Part 39 of Post Your Tough Questions Regarding Christianity

God asking people? No trev, He inspired His prophets to write down what He wanted them to reveal to mankind.

We Read in Scripture:

20 Above all, you must realize that no prophecy in Scripture ever came from the prophet’s own understanding, 21 or from human initiative. No, those prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit, and they spoke from God. 2 Peter 1:20-21 NLT

16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. 17 God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 NLT

That's right, He didn't want to show Himself and for good reason.

If He showed Himself, to any person, they would die. He said to Moses you may not look directly at my face, for no one may see me and live.

We Read in Scripture:

20 But you may not look directly at my face, for no one may see me and live.” Exodus 33:20 NLT

Ok thanks trev for your post.

 

Jonah never existed. The story is made up with a moral intent. . The story of Job is again simply an argument as to why the righteous suffer. A similar question was asked many centuries before by a Babylonian trader and written down. The Ludlul-Bel-Nimeqi. Of course the 2 stories are different due to different cultures and different beliefs but it is the same question that is asked. The Hebrews used picture language in their writings to illustrate points. Jesus did this regularly with parables relating to the OT. Several Psalms have a similar theme.

 

Do you believe the Bible is free of allegory?

 

The problem with your post is simply that you blindly post what is in the Bible. You quote 2 Timothy 3:16-17. This refers only to the OT scriptures. No NT scriptures have yet been written and there's no reason to suppose Paul thought there would be. 2 Peter is simply Peter's own belief. Exodus 33:20 is simply part of an allegorical story. It didn't really happen. Many Jews accept this today and have fallen away from their religion. Over half the Worlds population of Jews no longer practise their religion (Jewish sources)
As I've said before you can believe what you like but there's no evidence whatever that Abraham to the Exodus ever happened. The story is full of errors and exaggerations that are obvious if you study beyond the Bible. The problem is that if Christians like yourself admit that fact Christianity is finished. It all started with the fictitious Abraham. Judah and his family would never have gone to Egypt. There would be no 13 tribes of Israel. Moses and the Exodus would never have happened and we would be left with the real facts. Israel was simply a tribe in Palestine. The other tribes were simply Palestinian/Canaanite tribes with whom the tribe of Israel often fought. Jesus would not be able to quote Abraham, Moses etc.
and if you can't answer for yourself rather than quote others or scripture - don't bother

 

No one on this planet has ever believed in Jesus so everyone is an atheist as far as he's concerned. Anyone who has ever actually read the New Testament will know why that is true. Therefore, for all practical purposes the Jesus character never existed.

 

Your basic take on the Jewish historical relationship with God is faulty because you believe there is no God. So all of your judgments go to serve your own false premise. One must know all things to say there is no God. But one only needs to know one thing, which is that God lives, to say so. To me, the whole point of life is to test the honesty of our hearts and what we will believe and embrace. And so it is to wait upon the truth.

 

Since you believe in God then do what he said a believer can do. If you can do such things, God lied, you don't really believe, or he doesn't exist and the story is 100% BS. And, since no one has ever done what a believer should be able to do, it is obvious that the story is 100% BS.

 

My basic take comes from the time when I was a Christian Preacher and believed in a god. Conversely one must know all things to say there is a god. You don't know. You simply believe because of an experience you had. Rather like the 'prophet' Mohammed. There are many people who have experiences that are 'real' to them.

I was returning to my RAF base one evening and as I stepped off of the bus I felt sick and dizzy. In my mind I saw an aircraft crashing. That night the cadets were practising night flying. Sometime in the early hours one cadet was killed in an aircrash. I don't claim to be psychic because of that incident.

 

And now let me point out the problem with posts from you. You simply blindly post your beliefs; you present no factual evidence for the statements you make. Let's not forget what beliefs are.

Ok got that out of the way. Now my previous post to you with the responses I gave you were statements I made that contained biblical truths in them. How does one back up these types of statements? Well, I myself present what is written in Scripture to confirm my statements to be in line with Scripture. I as a Christian believe all Scripture is inspired by God. I have trust, unquestioning faith in Almighty God. You don't believe what I believe, well so be it. What you believe cannot be proven as well as what I believe cannot be proven. All intellectually honest people already know that.

Ok got that out of the way. Now 3 Timothy 3:16-17 and 2 Peter 1:20:21 are Scriptures that along with all the rests, the whole entire Bible is inspired by God.
And because you won't take my word, I will get some corroboration from my favorite Christian Ministry to drive home the point, that all Scripture is indeed inspired by God.
I'm just presenting the last half. If you care to read the whole article, click on the link.

Now how about some good music to enjoy. These 4 lads come from your neck of the woods trev. Sadly, two of them have passed. So, enjoy "Because" it's good music.




Ok thanks for your post trev and have a nice day in the UK.

 

Mitt said

And now let me point out the problem with posts from you. You simply blindly post your beliefs; you present no factual evidence for the statements you make. Let's not forget what beliefs are.



You want facts. The archaeology is still in place and the museums are full of confirmation of what I post. I've been to the British museum and seen some. Other items are in other museums all over Europe and even the USA. You want facts. They are there for you to see.
Mesha Stele in the Louvre in Paris.
Cyrus Cylinder in the British Museum
Hittite letters and peace treaty's In Istanbul, one in Berlin. And a copy on the walls of UNO in New York.
There is plenty of extant evidence. All we have for you is written words in a book. A book that has seen changes in format and interpretation down the centuries. You present no evidence for the stories in the Pentatuech. No evidence for the flood. No evidence for the Exodus. Archaoelogy and ancient history - often written on stone in Palaces, Temples and buildings recently discovered say nothing about these supposed people or events in the Pentatuech. As I said in my post, you simply dare not accept what I posted or your beliefs go up in smoke.

 

Correction on Post #1509: Now 2 Timothy 3:16-17 and 2 Peter 1:20:21 are Scriptures that along with all the rests, the whole entire Bible is inspired by God.

 

Mitt Said.

Ok got that out of the way. Now my previous post to you with the responses I gave you were statements I made that contained biblical truths in them. How does one back up these types of statements? Well, I myself present what is written in Scripture to confirm my statements to be in line with Scripture. I as a Christian believe all Scripture is inspired by God. I have trust, unquestioning faith in Almighty God. You don't believe what I believe, well so be it. What you believe cannot be proven as well as what I believe cannot be proven. All intellectually honest people already know that.

Ok got that out of the way. Now Timothy 2:16-17 and 2 Peter 1:20:21 are Scriptures that along with all the rests, the whole entire Bible is inspired by God.
And because you won't take my word, I will get some corroboration from my favorite Christian Ministry to drive home the point, that all Scripture is indeed inspired by God.
I'm just presenting the last half. If you care to read the whole article, click on the link.

https://www.gotquestions.org/inspiration-theories.html

I just gave you some proof. And GotQuestions is merely what the Bible says. It proves nothing. It doesn't even prove there's a god.

And you are just using 2 scriptures that were written before there were any Christian scriptures around. All scriptures can only mean the OT or 'scriptures' already in existence of other religions. Your corroboration with your favourite CHRISTIAN Ministry means little.

 

Mitt's beliefs do not measure up to biblical standards and neither has anyone else who claims to believe or who has ever lived. Therefore, for all practical purposes the biblical fairytale is 100% BS about the God & Jesus characters, eternal life, and heaven. Some of the more secular books do contain tidbits of useful information but all of the God passages are pure BS.

Not one person has ever done what the Jesus character said that a person of faith could do. He made his statements as a promise. Since that is a complete failure it is foolish to believe in any of the other crap.

 

I can't speak to others beliefs. God sent his spirit once to me to know me, and I he. But in awakening me to a recognizance and remembrance of him, he restored my sight so to speak, and now I see and know in permanence that he lives, and view all else by the light of that fact. I don't look for another God or another philosophy. I am reconciled to the truth. But I don't claim to be a prophet.

 

So, which God sent his spirit to you? There are millions of Gods, each with an unique name and set of attributes.

 

I don't know what you are talking about exactly. God gave me to know that he lives. I told you this, and you don't believe it. It is the greatest thing that one can know. Now you want magic tricks? Do I look like a circus act? Would you like a bag of peanuts to go along with that? Or maybe I should just charge people a quarter to look at you, the annoying, Godless, idiot. Go ahead WOG, entertain the audience.

 

Which one would you believe?

 

It’s a valid question. Satan is always transforming himself into a minister of light and the heart is deceptive above all things. How do you know that your experience is genuine?

 

Read this, it excludes you =
2 Esdras 53-59 (CEB) =
53 “On the sixth day you commanded the earth that it create before you cattle, beasts, and reptiles, 54 and over these you set Adam, the leader over all the things you had made. From him we all, the people you have chosen, have been brought forth.

55 “I have said all these things before you, Lord, because you have said that you created the oldest age for our sake. 56 You have said that the other nations born of Adam are nothing, that they are like spit, and you have compared their abundance to a drop from a pitcher. 57 But look now, Lord! These nations that are valued as nothing rule over us and devour us, 58 while we, your people, whom you have called your oldest offspring, your one and only child, those who are zealous for you, your dearest ones, are handed over to them. 59 If the world was created for our sake, why don’t we possess our world as an inheritance? How long will this situation last?”

 

Why are there sick believers when prayers and magic oil will easily cure them? It looks like no one in the church hierarchy really believe or else thought would be sick. Now, walk outside and command a tree to uproot itself and to jump into the nearest body of water. It will if you have faith. Those are thing the Jesus character promised that believers could do. He didn't set a time limit but it seems that not one person, including his own Apostles had any real faith in him. Of course the story could be 100% BS which is more likely.

The bottom line is that Jesus gave two promises that can easily prove his existence. If you can't do what he said then he didn't exist or he was just a liar, or you have no faith. But he did say in Matthew 15:25 (CEB) = "24 Jesus replied, “I’ve been sent only to the lost sheep, the people of Israel.”

 

None, there are no celestial deities of any kind in this solar system.

 

Don’t you wish it was written by God like the Koran was? Instead you are just stuck with a book that was just inspired by god.

 

He was speaking to his Disciples, to whom he gave authority. The common misconception is that in reading those words he is speaking to the reader. But he is not. It is a conversation on which the reader has eavesdropped. And though one can be healed, nevertheless in the end everyone dies, believer and unbeliever. The difference is that the believer passes thru death to the other side, while the unbeliever is swallowed up by it, like the Jews and the Pharaohs armies in the Red Sea.

 

The one true God is outside of it all. The remainder within are the imaginations of men.

 

Down the Millenia many genuine men have had 'dreams/experiences' and to them they are 'real'. Unfortunately many of these 'real' experiences have led to a multiplicity of religions and sects. We don't even know what reality is. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/happiness-and-the-pursuit-leadership/201510/what-is-reality.
Going back many years I remember a church that was wondering which way it should go in its ministry. After some weeks of prayer the members gathered to consider what to do. During that meeting 2 well respected leaders in the church both said God had spoken to them and given them the answer. Unfortunately they contradicted each other.
Experiences are 'real' to INDIVIDUALS but have no meaning to the whole.