how many laws ?

82 laws ?
182 laws ?
282 laws ?
382 laws ?

Spoiler

"The code consists of 282 laws, with scaled punishments, adjusting "an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth"  as graded depending on social status, of slave versus free man. Nearly one-half of the code deals with matters of contract, establishing, for example, the wages to be paid to an ox driver or a surgeon ..." - Wikipedia.

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[composer]

 

Was bible Story book jebus the son of a God, OR as some say, the son of a Jewish wood-worker?

[eyeshaveit]

Who was ancient Israel's greatest enemy ?

Spoiler

Israel's greatest enemy was the false prophet.

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[composer]

Who was ancient Israel's greatest enemy ?

Spoiler

Israel's greatest enemy was the false prophet.

[close]

The biblical God(s) Story book human devised propaganda, that thought their lies would seduce the Jews & everyone else! (e.g. Prov. 30:25 & 30) Holey bible

[eyeshaveit]

"And he ... showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God ... and I saw no temple in the city ..." - Revelation 21.

Why is there no temple in the "holy city" in the Apostle John's vision of the New Jerusalem ?

Spoiler

God is the temple.

"And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb." - Revelation 21.

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[eyeshaveit]

"SECOND COMING, the future return of Christ to the earth. A prominent doctrine of Christology, the predicted Second Advent of Christ is implied in hundreds of Old Testament prophecies ..." - The Encyclopedia of the Bible.

What are some of the purposes of the second coming ?

Spoiler

To get rid of God's enemies: sin, death, Satan, etc.
To establish a new order.
To resurrect the dead.
To deliver the church.
To judge all people.

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[eyeshaveit]

Taking a page out of 'natural theology', what are some of the considered 'rational' proofs for God's existence ?

Spoiler

Christological proofs.
Cosmological proofs.
Mental proofs.
Moral proofs.
Ontological proofs.
Prophetic proofs.
Teleological proofs.

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[eyeshaveit]

"In Christianity, the Great Commission is the instruction of the resurrected Jesus Christ to his disciples to spread his teachings to all the nations of the world. The most famous version of the Great Commission is in Matthew 28." - Wikipedia.

"And Jesus came and said to them, ?All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.?" - Matthew 28.

In the biblical Greek what is the 'main verb' of the Great Commission ?

Spoiler

The main verb is not "go", rather it is the word, 'make' - as in "make disciples" ...

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[eyeshaveit]

"Revelation is the term is used to refer to the process by which God reveals knowledge of himself, his will, and his divine providence to the world of human beings." - Wikipedia.

What biblical texts frame the Christian doctrine of revelation ?

Spoiler

"And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers." - 1 Thessalonians 2.

"After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. 67 So Jesus said to the twelve, ?Do you want to go away as well?? Simon Peter answered him, ?Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.?" - John 6.

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[eyeshaveit]

"Perfectionism is an ancient heresy of the distinction between two types of Christians ..." - The Aquila Report.

What is the nature of this perfectionism heresy ?

Spoiler

"Perfectionism teaches that there is a class of Christians who achieve moral perfection [sinless] in this life. To be sure, credit is given to the Holy Spirit as the agent who brings total victory over sin to the Christian.

"But there is a kind of elitism in perfectionism, a feeling that those who have achieved perfection are somehow greater than other Christians. The ?perfect? ones do not officially?take credit for their state, but smugness and pride have a way of creeping in.

"The peril of perfectionism is that it seriously distorts the human mind. Imagine the contortions through which we must put ourselves to delude us into thinking that we have in fact achieved a state of sinlessness."

The Aquila Report - May 13, 2013.

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[eyeshaveit]

"How many things are necessary for thee to know, that thou, enjoying this comfort, mayest live and die happily?" - Question from the Heidelberg Catechism (1563).

Spoiler

Three things:
The first, how great my sins and miseries are;
The second, how I may be delivered from all my sins and miseries;
The third, how I shall express my gratitude to God for such deliverance.

Answer from the Heidelberg Catechism (1563).

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[eyeshaveit]

Westminster Confession of Faith - The Shorter Catechism

"Question 4. - What is God ?"

Spoiler

"Answer - God is a Spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable, in his being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth."

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[composer]

Westminster Confession of Faith - The Shorter Catechism

"Question 4. - What is God ?"

Spoiler

"The God of the Old Testament is arguably the most unpleasant character in all fiction: jealous and proud of it; a petty, unjust, unforgiving control-freak; a vindictive, bloodthirsty ethnic cleanser; a misogynistic, homophobic, racist, infanticidal, genocidal, filicidal, pestilential, megalomaniacal, sadomasochistic, capriciously malevolent bully." (Richard Dawkins, The God Delusion)

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[eyeshaveit]

What is the 'Just War Threory' ?

Spoiler

"Just war theory (jus bellum iustum) is a doctrine, also referred to as a tradition, of military ethics studied by theologians, ethicists, policy makers, and military leaders. The purpose of the doctrine is to ensure war is morally justifiable through a series of criteria, all of which must be met for a war to be considered just." - Wikipedia.

"First, just war must be waged by a properly instituted authority such as the state. (Proper Authority is first: represents the common good: which is peace for the sake of man's true end?God.)

"Second, war must occur for a good and just purpose rather than for self-gain (for example, "in the nation's interest" is not just) or as an exercise of power (just cause: for the sake of restoring some good that has been denied. i.e. lost territory, lost goods, punishment for an evil perpetrated by a government, army, or even the civilian populace).

"Third, peace must be a central motive even in the midst of violence. (right intention: an authority must fight for the just reasons it has expressly claimed for declaring war in the first place. Soldiers must also fight for this intention). - Thomas Aquinas - Wikipedia.

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[eyeshaveit]

What were some of the sources for the Apostle Paul's teaching ?

Spoiler

Revelation - " For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ." - Galatians 1.

The Old Testament - Paul quotes the OT some 90 times.

Christian sources - "The gospel I preached to you ... I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve." - 1 Corinthians 15.

Judaism sources - " Circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee" - Philippians 3.

Greek sources -  "??In him we live and move and have our being?; as even some of your own poets have said, ??For we are indeed his offspring.?" - Acts 17.

Jesus of Nazareth - "For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, ?This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.? - 1 Corinthians 11 (quoting Luke 22).

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[composer]

What were some of the sources for the Apostle Paul's teaching ?

As already proved, the biblical Paul was fabricated! - (http://isgodimaginary.com/forum/index.php/topic,63228.msg832122.html#msg832122)

The only things it said, was what the Story book writers fabricated! 

[eyeshaveit]

What were some of the sources for the Apostle Paul's teaching ?

As already proved, the biblical Paul was fabricated! - (http://isgodimaginary.com/forum/index.php/topic,63228.msg832122.html#msg832122)

The only things it said, was what the Story book writers fabricated!

"So Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus, said: ?Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription: ?To the unknown god.? What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us" - Acts 17.

[eyeshaveit]

What are the Synoptic Gospels ?

Spoiler

"The gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke are referred to as the Synoptic Gospels because they include many of the same stories, often in a similar sequence and in similar wording. They stand in contrast to John, whose content is comparatively distinct." - Wikipedia.

"Synoptic - presenting or taking the same or common view; specifically ... relating to or displaying conditions (as of the atmosphere or weather) as they exist simultaneously over a broad area" - Merriam Webster Dictionary.

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[eyeshaveit]

A Christian's proper use of prayer includes :

Negotiations - true or false ?
Being creative - true or false ?
Self expression - true or false ?
Therapeutic aspects  - true or false ?
Manipulation of God, self or others - true or false ?
Informing God of what he does not know - true or false ?

Spoiler

All false; none of above should be thought of as a 'proper use of prayer'.

[close]

[composer]

What were some of the sources for the Apostle Paul's teaching ?

As already proved, the biblical Paul was fabricated! - (http://isgodimaginary.com/forum/index.php/topic,63228.msg832122.html#msg832122)

The only things it said, was what the Story book writers fabricated!

"So Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus, said: ?Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription: ?To the unknown god.? What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us" - Acts 17.

Quoting from your human devised fallible (e.g. Prov. 30:25 & 30) Story book based upon MYTHS & Hearsay, isn't legitimate evidence!

[eyeshaveit]

What were some of the sources for the Apostle Paul's teaching ?

As already proved, the biblical Paul was fabricated! - (http://isgodimaginary.com/forum/index.php/topic,63228.msg832122.html#msg832122)

The only things it said, was what the Story book writers fabricated!

"So Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus, said: ?Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription: ?To the unknown god.? What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us" - Acts 17.

Quoting from your human devised fallible (e.g. Prov. 30:25 & 30) Story book based upon MYTHS & Hearsay, isn't legitimate evidence!

Fail -0.0 - ineffectual blather; grandiose self-vindication; literary illusion; etc.

[composer]

Fail -0.0 - ineffectual blather; grandiose self-vindication; literary illusion; etc.

Describes You & Co. to a tee!

Not so Vindicated Moi!

[eyeshaveit]

Including the mass conversion at 'Pentecost' there are 13 conversion experiences described in Acts. How many of these incorporate 'speaking in tongues' ?

Spoiler

Four of the thirteen conversion experiences include speaking in tongues.
The Charismatic Movement usually strongly suggests that a fifth experience is implied, by Luke, in Acts.

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[eyeshaveit]

Heidelberg Confession question 33,
"Why is Christ called God's "only begotten Son", since we also are the children of God ?

Spoiler

Answer,
"Because Christ alone is the eternal, natural Son of God, but we are children of God by adoption, through grace, for His sake."

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[eyeshaveit]

Are there any biblical grounds for divorce ?

Spoiler

There are two biblical grounds for divorce : 'adultery' and the 'deliberate and beyond repair separation of an unbeliever'.

"And I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery.? - Matthew 19.

"But if the unbelieving partner separates, let it be so. In such cases the brother or sister is not enslaved. God has called you to peace." - 1 Corinthians 15.

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[Inertialmass]

You've taken to answering your own quizzes now?

[eyeshaveit]

Who validates and authenticates scripture for the Christian believer ?

Spoiler

The Holy Spirit is the 'Authenticator of Scripture':

[Jesus said,] ?When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you." - John 16.

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[eyeshaveit]

How does Christianity differ, in two main ways, from Buddhism, Confucianism, Islam, Shintoism, Taoism, etc.

Spoiler

1 - An atonement; the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ.
2 - A living Mediator; the resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ to God's 'right hand'.

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[eyeshaveit]

What is the 'Correspondence Theory of Truth' ?

Spoiler

"The correspondence theory of truth states that the truth or falsity of a statement is determined only by how it relates to the world and whether it accurately describes (i.e., corresponds with) that world." - Wikipedia.

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[eyeshaveit]

?Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the Lord. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ?Know the Lord,? for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.? - Jeremiah 31.

Have these "days" come; when did the "new covenant" kick in and take effect ?

Spoiler

Jesus instituted the new covenant in the upper room on the night before he was crucified:

"And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, ?This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.? And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, ?This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood." - Luke 22.

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[eyeshaveit]

What is 'Inclusivism' ?

Spoiler

"Inclusivism, one of several approaches to understanding the relationship between religions, asserts that while one set of beliefs is absolutely true, other sets of beliefs are at least partially true. It stands in contrast to exclusivism, which asserts that only one way is true and all others are in error." - Google.


Inclusivists don't reject Jesus; they just add Christ to their 'supernatural toolbox'

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[eyeshaveit]

What testimony does the Holy Bible provide against errors of doctrine ?

Spoiler

1 - Christ's testimony in Scripture.

2 - The Church's testimony to Scripture.

3 - The Holy Spirit's testimony through Scripture.

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[eyeshaveit]

"You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and has nothing to do with the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies."
John 8.

What are the Devil's two most serious and significant lies ?

Spoiler

1 - Life is random; there is no creator.

2 - Truth is relative; there is no moral law.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

"For as by the one man's [Adam's] disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's [Jesus'] obedience the many will be made righteous." - Romans 5.

Explain both Jesus Christ's 'active' obedience and his 'passive' obedience ?

Spoiler

Christ's active obedience was through his keeping the Law, by obeying every statute, and his resulting sinless life.

Christ's passive obedience was through his suffering, the shedding of his blood, and his death which paid the penalty for the sins of others.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

What is 'traducianism' ?

Spoiler

"In Christian theology, traducianism is a doctrine about the origin of the soul (or "spirit"), holding that this immaterial aspect is transmitted through natural generation along with the body, the material aspect of human beings. That is, an individual's soul is derived from the souls of the individual's parents. This implies that only the soul of Adam was created directly by God (with Eve's substance, material and immaterial, being taken from out of Adam)" - Wikipedia.

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[eyeshaveit]

"Question 9 - What is the work of creation?" - The Westminster Shorter Catechism

Spoiler

"Answer - The work of creation is, God?s making all things of nothing, by the word of his power, in the space of six days, and all very good." - The Westminster Shorter Catechism

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[eyeshaveit]

"Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus" - 2 Timothy 1.

What are the distinctions between the 'external' and 'internal' call of God ?

Spoiler

"The one functions externally only by means of the Word, to which also the Holy Spirit does join Himself in His common operation, resulting in common illumination and historical faith. The other, however, penetrates [internally] the very heart of man, powerfully illuminating it with wondrous light, revealing spiritual mysteries to man in their essential form, and powerfully inclines the will ..." - Wilhelmus Brakel - Mannerism,

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[eyeshaveit]

"To begin with, the Jews were entrusted with the oracles of God." - Romans 3.

What are the 'oracles of God' ?

Spoiler

"Communications from God. The term refers both to divine responses to a question asked of God and to pronouncements made by God without His being asked. In one sense, oracles were prophecies since they often referred to the future; but oracles sometimes dealt with decisions to be made in the present." - Holman Bible Dictionary

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[eyeshaveit]

What are the functions of the church ?

Spoiler

Discipline - ?If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector" - Matthew 18.

Fellowship - "Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God." - Romans 15.

Ministry - "And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ" - Ephesians 4.

Sacraments - "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit" - Matthew 28. "For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes." - 1 Corinthians 11. 

Witness - "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.? - Acts 1.

Worship - "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name." - Matthew 6.

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[eyeshaveit]

"Augustine of Hippo (354 - 430 AD) was an early Christian theologian and philosopher whose writings influenced the development of Western Christianity and Western philosophy." - Wikipedia.

What was Augustine?s answer to the question, ?What was God doing before He created the world?"

Spoiler

Augustine allegedly replied: ?Creating hell for curious souls.?

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[Augusto]

Lol, that last one is hillarious...! +1

[eyeshaveit]

"For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth." - Romans 1.

Describe the "wrath of God" ?

Spoiler

God's wrath is a response to evil (sin).
God's wrath is always measured and just.
God's wrath is stored up for a 'day of wrath'.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

What does the minimum Christian Church service consist of ?

Spoiler

1 - Singing.
2 - Praying.
3 - Reading of Scripture.
4 - Preaching from the Word.
5 - Administering of the Lord's Supper regularly.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

"If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector." - Matthew 18.

What is the one (only) sin 'worthy' of the church breaking fellowship with a believer ?

Spoiler

The sin of impenitence.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

John Calvin wrote in the Institutes of the Christian Religion of the 'new covenant and a threefold use of the law'. Explain ?

Spoiler

1 - The law reveals the holy character of God, and points to the gospel.

2 - The law's warnings undertake to restrain us against sin.

3 - The law discloses that which is pleasing to God.

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[eyeshaveit]

"But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed. And in their greed they will exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep." - 2 Peter 2.

What three-part history does Peter offer on God's judgment of false teachers ?

Spoiler

1 - "For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to chains of gloomy darkness to be kept until the judgment ..."

2 - "If he did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a herald of righteousness, with seven others, when he brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly ..."

3 - "If by turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes he condemned them to extinction, making them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly ..."

2 Peter 2.

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[eyeshaveit]

True or False : Kings, queens, presidents, prime ministers, etc., are governing authorities a gift from God ?

Spoiler

True,

"Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer. Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God's wrath but also for the sake of conscience. For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed." - Romans 13.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

"The Thirty Years' War was a series of wars in Central Europe. It was one of the longest and most destructive conflicts in European history. It was the deadliest European religious war, resulting in eight million casualties." - Google.

When and how did the Thirty Years War end ?

Spoiler

The Thirty Years War began in 1618 and ended in 1648 with the Peace of Westphalia.
This truce left the Roman Catholics generally 'strong' in the south of Europe, and the Protestants maintaining control in the north.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

In 1 Corinthian 15 the Apostle Paul writes of what four points of 'the resurrected body' ?

Spoiler

1 - Analogy of seed planting - "What you sow does not come to life unless it dies ... God gives it a body as he has chosen" - 1 Corinthians 15:36-38.

2 - Unique forms of the resurrection - "Not all flesh is the same ... the glory of the heavenly is of one kind, and the glory of the earthly" - 1 Corinthians 15:39-41.

3 - Contrasting the 'sown' and the 'raised' - "It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body" - 1 Corinthians 15:42-44.

4 - Jesus Christ, the prototype - "Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven." - 1 Corinthians 15:45-49.

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[eyeshaveit]

As outlined in the Book of Leviticus, what were the principle aspects of the Israelite worship schedule and calendar ?

Spoiler

Prayers both morning and evening.
Weekly and monthly offerings.
Passover - Feast of Unleavened Bread.
Pentecost - Festival of First Fruits.
Rosh Hashanah - Festival of Trumpets.
Yom Kippur - Day of Atonement.

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[eyeshaveit]

"Augustine?s great and terrible doctrine of so-called ?double predestination? was rejected by many in his time as it is by some today" - Google.

What is ?double predestination? ?

Spoiler

"The term "double predestination" is used by some writers (usually in a disparaging way) to refer to the doctrine that God has appointed the eternal destiny, not only of His elect people, but also of those who are not elect." - Google.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

What is 'open theism' ?

Spoiler

"Open theism, also called free will theism and openness theology, is the belief that God does not exercise meticulous control of the universe but leaves it "open" for humans to make significant choices (free will) that impact their relationships with God and others. A corollary of this is that God has not predetermined the future. Open Theists further believe that this would imply that God does not know the future exhaustively. Proponents affirm that God is omniscient, but deny that this means that God knows everything that will happen." - Theopedia.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

What was Pax Romana and how long did it last ?

Spoiler

Pax Romana was the long period of relative peace and minimal expansion by the Roman military force experienced by the Roman Empire after the end of the Final War of the Roman Republic and before the beginning of the Crisis of the Third Century ... Its span was approximately 206 years (27 BC to 180 AD) - Wikipedia

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

What is the 'Shekinah glory of God' ?

Spoiler

Shekinah is the English transliteration of a Hebrew noun meaning dwelling or settling, and denotes the dwelling or settling of the divine presence of God and his cosmic glory - Wikipedia:

"When the sun had gone down and it was dark, behold, a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch passed between these pieces. On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram" - Genesis 15.

"Now Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian, and he led his flock to the west side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. And the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed. - Exodus 3.

"And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear." - Luke 2.

"But Saul ... approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him. And falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, ?Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?? - Acts 9.   

Etc.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

Explain the 'steps' in the formation and coming together of the Holy Bible ?

Spoiler

1 - God's speaking (both directly and indirectly) and the ministry of Christ.

2 - Publication and distribution by scribes, monks and disciples, etc.

3 - Recognition, sorting and gathering into collections.

[close]

[composer]

Explain the 'steps' in the formation and coming together of the Holy Bible ?

Spoiler

1 - God's speaking (both directly and indirectly) and the ministry of Christ.

2 - Publication and distribution by scribes, monks and disciples, etc.

3 - Recognition, sorting and gathering into collections.

[close]

Propaganda based upon MYTHS; compiled, twisted, distorted, wrested, ending in the garbage called the bible I turn to useful compost & still remain Vindicated today!

[GratefulApe]

What is 'open theism' ?

Spoiler

"Open theism, also called free will theism and openness theology, is the belief that God does not exercise meticulous control of the universe but leaves it "open" for humans to make significant choices (free will) that impact their relationships with God and others. A corollary of this is that God has not predetermined the future. Open Theists further believe that this would imply that God does not know the future exhaustively. Proponents affirm that God is omniscient, but deny that this means that God knows everything that will happen." - Theopedia.

[close]

Open theism is made up of a bunch of whimpy men and and a whole gaggle of big mouth broads.

[GratefulApe]

What is the 'Shekinah glory of God' ?

Spoiler

Shekinah is the English transliteration of a Hebrew noun meaning dwelling or settling, and denotes the dwelling or settling of the divine presence of God and his cosmic glory - Wikipedia:

"When the sun had gone down and it was dark, behold, a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch passed between these pieces. On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram" - Genesis 15.

"Now Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian, and he led his flock to the west side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. And the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed. - Exodus 3.

"And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear." - Luke 2.

"But Saul ... approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him. And falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, ?Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?? - Acts 9.   

Etc.

[close]

It's a Theophany.

[eyeshaveit]

How do the words, 'Egypt', 'journeys', 'Mount Sinai', 'Jericho', and 'Israel' relate to each other in the Pentateuch ?

Spoiler

These are the last words of the first five books of the Bible: Genesis - 'Egypt'; Exodus - 'journeys'; Leviticus - 'Mount Sinai'; Numbers - 'Jericho'; and Deuteronomy - 'Israel'.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

What is Koinonia ?

Spoiler

"Koinonia is a form of the Greek word, which means communion, joint participation, etc. It identifies the idealized state of fellowship and unity that should exist within the Christian church, the Body of Christ." - Wikipedia.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

What is the Bible's timespan bewtween Adam and Christ ?

Spoiler

About 6,000 years.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

"And this is the testimony of John [the Baptist], when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, ?Who are you?? 20 He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, ?I am not the Christ.? 21 And they asked him, ?What then? Are you Elijah?? He said, ?I am not.? ?Are you the Prophet??" - John 1.

Who was this "prophet" that the Jews were seeking ?

Spoiler

"?The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me [Moses] from among you, from your brothers?it is to him you shall listen? just as you desired of the Lord your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly, when you said, ?Let me not hear again the voice of the Lord my God or see this great fire any more, lest I die.? And the Lord said to me, ?They are right in what they have spoken. I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers." - Deuteronomy 18

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

:The Lord said to Moses, ?Go up into this mountain of Abarim and see the land that I have given to the people of Israel. When you have seen it, you also shall be gathered to your people, as your brother Aaron was, because you rebelled against my word in the wilderness of Zin when the congregation quarreled, failing to uphold me as holy at the waters before their eyes.? (These are the waters of Meribah of Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin.)" - Numbers 27

Moses did not make it into the 'promised land', but what of Moses' descendents; what does the Bible say ?

Spoiler

"And the people of Dan set up the carved image for themselves, and Jonathan the son of Gershom, son of Moses, and his sons were priests to the tribe of the Danites until the day of the captivity of the land."- Judges 18.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

"Such a one is the deceiver and the antichrist." - 2 John 1.

The word 'antichrist' is found in the New Testament

5 times ?
10 times ?
15 times ?
20 times ?

Spoiler

5 times

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

Explain Thomas Aquinas'  "Doctrine of Necessary Being" ?

Spoiler

"A necessary being is a living, self-aware thing that must necessarily exist for all other things to exist because that necessary being is the author of the universe and the initial cause of all things material." - Christian Apologetics & Research Ministry.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

Who are the Remonstrants ?

Spoiler

"The Remonstrants are Dutch Protestants who, after the death of Jacobus Arminius, maintained the views associated with his name. In 1610, they presented to the States of Holland and Friesland a remonstrance in five articles formulating their points of disagreement with Calvinism. According to 2010 statistics, a 6,000-strong Remonstrant community remains in the Netherlands. There is also a single congregation in Friedrichstadt in northern Germany." - Wikipedia.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

When and why did Christians start worshiping on Sunday ?
How has observing the Sabbath changed throughout church history ?
How is church growth affecting Sunday worship today ?

Today's answers are found in a short video:
http://eerdword.com/2017/06/07/a-brief-quiz-tory-of-sunday/

[eyeshaveit]

"Salvation Army Scrubs Replacement Theology From Website After Scrutiny" - From the Internet.

What is Replacement Theology ?

Spoiler

"Replacement Theology is a Christian theological view on the current status of the church in relation to the Jewish people and Judaism. It holds that the Christian Church has succeeded the Israelites as the definitive people of God or that the New Covenant has replaced or superseded the Mosaic covenant." - Wikipedia.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

Did God create evil ?

Answer in this 5 minute video:

[composer]

 

Posts like yours & Co. demonstrate there are only imaginary-human devised Supernatural God(s)

Story book God is solely responsible for having Created evil!

Story book proofs -

Col. 1:16 & John 1:3

QED

[eyeshaveit]

"The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want." - Psalm 23.

Name 5 other Bible verses where God is identified as a shepherd ?

Spoiler

Psalm 80:1 - "Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, you who lead Joseph like a flock"

Ecclesiastes 12:11 - "The words of the wise are like goads, and like nails firmly fixed are the collected sayings; they are given by one Shepherd."

Isaiah 40:11 - "He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms"

Jeremiah 31:10 - "Hear the word of the LORD, O nations, and declare it in the coastlands far away; say, ?He who scattered Israel will gather him, and will keep him as a shepherd keeps his flock."

Ezekiel 34:11,12 - "For thus says the Lord God: Behold, I, I myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out. As a shepherd seeks out his flock when he is among his sheep that have been scattered, so will I seek out my sheep, and I will rescue them"

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

The Swedish government is quizzing refugees about Christianity to find people who lie about their faith beliefs. So authorities ask questions on the Bible and doctrine when refugees apply for asylum.

One of the questions on the test that the Swedish Migration Agency asks is: "How many books the New Testament is divided into?"

Spoiler

The New Testament is comprised of 27 books.

[close]

[composer]

The Swedish government is quizzing refugees about Christianity to find people who lie about their faith beliefs. So authorities ask questions on the Bible and doctrine when refugees apply for asylum.

One of the questions on the test that the Swedish Migration Agency asks is: "How many books the New Testament is divided into?"

Spoiler

The New Testament is comprised of 27 books.

[close]

Meanwhile,  Story book God is solely responsible for having Created evil!

Story book proofs -

Col. 1:16 & John 1:3

QED

[eyeshaveit]

Are Christians better than non-Christians ?

Spoiler

No - at our very best, we are all sinners.

"Do you think that you deserve forgiveness? If you do, you are not a Christian." - Martyn Lloyd-Jones.

"For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast." - Ephesians 2.

[close]

[composer]

Are Christians better than non-Christians ?

Meanwhile Posts like yours & Co. demonstrate there are only imaginary-human devised Supernatural God(s)

&

Story book God is solely responsible for having Created evil!

Story book proofs -

Col. 1:16 & John 1:3

QED

[bad actor]

^^^^^ Here is one of Composers posts that some of the Christians on here will dismiss as "drivel"... but is it?


From eyeshaveits "spoiler" in reply # 479:

No - at our very best, we are all sinners.

"Do you think that you deserve forgiveness? If you do, you are not a Christian." - Martyn Lloyd-Jones.

"For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast." - Ephesians 2.

The  whole concept of a deity that is supposedly just perfect in every way creating these creatures that aren't perfect, and then expecting perfection from them is ridiculous.

What is even more ridiculous is the idea that they should be punished for being created imperfectly and need to be saved. Saved from what? Oh, the very thing that created them.

Then the very thing that created them couldn't save them unless it's "only begotten son" died first!

Story book God is solely responsible for having Created evil!

Story book proofs -

Col. 1:16 & John 1:3

QED

Here, Mr. Composer drives the point home by pointing out that Your God is the one who allowed "sin" and "evil" to exist in the first place.

If he wanted a universe and creatures without sin... Then why the hell didn't he create it that way? Surely you have heard of the problem of evil?

The problem of evil refers to the question of how to reconcile the existence of evil with an omnibenevolent, omniscient, and omnipotent God (see theism).[1][2] An argument from evil attempts to show that the co-existence of evil and such a God is unlikely or impossible. Attempts to show the contrary have traditionally been discussed under the heading of theodicy. Besides philosophy of religion, the problem of evil is also important to the field of theology and ethics.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Problem_of_evil

Composer takes a little time out of his day everyday to come here and help you.... And you guys insult him. You should be thanking him for his very patient and genuinely loving supervision!!!! 


.

[eyeshaveit]

/\ /\ /\ +1

[eyeshaveit]

A new study by Faithlife, of the 100 Bible verses cited most frequently in systematic theology books, suggests what Bible verse as the most popular ?

Spoiler

"And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth."  - John 1:14 -

The study revealed that John 1:14 was referenced the most times.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

Why do bad things happen to good people ?

Answer found in this short video:

[composer]

 

Meanwhile -

Story book God is solely responsible for having Created evil!

Story book proofs -

Col. 1:16 & John 1:3

Your trying to deflect/dodge that, to your speculating/moving the goalpost away from that, instead    offering an irrelevancy of suggesting ' why bad things happen to good people '   

[eyeshaveit]

Explain Saint Augustine's four states of man in relation to sin ? 

Spoiler

1 - Able to sin, able not to sin - Man (Adam) before the fall.

2 - Not able not to sin - Natural man after the fall.

3 - Able not to sin - The state of regenerate man.

4 - Unable to sin - The state of glorified man.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

How many times does the number "7" appear in the Holy Bible's Book of Revelation ?

18 times ?
36 times ?
54 times ?
72 times ?

Spoiler

54 times:

7  Angels.
7 Bowls.
7 Eyes
7 Horns.
7 Lamps.
7 Plagues.
7 Seals.
7 Spirits.
7 Stars.
7 Thunders
Etc.

[close]

[composer]

 

Meanwhile Posts like yours & Co. demonstrate there are only imaginary-human devised Supernatural God(s)

&

Story book God is solely responsible for having Created evil!

Story book proofs -

Col. 1:16 & John 1:3

QED

[eyeshaveit]

"Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God" - Exodus 20.

The word "holy", as related to keeping the Sabbath holy, occurs about what percent of the times in the Holy Bible ?

5% of the time ?
10% of the time ?
20% of the time ?
30% of the time ?

Spoiler

More than 30% of the time.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

What three aspects are essential for 'Christian' true faith ?

Spoiler

n?titia - notice, knowledge.
ass?nsus - assented to, belief.
fiducia - trust, faith.

1 - Knowledge of what we believe.
2 - Belief that God's word is true.
3 - Confidence and trust in Jesus Christ as revealed in the Bible/Gospel.

[close]

[eyeshaveit]

What are 'appeals to selective evidence' ?

Spoiler

"Cherry picking, suppressing evidence, or the fallacy of incomplete evidence is the act of pointing to individual cases or data that seem to confirm a particular position, while ignoring a significant portion of related cases or data that may contradict that position." - Wikipedia.

One example is 'name-it-and-claim-it' preaching, which cites Bible verses; certain ones that promise answers to prayer for 'whatever you ask'. These preachers might quote John 14:13?14 - ?Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.?

Of course the Bible also stresses the need for faith when you pray: Hebrews 11:6; James 1:6; etc. But these preachers sustain their name-it-and-claim-it method through continued selective use of evidence.

[close]

[composer]

 

Meanwhile Posts like yours & Co. demonstrate there are only imaginary-human devised Supernatural God(s)

&

Story book God is solely responsible for having Created evil!

Story book proofs -

Col. 1:16 & John 1:3

QED

[eyeshaveit]

"I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus." - Revelation 1.

Explain what banishment involved in the first century Roman Empire ?

Spoiler

Civil banishment:
1 - Loss of freedom to travel.
2 - Loss of civil rights.
3 - Loss of property.

Criminal (Christian) banishment:
4 - Further sentenced to hard labor. On Patmos, that meant working in the quarries.

[close]

[composer]

 

Meanwhile Posts like yours & Co. demonstrate there are only imaginary-human devised Supernatural God(s)

&

Story book God is solely responsible for having Created evil!

Story book proofs -

Col. 1:16 & John 1:3

QED

[eyeshaveit]

What are some important non-Christian worldviews ?

Spoiler

Islam - There is only one God. He has no son. He has revealed His will through the prophet, Muhammad, and his word, the Qur?an.

Moralistic Deism - God wants us to be happy and good and He intervenes in our affairs only when we pray to Him for help.

Naturalism - There is no creator / god. Humans are highly evolved animals. The universe is a closed physical system.

Pantheism - God is the totality of reality; humans, by nature, are thus divine.

Pluralism - All of he world religions are equally valid paths to salvation.

Postmodernism - There are no moral standards or objective truths. 'Reality' is just a human social construction.

[close]

[composer]

 

Meanwhile Posts like yours & Co. demonstrate there are only imaginary-human devised Supernatural God(s)

&

Story book God is solely responsible for having Created evil!

Story book proofs -

Col. 1:16 & John 1:3

QED

[eyeshaveit]

Does the Bible tell us what heaven will be like ?

Spoiler

Revelation 21 and 22 lay out a visual image of heaven: streets of gold; no sun; no moon and no stars, all because of light that radiates from God. There?s no death; no pain; no tears; no disease; no sorrow; no sickness; no hatred and no evil. And that?s just a glimpse of things to come.

[close]

[composer]

Does the Bible tell us what heaven will be like ?

Spoiler

Revelation 21 and 22 lay out a visual image of heaven: streets of gold; no sun; no moon and no stars, all because of light that radiates from God. There?s no death; no pain; no tears; no disease; no sorrow; no sickness; no hatred and no evil. And that?s just a glimpse of things to come.

[close]

This human devised Story book place was full of hatred & a War with the God that created evil (Col. 1:16 & John 1:3)

[eyeshaveit]

Why do we need Jesus Christ anyway ?

Spoiler

God is altogether holy and perfectly just. God has declared that He is going to judge the world and hold us accountable for our lives. God requires from us a life of perfect obedience and of perfect justness. So, if you have lived a 'perfect' life of perfect justness and obedience, then you don?t need Jesus Christ. Only unjust people need a Savior.

[close]

[bad actor]

Does the Bible tell us what heaven will be like ?


Revelation 21 and 22 lay out a visual image of heaven: streets of gold; no sun; no moon and no stars, all because of light that radiates from God. There?s no death; no pain; no tears; no disease; no sorrow; no sickness; no hatred and no evil. And that?s just a glimpse of things to come.

MY BOLD:

Streets of Gold? Why do we need streets in heaven? Gold is not an optimum material for a street, no traction.




.

[eyeshaveit]

Does the Bible tell us what heaven will be like ?


Revelation 21 and 22 lay out a visual image of heaven: streets of gold; no sun; no moon and no stars, all because of light that radiates from God. There?s no death; no pain; no tears; no disease; no sorrow; no sickness; no hatred and no evil. And that?s just a glimpse of things to come.

MY BOLD:

Streets of Gold? Why do we need streets in heaven? Gold is not an optimum material for a street, no traction.

Bejeweled walls and twelve gates, made each out of a giant pearl, are also described by John.
Are these 'real' or just indications of new ways and things that the human mind can't fully comprehend ? 
Not many of us would want to walk around a garden naked: just imagine the cuts, scratches, bruises, sunburn etc.
But the Garden of Eden was vastly 'different' - so was Adam's body like the resurrected Christ's glorified physical body ?
Most of us can't imagine walking barefoot and at ease or comfortably sitting bare-assed in a natural outdoor garden or forest setting ?       

[bad actor]

Bejeweled walls and twelve gates, made each out of a giant pearl, are also described by John.
Are these 'real' or just indications of new ways and things that the human mind can't fully comprehend ? 

Sure, it could be that. After all.. Why would you need roads in heaven, right? I mean, we get wings, don't we? 

                 eyehaveit thinks to himself "What do you mean 'we' you godless libtard?"

[eyeshaveit]

What are the three different appearances (Greek = to appear) of Jesus Christ mentioned in Hebrews 9 ?

Spoiler

1 - Past - Christ appeared and put away sin through his sacrifice - Hebrews. 9:11, 26.

2 - Present - Christ now appears, as our advocate, in the presence of God. -  Hebrews 9:24.

3 - Future - Christ will appear to save believers who wait and keep watch for him. - Hebrews  9:28.

[close]

[composer]

What are the three different appearances (Greek = to appear) of Jesus Christ mentioned in Hebrews 9 ?

1 - Past - Christ appeared and put away sin through his sacrifice - Hebrews. 9:11, 26.

Deut. 24:16, Ezek. 18:20 & Jer. 31:30 disagree!

&

IF sin was put away, there would be no more sin but Cults like yours tell us sin still abounds & prevailed!

&

If Story book jebus really sacrificed itself, then it wouldn't have been raised & rewarded = no sacrifice at all, especially considering it gained more than it had before!

2 - Present - Christ now appears, as our advocate, in the presence of God. -  Hebrews 9:24.

Only in Story book land!

3 - Future - Christ will appear to save believers who wait and keep watch for him. - Hebrews  9:28.

Story book again refutes you, there is NO certainty to your assertion according to your Story book -

e.g. - For he says to Moses, "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion." (Rom. 9:15) ESV Holey Story book

[eyeshaveit]

Bejeweled walls and twelve gates, made each out of a giant pearl, are also described by John.
Are these 'real' or just indications of new ways and things that the human mind can't fully comprehend ? 

Sure, it could be that. After all.. Why would you need roads in heaven, right? I mean, we get wings, don't we? 

The promise for believers is for a resurrected, 'glorified' physical body: all of our touchy, feely senses and more. Tim Keller, a prominent reformed theologian, says, 'that there will be a banks in New Jerusalem'. That sounds like a stretch to me, but the point is that the resurrection will be physical; no wings.

[bad actor]

The promise for believers is for a resurrected, 'glorified' physical body: all of our touchy, feely senses and more.

I have a friend that I've known since high school who is one of those people that is just so kind and giving that it blows my mind. She's an atheist, but she married a Christian guy that she met while volunteering for one of the many causes that she supports. She donates a lot of time and money to helping homeless people and she's really involved in animal causes all over the world.

When the kids get punished, they usually have to do some kind of community service. She goes and does it with them, whatever it is. She enjoys it.

She organizes groups to clean up litter at various spots around the Seattle area. Always doing something for the community. Plus, you will never, ever, hear her say a bad thing about anybody.

She doesn't believe in God. Does she go to heaven?

If "God" is so hung up on people believing in him, why not remove all doubt? Why the game of hide and seek? Atheists seek Gods and all we get are ancient books that sound like they were written by the people of the time, not some infinitely knowledgeable super being.

That sounds like a stretch to me, but the point is that the resurrection will be physical; no wings.

Man, it ALL sounds like a stretch to me.

[composer]

The promise for believers is for a resurrected, 'glorified' physical body:. . . .

You sneakily missed out the important part -

The Holey Story book promise for believers is for a resurrected, 'glorified' physical body:. . . .

[eyeshaveit]

I have a friend that I've known since high school who is one of those people that is just so kind and giving that it blows my mind. She's an atheist, but she married a Christian guy that she met while volunteering for one of the many causes that she supports. She donates a lot of time and money to helping homeless people and she's really involved in animal causes all over the world.

When the kids get punished, they usually have to do some kind of community service. She goes and does it with them, whatever it is. She enjoys it.

She organizes groups to clean up litter at various spots around the Seattle area. Always doing something for the community. Plus, you will never, ever, hear her say a bad thing about anybody.

She doesn't believe in God. Does she go to heaven?

Not my call, but the scriptures plainly say that unbelievers do many generous and fine things, but that there is no one really good except God. One quick example - this morning in my prayers: words were flowing out on each breath taken, but my thoughts were on breakfast, food and coffee; that's not being 'good'. 

If "God" is so hung up on people believing in him, why not remove all doubt? Why the game of hide and seek?

But God plainly says in the scriptures that all people do believe in him ?

Atheists seek Gods and all we get are ancient books that sound like they were written by the people of the time, not some infinitely knowledgeable super being.

If an atheist is on a 'real' journey, one that starts with a lack of belief and understanding, then he ought to concentrate (meditate) on two things: one, on himself and his wonderful mind and body; where did it all come from - and second, who or what is the source of that marvelous 'machinery' encased in flesh and bone ? 

The engineer, the rider on the clouds, my Lord and God, he's always there, moving things along.   

[composer]

Not my call, but the scriptures plainly say that unbelievers do many generous and fine things, but that there is no one really good except God. One quick example - this morning in my prayers: words were flowing out on each breath taken, but my thoughts were on breakfast, food and coffee; that's not being 'good'.

eyeshaveit, my fellow jebus hater! (Proofs - http://isgodimaginary.com/forum/index.php/topic,63220.msg834410.html#msg834410)

That's another reason Story book jebus rejected you! (1 John 3:6) Holey Story book

i.e. because you even admit to focusing on the carnal, just as your true Master wants! (1 John 3:8) Holey Story book

[eyeshaveit]

"Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation." - Genesis 2.

Has mankind always held to this seven day week with a 'Sabbath day' of rest ?

Spoiler

China, Japan, Korea and France have tried a 10 day week;
Russia alsoi has tried both a 5 day and a 6 day secular week,
Other governments at times have tried 4, 8, and 9 day weeks,
But only the Bible's original 7 day week has stood the test of time.

[close]

[composer]

"Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation." - Genesis 2.

Has mankind always held to this seven day week with a 'Sabbath day' of rest ?

Meanwhile Posts like yours & Co. demonstrate there are only imaginary-human devised Supernatural God(s)

&

Story book God is solely responsible for having Created evil!

Story book proofs -

Col. 1:16 & John 1:3

QED

[bad actor]

One quick example - this morning in my prayers: words were flowing out on each breath taken, but my thoughts were on breakfast, food and coffee; that's not being 'good'. 

Don't be so hard on yourself. It's hard for the mind not to wander when having one sided conversations with beings that might not even be there.

Especially before morning coffee.

[eyeshaveit]

What is 'natural theology' ?

Spoiler

"Natural theology, once also termed physico-theology, is a type of theology that provides arguments for the existence of God based on reason and ordinary experience of nature. This distinguishes it from revealed theology, which is based on scripture and/or religious experiences, and also from transcendental theology, which is based on a priori reasoning." - Wikipedia.

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[eyeshaveit]

What is 'grace' ?

Spoiler

"Grace is God?s unmerited favor to ill-deserving sinners in Jesus Christ. The presence of the risen Christ, extending God?s forgivness and power so that God?s provision of His Son for redemption is effected through the agency of the Holy Spirit in the heart of man ...

"The assistance of grace does not even depend on the humility or obedience of man ... for it is a gift of grace itself that we are obedient and humble ...as the Apostle says, "What have you that you did not receive?" (1 Corinthians 4:7), and, "But by the grace of God I am what I am" (1 Corinthians 15:10)."

Monergism.com

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[eyeshaveit]

Who was the first person to see Jesus after his resurrection ?

James ?
John ?
Mary ?
Peter ?

Spoiler

But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb. And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. They said to her, ?Woman, why are you weeping?? She said to them, ?They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.? Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing ..." - John 20.

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[GratefulApe]

Who was the first person to see Jesus after his resurrection ?

James ?
John ?
Mary ?
Peter ?

Spoiler

But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb. And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. They said to her, ?Woman, why are you weeping?? She said to them, ?They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.? Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing ..." - John 20.

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While I'm not sure of the 'personhood' of angels they were the first to see Jesus.

[GratefulApe]

And furthermore what were the angels doing there? Got an answer for that one Mr. eyes?

[eyeshaveit]

Who was the first person to see Jesus after his resurrection ?

James ?
John ?
Mary ?
Peter ?

Spoiler

But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb. And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. They said to her, ?Woman, why are you weeping?? She said to them, ?They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.? Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing ..." - John 20.

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While I'm not sure of the 'personhood' of angels they were the first to see Jesus.

Angels are personalities. The question might have been better stated as, 'Who was the first person to see Jesus after his resurrection ?'

And furthermore what were the angels doing there? Got an answer for that one Mr. eyes?

Might Angels have been there to reinforce the central importance of Christ's resurrection to a Christian's faith ?

[eyeshaveit]

What is the division of labor between church and state ?

Spoiler

God lets the state administer justice on earth; God lets the church administer his Word and sacraments.

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[GratefulApe]

Might Angels have been there to reinforce the central importance of Christ's resurrection to a Christian's faith ?

No not really. That's the Holy Spirits job.

The angels according to Scripture were there for two reasons. To roll away the tomb stone and to remind them of where Jesus had said  his brothers will see him. In Galilee.


Matthew 28 ESV

2 And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. 4 And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. 5 But the angel said to the women, ?Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. 6 He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you.? 8 So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9 And behold, Jesus met them and said, ?Greetings!? And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, ?Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.?

[GratefulApe]

What is the division of labor between church and state ?

Spoiler

God lets the state administer justice on earth; God lets the church administer his Word and sacraments.

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No such thing as "sacraments". The church is bound by ordinances such as communion and baptism. Sacrament is a word or concept that implies that there is some "magic" involved and so that only certain people within the hierarchy of a church can perform such ordinances. The Catholics and Lutheran love to call them "sacraments" so that they can feel superior and feed their church hierarchy roles.

[GratefulApe]

What is 'grace' ?

Spoiler

"Grace is God?s unmerited favor to ill-deserving sinners in Jesus Christ. The presence of the risen Christ, extending God?s forgivness and power so that God?s provision of His Son for redemption is effected through the agency of the Holy Spirit in the heart of man ...

"The assistance of grace does not even depend on the humility or obedience of man ... for it is a gift of grace itself that we are obedient and humble ...as the Apostle says, "What have you that you did not receive?" (1 Corinthians 4:7), and, "But by the grace of God I am what I am" (1 Corinthians 15:10)."

Monergism.com

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Grace is when you spill your milk and the host cleans it up and looks the other way

[eyeshaveit]

Are there any Bible verses about 'freedom' ?

Spoiler

"For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery." - Galatians 5:1 

"In him [Christ] and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence." - Ephesians 3:12 

"Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God." - 1 Peter 2:16

"And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." - John 8:32 

"Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom." - 2 Corinthians 3:17

"But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself." - Philippians 3:20-21 

"To Him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins through His name." - Acts 10:43

"I will walk about in freedom, for I have sought out your precepts." - Psalm 119:45

"We know that our old self was crucified with Him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin." - Romans 6:6-7

"The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind,to release the oppressed,to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." - Luke 4:18-19

Above list compliments of The Gospel Herald

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[eyeshaveit]

Wisdom ? According to Proverbs 9, what "is the beginning of wisdom" ? 

Spoiler

"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight." - Proverbs 9.

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[eyeshaveit]

Can a Christian keep the Law of Moses ?

Spoiler

Sure, a Christian is free to keep the Law if they wish, but it is certainly not required.

"All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work." - 2 Timothy 2.

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[GratefulApe]

Can a Christian keep the Law of Moses ?

Spoiler

Sure, a Christian is free to keep the Law if they wish, but it is certainly not required.

"All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work." - 2 Timothy 2.

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Nobody can keep the law of Moses and never could. The law was made to separate the Jews from the gentiles. To keep them as a separate nation. The law was to point Jews to sin like looking in a mirror for flaws but the mirror doesn't fix anything just shows you what's there. Since the death of Messiah the law was rendered inoperative.

[eyeshaveit]

Karma is the law of cause and effect.

"Karma is the sum of a person's actions in this and previous states of existence, viewed as deciding their fate in future existences." - Wikipedia.

Does the Holy Bible support karma ?

Spoiler

No! Karma denies the Bible's concept of a personal sovereign God and God's grace: whereby atonement for sins and salvation are gained only through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ; not upon an individual's own merits.
And karma and reincarnation are in clear opposition to Hebrews 9:27 - ?For it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment.?

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[eyeshaveit]

What are the unique characteristics of the Christian God ?

1 - He exists ?
2 - His holiness ?
3 - The atonement leading to salvation ?

Spoiler

All the above.

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[eyeshaveit]

What is the truth behind these five 'fake news' stories about early Christianity:

1. Jesus was married to Mary Magdalene.
2. The divinity of Jesus was not decided until the council of Nicea in the fourth century.
3. Christians did not have a ?Bible? until the time of Constantine.
4. The ?Gnostic? Gospels like the Gospel of Thomas were just as popular as Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
5. The words of the New Testament have been radically changed and corrupted in the earliest centuries.

Spoiler

Explore these issues at:
https://michaeljkruger.com/five-fake-news-stories-that-people-believe-about-early-christianity/

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[Inertialmass]

^^^^  Don't ya love the way fake news professionals try their best to turn it around?

"Today's Darkies is the worst racists.  We was all better off back in the day with 'em pickin' cotton an' praisin' Jesus!"

"Liberals is all a buncha elite, effete, bloodthirsty killers!"

"Unlike these fake, socalled scientific 'theories,' the bible is the literal word of god unblemished by the stain of human corruption."

"My dad's bigger than your dad.  My dog's bigger than your dog.  I'm gonna tell Teacher if you call me names again!"

[eyeshaveit]

Rearrange this alphabetical list of biblical kings in correct chronological order ?

Cyrus
David
Herod
Melchizedek
Nebuchadnezzar
Saul
Solomon

Spoiler

Melchizedek
Saul
David
Solomon
Nebuchadnezzar
Cyrus
Herod

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[eyeshaveit]

"He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world." - 1 John 2.

What is 'propitiation' ? Explain the difference between 'propitiation' and 'expiation' ?

Spoiler

Expiation is the taking away of guilt through the payment of a penalty. That biblical penalty for sin is the offering of an atonement.

Propitiation is the object of the expiation, as in the Christians who are restored to fellowship with God through the atonement death of Jesus Christ.

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[eyeshaveit]

Explain the difference between Christian education and public education ?

Spoiler

The differences rest in a commitment to a God centered or to a not God centered perspective.

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[eyeshaveit]

What is Dispensationalism ?

Spoiler

Dispensationalism is a Christian evangelical, futurist, Biblical interpretation that believes that God has related to human beings in different ways under different Biblical covenants in a series of "dispensations," or periods in history.

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[eyeshaveit]

"Bezalel made the ark of acacia wood. Two cubits and a half was its length, a cubit and a half its breadth, and a cubit and a half its height. And he overlaid it with pure gold inside and outside, and made a molding of gold around it. And he cast for it four rings of gold for its four feet, two rings on its one side and two rings on its other side. And he made poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold and put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark to carry the ark."- Exodus 37.

Trace the biblical history of the journeys of the Ark of the Covenant ?

Spoiler

Built in and moved to various locations in the Sinai wilderness.
Moved to Gilgal.
Moved to Shiloh.
Moved to Bethel.
Moved to Nob.
Moved to Gibeon.
Later Solomon brought the Ark to Jerusalem and the temple.

Spoiler

.

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