Greetings again SteveB,
I was interested if you noticed this and how thorough was your understanding of what you read. If you read Deuteronomy six times you may have noticed this theme, especially if your read a few of the early chapters in one sitting. I often read and gloss over some aspects of what is actually stated, but this theme was drawn to my attention by one of our speakers in a talk in 2006 and now I notice this more when I read Deuteronomy.
I've read it a lot more than six times. The 6 times is just my present reading.
They're giants in the land. They apparently scared the poop out of the Israeli's, and intimidated them enough to stop them dead in their tracks, and wind up spending 40 years wandering about the wilderness, because they did not believe God would do what he said he would.
No, I asked if you had your own reading plan and if you read the Bible consistently.
Yep.
The rest is still obscure. You were the one that started this on the basis that you thought I did not read the Bible and its message and I assume you were saying that if I did I would make the same conclusions as you did on Genesis.
Considering you appear stuck on a couple of ideas, and haven't mentioned the rest of the biblical narrative on the state of man before God.... then made comments that to you death is it, there is no hell, lake of fire, etc.... It's pretty clear that you've not read much of the bible. Or if you had, it was a rough run through, and no more than once or twice at best.
I understand this recall was to enable the Apostles to teach and Matthew and John to record their Gospel messages under inspiration. I do not believe that this is speaking to us, and I do not have a third voice in my head.
Well, that presents a problem.
1- I believe that because Jesus having said the recall is given to us by the Holy Spirit, is recorded in the gospel, that it's for the followers of Jesus today.
2- I've never heard a third voice. So, that you think it's an actual voice.... this tells me you don't understand it. And that you don't believe Jesus when he said it is for his followers, throughout church history, this presents me with more questions about your state before God.
3- while you are indeed entitled to believe whatever you want.... we who follow Jesus-- we're to believe Jesus. We're to follow Jesus. We're not to follow the followers of those who are following Jesus. We're to follow Jesus.
One of my ex-Baptist workmates now part time Pentecostal Pastor claimed that what he stated was as a result of his having the Holy Spirit.
Ok.
On one occasion when we were discussing OSAS, he paused took a deep breath, and then stated something ridiculous in support of OSAS. He also believed in the gift of healing and the prosperity doctrine.
I'm not a calvinist (C) or an arminianist (A).
Early on in my walk with Jesus, the church I was attending taught that they are neither a C, nor an A. We're both a C and an A.
The whole idea is that those who follow Jesus are secure in his hands, and the hands of the Father. John 10:27-29, 17:11, 15, 2 Timothy 1:12.
By the same token, we must persevere! If we quit, then the question arises--- were we in fact following Jesus.
Hebrews 3:6, Colossians 1:23.
I read 2 Timothy 3 as teaching the need to listen to the inspired Word of God, not a voice within.
Here's a question for you....
Where did you ever come up with the idea that it's a "voice within"?
As I'd said--- I have never heard a voice giving me the scriptures.
For me, it's more like a memory. As Jesus said--- He shall bring to your remembrance everything I've taught you.
[Jhn 14:26 NKJV] 26 "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.
And for me, it's always been a memory of things I've read. NEVER a voice.
And the 2 Tim 3 passage is about denying the power of God at work in the life of a believer.
[2Ti 3:5 NKJV] 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!
Biblical Christianity is based on God's Power. Without the power of God, none of it is possible. It's just another empty religious ideology, in a long line of ideologies.
The Word of God and the Gospel is powerful and does not need the Holy Spirit to interpret this to us.
Actually--- it does need the Holy Spirit to correctly interpret it to, and for us!
Otherwise, we run off on a whole slew of various tangents, and rabbit trails which are based on man's ideas, and preconceptions.
Where do you think the 1400-2400 different denominations in the church of Jesus came from? It's not from the Holy Spirit.
Proverbs 3:5-8 is really important here, as are the following passages out of Proverbs
[Pro 11:14 NKJV] 14 Where [there is] no counsel, the people fall; But in the multitude of counselors [there is] safety.
[Pro 15:22 NKJV] 22 Without counsel, plans go awry, But in the multitude of counselors they are established.
[Pro 24:6 NKJV] 6 For by wise counsel you will wage your own war, And in a multitude of counselors [there is] safety.
Consider the Parable of the Sower and Romans 1:16-17, 10:17. My daughter moved to a region for a while, and attended a Baptist Church for a while. She became uncomfortable when an obsessive woman thought that she had the Holy Spirit and kept on harassing her with "I have a message for you" and then saying unusual things.
Ok. Our experiences are not to be used to interpret scripture! That said, I hope your daughter used Paul's edict to the Thessalonians as a basis to test that woman's comments.
[1Th 5:19-22 NKJV] 19 Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not despise prophecies. 21 Test all things; hold fast what is good. 22 Abstain from every form of evil.
Where I come from, we're strongly encouraged to seek God in reading, and prayer before we follow the "word of wisdom/knowledge" from others. Especially if we're not familiar with those who speak them.
God is quite capable of ensuring we get a message from him, and will typically use people who are closest to us, and are godly.
[Phl 3:15 NKJV] 15 Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you.
The main area of your posts was on Genesis on sin nature and death of the soul and you have now avoided this or given poor exposition by imposing your wrong theology or ideas on Genesis.
Well, you have been making it clear that you had never studied the topics I've been discussing.
I'm still working through the bible, and will be for the rest of my time on earth.
It's clear that Adam's "Living" soul died, as was evidenced by the changes that took place in him immediately following his eating the fruit, and God's appearance to take their regular "cool of the day" walk. The change that took place as evidenced by Abel's death, Cain's rebellion, and changing the practice of worship, and subsequent murder of Abel.
We read in numerous places throughout the bible, from Genesis to Revelation the consequence of Adam's sin played out on humanity, and the reason why Jesus came.
It was Jesus' comment to Nicodemus about the necessity of the new birth that got me wondering what the new birth was, and why it was so important. I've since been studying/reading to learn what the dynamics are, so I can better understand it, and be better equipped to describe/discuss it.
So far, the most concise description for the new birth I've ever found in the bible is Ezekiel 36:25-27.
The curious thing about this Ezekiel passage is that it's alluded to in Ezek 11, 18, and then most completely in 36.
We read in Deuteronomy 10:16, and 30:6 that it's important to have the "foreskin of our heart" circumcised, so we'll keep God's Commandments.
We then read in Jeremiah 31:31-34 (referenced later in Hebrews) that God will write his laws on our hearts and minds.
Paul's letters delve into it deeper, but not with a direct connection back to the Ezekiel passage.
Yes, these are important. I would also emphasise the necessity to affectionately believe the Gospel of the Kingdom and Name and to be baptised in water in identification with the death and resurrection of Christ Acts 8:5-6,12 and then to live the crucified/resurrected life Galatians 2:20,Romans 6:1-8.
I find question in the idea of affectionately "believing" anything. Belief is a commitment of the will. The heart, soul, and mind. While our emotions are indeed tied to our humanity, and therefore our faith, I've found, and have learned throughout the past 45 years that placing our trust in our emotions is a deadly thing. They cannot be trusted. Or, they are to be enjoyed, but not depended on.
