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I find the bold even more interesting! On what basis would I form ANY expectations about God from the mere fact that what we consider our Reality is itself conscious (as we are) and subsumes our consciousness and everything else? Believe me, I had no clue where even to start trying to figure it all out, hence the decades of intellectual effort.
I'm just saying one engages in any belief or relationship expecting some sort of benefit or accomplishment in exchange. Religion says god is our father, so one would expect some fathering. He's our provider, so one expects some provision. He is our comforter, so one naturally expects comfort. Otherwise why bother?
You were motivated to invest "decade of intellectual effort" so you expected understanding / comprehension / insight at a minimum, I'd think. If you hadn't gotten it, that would have been a lot of effort to no good purpose.
I'm glad you got it but I had already invested some 30 or so years in the faith and gotten nowhere so I cut my losses. I would not have been interested in a few more decades hoping for a different result.
I'm just saying one engages in any belief or relationship expecting some sort of benefit or accomplishment in exchange. Religion says god is our father, so one would expect some fathering. He's our provider, so one expects some provision. He is our comforter, so one naturally expects comfort. Otherwise why bother?
You were motivated to invest "decades of intellectual effort" so you expected understanding / comprehension / insight at a minimum, I'd think. If you hadn't gotten it, that would have been a lot of effort to no good purpose.
I'm glad you got it but I had already invested some 30 or so years in the faith and gotten nowhere so I cut my losses. I would not have been interested in a few more decades hoping for a different result.
The understanding, comprehension, and insight about Reality I had before my encounter were all I ever EXPECTED from life which is why it was so traumatic and disruptive when it unraveled. Regaining that sense of being right with the world was important to me. I had to satisfy my intellect about it all.
Paul wrote by inspiration of the Holy Spirit. His words have inspired billions and billions of Christ followers over the past two-thousand years. He said, “Follow me as I follow Christ.”
Who do you follow?
He didn’t follow Jesus. He said he did but never bothered to actually acquire the words that Jesus spoke so as to keep those words as Jesus commanded.
I follow my brothers who served the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
The reason I came into the world is to testify the truth. Gods word is the truth.
It's not 'the words' that are the problem but rather the 50-million different interpretations of the words that lead to a very confusing brand of 'Christianity'.
He didn’t follow Jesus. He said he did but never bothered to actually acquire the words that Jesus spoke so as to keep those words as Jesus commanded.
I follow my brothers who served the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
The reason I came into the world is to testify the truth. Gods word is the truth.
The translation of Logos as the Word of God has been an utter travesty! The scriptures are the result of inspiration from God but the "words" are from the MEN who received the inspiration. That is such an enormous difference that the "Word of God" should never have been the translation of Logos. It technically can be translated that way because words ultimately convey "meaning." But it has misled millions to revere the Bible and the "words" in scripture AS IF they were God. Huge error! It should have been translated as the "Meaning of God" (i.e., His very essence).
The translation of Logos as the Word of God has been an utter travesty! The scriptures are the result of inspiration from God but the "words" are from the MEN who received the inspiration. That is such an enormous difference that the "Word of God" should never have been the translation of Logos. It technically can be translated that way because words ultimately convey "meaning." But it has misled millions to revere the Bible and the "words" in scripture AS IF they were God. Huge error! It should have been translated as the "Meaning of God" (i.e., His very essence).
Jesus referenced scripture often. He even spoke of the prophets in high regard.
God reveals His secrets in the scriptures to His servants the prophets.
Jesus confirms this in His statement of those who keep the commandments.
“The man who keeps the commandments he has from me is the man who loves and the man who loves me will be loved by my Father, I too shall love him and REVEAL MYSELF TO HIM.”
Because you do not keep the commandments you find the word a problem.
The translation of Logos as the Word of God has been an utter travesty! The scriptures are the result of inspiration from God but the "words" are from the MEN who received the inspiration. That is such an enormous difference that the "Word of God" should never have been the translation of Logos. It technically can be translated that way because words ultimately convey "meaning." But it has misled millions to revere the Bible and the "words" in scripture AS IF they were God. Huge error! It should have been translated as the "Meaning of God" (i.e., His very essence).
Quote:
Originally Posted by Onefortruth
Jesus referenced scripture often. He even spoke of the prophets in high regard.
God reveals His secrets in the scriptures to His servants the prophets.
Jesus confirms this in His statement of those who keep the commandments.
“The man who keeps the commandments he has from me is the man who loves and the man who loves me will be loved by my Father, I too shall love him and REVEAL MYSELF TO HIM.”
Because you do not keep the commandments you find the word a problem.
God revealed Himself to me when I was an atheist, so I question your beliefs about obedience to commandments as the key. We are NOT pets in obedience training, we are children of God learning to become adults in God's kingdom. The two commandments Jesus told us were to love God and each other daily and repent when we fail. Those two "commandments" accomplish the original purpose of all the "laws" our primitive ancestors were told to obey. God's Holy Spirit as revealed and demonstrated by Jesus on the Cross is agape love and the states of mind associated with agape love are the ones we are to try to be in as often as possible. That is when we are "in Christ" (in the "mind of Christ"). We can do no wrong when in those states of mind. It is the other states of mind that leave us susceptible to "sin" and wrongdoing.
Philippians 2:5-30 King James Version
5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
The Holy Spirit IS the True Nature of God revealed, described, and demonstrated unambiguously by Jesus. He IS agape love, kindness, mercy, compassion, gentleness, unconditional acceptance, empathy, sympathy, tolerance, long-suffering, decency, friendliness, peacefulness, joyfulness, understanding, care, concern, solicitude, solicitousness, sensitivity, tender-heartedness, soft-heartedness, warm-heartedness, warmth, love, brotherly love, tenderness, gentleness, mercifulness, leniency, lenience, consideration, kindness, humanity, humaneness, kind-heartedness, charity, benevolence, and He is non-judgmental.
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