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Seriously, how do we know anything is divinely inspired? The Bible? The Quran? I've seen people claim our constitution was divinely inspired. Maybe the Wheaties box? You simply pick something and -- Voila!-- there it is?
We have a God-given intellect and the ability to consider the various epistles and gospels and passages and many of us have done so as soon as we have reached the age of reasoning and are better for it. If there is a question of contradiction or friction between Paul's epistles and Jesus' teaching I will look toward Jesus. At the same time we need to keep in mind that what we call the Holy Bible in 2021 is a product of many hands.
You have to look at it like this: You are a consciousness.
What does it mean to be conscious? First of all, it doesn't just mean you are an observer. You are also, in a relational manner, the observed. You are also the part of you that takes in the world all around you, and makes sense enough of it to present it to the observer.
That world part of you must be capable of at once being you and being connected to the real outside world. What we are talking about here, is trying to answer what happens when you die. So, if you haven't been in much practice of communicating with God, it won't be easy when you would find yourself, otherwise, totally alone. You don't have any input now. Everything is gone, like you are deaf, dumb and blind.
Fortunately for us, when God speaks to us, His main way of communicating to us is by using our own thoughts. When we have a relationship with Him, we become one in such a way that it, hopefully, influences who we are as a person. This happens spiritually, in the same way that we expect a kernel of us to remain when we are dead.
So, when we would be otherwise alone, He is with us. It is not being alone. It is living by faith.
I know it sounds dire, if you aren't prepared. But I tell you, He is more than capable of crossing the gap, if you find yourself like Peter, sinking beneath the waves. That's the whole point of that example being put out to us like that, in the sea of total confusion and darkness. I am a universalist, but I hold that the only way to salvation is through Jesus.
I guess that means to ask, what was Jesus saying in the parable of the talents? You know, He gave one a single talent. He gave another two. And, to another, He gave five. He described them as distributed by a ruler going away for awhile. When the ruler returned, he said to the one who had five, "What did you do with them?" That guy came back and said, "I made five more, and here they are." Same with the guy who had two. But the one to whom he gave only one said he had hidden it, not traded it, under his pillow or something. He said that the ruler was a harsh task master, and he felt a certain way about taking risk, I guess. Or, he didn't respect the master, or his ways, could be. But, as we have seen, they are the ways of God toward us when we would, otherwise, be totally alone.
It is possible to listen to ourselves, to our own insistence that everything point to us as we can manipulate it in the world. You can make a whole life out of that, and never see the humility that God wants of you. It is entirely possible to miss out on that subtle lesson because of never learning about the value of love in developing a life due to bad examples everywhere around, including from your own intuition. You can call love a possession. You can possess everything, and not have life.
You see where people place themselves when they don't believe in Jesus in this life, and learn at least a little from meeting Him. God can only reach them through fire! He can still reach them. I have confidence in God. That just doesn't sound good. It sounds lonely, for one, given this explanation. But to undergo being sorted in that metaphorical way, so that God can reach you and pull you out of that awful place. It will be awful, you just know it will. It will just be the logical end to a selfish being who didn't actually have any basis for standing whole. You can't make any noise there, but you would probably want to try screaming. Probably, your consciousness is capable of conjuring that up. It makes you wonder what else it can torture you with?
Last edited by Am I a Prophet; 10-17-2021 at 07:33 AM..
Reason: the writing process
A think a separate, follow on, post is best to bring up, in relation to OP's inquiry, the great sin of the Evangelicals. I wouldn't be very fair, if I didn't use the opportunity presented by the preceding context, to address it.
For the Evangelicals are a class to whom the parable of the sheep and goats applies. It applies because of confusion over what it means to "bear fruit."
Deep in the Evangelical heart, there is a misconception that bearing fruit means bringing as many to Christ as you can in this lifetime. Bearing fruit actually means bearing the fruit of the Spirit. That is, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. You won't be alone, if you've born that fruit.
If you haven't born that fruit, though, you can't build it upon works you did. To those who tried, Jesus said they didn't get to live in the city, where He would be residing with His closest people, whom He especially got close to. You can see, maybe, how that doesn't have to be at a location either, but can be taking place in our consciousnesses because we are in communion enough with the real heart of God to behold it.
It is a sin, and it is great, because it works to deliberately deceive. You don't have to look any further than all of the TV preachers to see a good example of how they will do anything in the name of bringing people into the kingdom. All of that, when God meant something else, when He was telling them about bearing much fruit. It's kind of a recipe for getting as far from the truth as possible, once circumstances make it harder to rake people in. You wouldn't actually see much of a difference in the revival tent! Maybe that's why so many already "saved" Evangelicals are always going up to altar calls? Even if they brought a hundred others to Christ, they still feel empty in the sort of way that they know isn't right, if they are ever going to be alone.
Last edited by Am I a Prophet; 10-17-2021 at 08:06 AM..
Reason: the writing process
A think a separate, follow on, post is best to bring up, in relation to OP's inquiry, the great sin of the Evangelicals. I wouldn't be very fair, if I didn't use the opportunity presented by the preceding context, to address it.
For the Evangelicals are a class to whom the parable of the sheep and goats applies. It applies because of confusion over what it means to "bear fruit."
Deep in the Evangelical heart, there is a misconception that bearing fruit means bringing as many to Christ as you can in this lifetime. Bearing fruit actually means bearing the fruit of the Spirit. That is, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. You won't be alone, if you've born that fruit.
If you haven't born that fruit, though, you can't build it upon works you did. To those who tried, Jesus said they didn't get to live in the city, where He would be residing with His closest people, whom He especially got close to. You can see, maybe, how that doesn't have to be at a location either, but can be taking place in our consciousnesses because we are in communion enough with the real heart of God to behold it.
It is a sin, and it is great, because it works to deliberately deceive. You don't have to look any further than all of the TV preachers to see a good example of how they will do anything in the name of bringing people into the kingdom. All of that, when God meant something else, when He was telling them about bearing much fruit. It's kind of a recipe for getting as far from the truth as possible, once circumstances make it harder to rake people in. You wouldn't actually see much of a difference in the revival tent! Maybe that's why so many already "saved" Evangelicals are always going up to altar calls? Even if they brought a hundred others to Christ, they still feel empty in the sort of way that they know isn't right, if they are ever going to be alone.
The Bible is not a history book, or a science book. It is a collection of books and letters spanning thousands of years and it is a spiritual guide. Do with it what you will.
The Bible is not a history book, or a science book. It is a collection of books and letters spanning thousands of years and it is a spiritual guide. Do with it what you will.
No question we'll all do with the Bible what we will, for all our various reasons, but speaking strictly for me...
I do with the Bible pretty much the same I do with all the other holy books. I see no reason to consider one any more worth the time than any other though of course we all know how they are different in some significant ways. What I do is mostly devote my time and attention where I feel it is best spent, and that's not reading a holy book or spending time in church. Not anymore anyway.
Been there, done that of course. I was raised a Catholic. Been baptized. Holy First Communion. Church on Sundays and Bible study. Studied the other religions later on in life as well. A fair amount with Mormons who were in my later life too. My wife comes from a family of Mormons or "Jack-Mormons." Neither of us is religious anymore however.
Of course we're all free to think, feel and believe as we wish, but I can't help but consider the importance of our time on earth while we're young enough and well enough to enjoy it. I imagine the incredible amount of time that people have spent studying all the holy books. On their knees in church. On their prayer blankets many times per day. All the time issuing prayers. Maybe it's all time well spent, but long ago I started to realize the opposite for me.
Regardless what we believe, I always wonder how we are best to honor the wonderful fact that we are around to enjoy life in all the various ways we have to choose from. For me the time spent on the religious route became time I simply began to feel I should not waste any longer.
"Live life like you mean it" I'm often fond of saying...
Jesus was crucified between two thieves; the mistakes of yesterday, and the fears of tomorrow.
It seems that many are missing out on living for today, because of their own mistakes and fears.
Personally, I don't see any reason to live in regret or fearfully - if you learn from your errors.
This question was never believing the bible never came from God, even though I was an agnostic for 40 years and saved for a few years ...... This question comes from the spirit of antichrist who reasons out faith in God's Word
For all you Protestants out there, how do you know that the Bible is of divine inspiration? I am not talking about literal inerrancy here, although if you do believe that, you can also say why you believe that.
I just read a debate among ELCA Lutheran ministers on this subject. One insisted that only parts of the Bible were divinely-inspired — the meaningful parts, the parts that contain the core of God’s message — and the rest is just human. But then, we have humans deciding what the core of God’s message is — what is divinely inspired and what is not — which seems odd and logically-flawed to me.
Thanks!
I tested God, I did what he said to do in order for him to evolve me into something Ivwas not before.
God plainly says," Jus go ahead, TEST ME IN THIS."
God says," If you will do this, Then I will give you that."
I dont think most people realize just how much doubt they have about there actually being a God.
If God suddenly came, people woukd be shouting al over the world saying," I cant believe it, it is really true, I cant believe it."
It would be.like scratching off a 10 million dollar lotto when you absolutely know the odds, you know there is no possible chance and then you scratch and say," I cant believe it."
Deep down thete is a whole mountain of doubt that most are not aware of.
It doesnt have to be hard, its not even a sacrifice even if you give up houses and cars and cash, to being a servant for another person, if the end of such events result in proof of God, then what could you have possibly lost?
If you find God by selling all you own to give to the widows of Jerusalem so as to please God and make him smile, wouldnt it be worth all your posessions and or having been as a servant to the poor widows and elderly of Jerusalem?
People will say," O no Hanni, you got me wrong, I believe there is a God with all my heart."
Really?
If the God of the bible is the one true God of the universe, then nothing else should matter, and all that should matter is studying his word day and night, night and day, and night and day.
What could possibly be more important if somebody really believed in God?
Moreover, if a person really believed with no doubt, then what could be more important than to do what pleases God where he PROMISES GREAT REWARD IN DOING THEM?
If God came out and said," Now Hanni, son of the morning, I am now going to ask a hard thing of you to do for me, and if you do what I request, if you do what pleases me, then know this, I will rain down such blessings on you that it will be a flood.
"" If you do what pleases me, then I will give you a name better than sons or daughters, and you shall also be gathered to my holy mountains not on this earrh, and I will give you a great inheritance with my people if you will only do what pleases me."
The God of the bible has promised GREAT HUGE REWARDS to any Gentile who is willing to do what Pleases God, to simply do what he tells you to do in order to obtain blessings on this earth and the next
The God of the bible has offered to personally annoint people to literally evolve them spiritualy if they will only do what God says pleases him.
Its as if God opened a stock in the market and he promises that if you will buy in for 100 bucks, he would turn that 100 bucks into 100 millions bucks, but you wouldnt believe.
What do you say when you have turned God down because you dont really believe him?
People are either ignorant of what God has promised or they really don't believe God about his promises.
Heck, Christians dont even believe Jesus, and they sure cant really believe in that old barbaric God of the bible because CHRISTIANS LOATHE THE THINGS THAT PLEASE GOD, THEY REFUSE TO DO WHAT GOD SAYS PLEASES HIM. LOL.
How can somebody say that they believe in the God of the bible when they loathe all of God"s ways?
How can one teach against God's ways and against his prophets to then turn around to say the bible was divinely inspired? If you say its divine, then why are Christians teaching against Gods ways?
What in the world?
I would like to see just one Christian stand up to claim that he thinks the bible is the word of God when I start quoting the prophets asking why O why they dont believe the prophets, why they dont believe Moses and why they dont believe Jesus.
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What convinces you the Bible is from God?
