The Word of God?

[Idolater]

Nope. I don't believe in hell, it's a make up story based on Greek Mythology. I believe that someone as great as God would never place anyone in hell to be tormented forever.

It's almost the worst thing a person can imagine. A God who is love who would torture the people he made. It just sounds too crazy to be real, to me. I believe that if God wanted people dead, he could instantly demolecularize them in a millisecond so that they would instantly vaporize.

That would be the loving way to kill someone. IMHO. FWIW

Read your 'Catechism.' Sin itself brings with it its own penalty. It's not God punishing people. The eternal penalty of sin itself is what we can look forward to, apart from believing the Gospel.

 

[Guyver]

Which does not inherently exclude Him from being God, especially according to our position.

In order for you to claim that Jesus is not God because He is the Son of God, you need to show, using OUR position, why the Son of God cannot be God.

No thank you. I'm not interested in that debate. I've seen it done, it's probably been done here, and there is no end to it. People believe what they want to about the bible because it so frequently says different things about the same things. Since it does, people are required to pick and choose what they wish to believe from it (like the example of all liars going to hell except for Christian ones) or listen to their priest, pastor, or preacher, and let him or her tell them what to believe.

 

[Guyver]

Read your 'Catechism.' Sin itself brings with it its own penalty. It's not God punishing people. The eternal penalty of sin itself is what we can look forward to, apart from believing the Gospel.

Sorry....no. I was confirmed a Catholic because of my parents. I chose Protestantism as my religion. I rejected Protestantism and have no religion at this time. I don't agree with Catholic Doctrine or practice, so it's not for me. If it works for you, then I'm glad for you.

I think it could be that the penalty for sin is the life we are actually living. Or that there is no penalty for it because sin is nothing more than the actions of people which happen to be bad, and bring their own consequences.....on occasion. FWIW.

 

[Guyver]

Anyway, I came here and asked for God's words....and they weren't given; with the possible exception of Jesus' parables, which I never finished discussing.

So, unless there are other questions for me, I guess that will be a wrap; and I thank those who did read and/or participate productively.

 

[Idolater]

People believe what they want to about the bible because it so frequently says different things about the same things. Since it does, people are required to pick and choose what they wish to believe from it (like the example of all liars going to hell except for Christian ones) or listen to their priest, pastor, or preacher, and let him or her tell them what to believe.

Bishops are authentic pastors. We read that right in the Bible. Ancient Christians believe our bishops in matters of faith and morals. They transmit to us the Word of God, because they transmit to us what the Apostles said, in both written and in spoken word. And the Apostles' words are the Word of God (1Th2:13KJV) because they were given the Spirit of truth, as was promised to them personally by the Lord Jesus (Jn14:16-17KJV Jn14:26KJV Jn15:20KJV Jn15:26-27KJV).

 

[Idolater]

Sorry....no. I was confirmed a Catholic because of my parents. I chose Protestantism as my religion. I rejected Protestantism and have no religion at this time. I don't agree with Catholic Doctrine or practice, so it's not for me. If it works for you, then I'm glad for you.

I think it could be that the penalty for sin is the life we are actually living.

Certainly temporal penalties /consequences for /of sin visit us in this life. That's observable. Catholicism believes that we do accrue penalties that are owed us, and that we will suffer them in this life and in the next until we pay off that debt, unless we are granted indulgence, which is grace /mercy and forgiveness of the temporal penalties for our sins done in the body.

Or that there is no penalty for it because sin is nothing more than the actions of people which happen to be bad, and bring their own consequences.....on occasion. FWIW.

Which is what I would believe too, if I didn't believe in Christ's Resurrection.

 

[Idolater]

Anyway, I came here and asked for God's words....and they weren't given; with the possible exception of Jesus' parables, which I never finished discussing.

The Apostles' words are the Word of God (1Th2:13KJV). It is from the Apostles that we know Christ's parables.

So, unless there are other questions for me, I guess that will be a wrap; and I thank those who did read and/or participate productively.

Good luck to you.

 

[Jacob]

Greetings. I have recently returned to this site after a long time. As I have been reading your posts, I hear people often referring to the Bible as the Word of God. I’d like to ask you to help me understand what you mean by that.

Does that mean you believe God wrote the Bible? If I read the Bible, am I reading the words that God himself has spoken?

Or is it just a religious platitude that people use because they some satisfaction in believing it or discussing it with other religious people?

I should say that I am very interested in hearing the words of God. I want to know what God says, because that will allow me to understand what God thinks. Will you please post some words of God that I can read so that I can know what God has said? Thank you in advance.

Dear Guyver,

The Bible is the Word of God is a statement that I can stand behind. Yes there are words in the Bible. And we can say that they came to us by God. But not all the words in the Bible are the word of God verbatim. There is recorded in the Bible many times thus saith the LORD type of statements. There we can know what God said. Such as from one person to another, from a prophet to someone else.

Does that much make sense?

When we speak of the Scriptures, that is, the TaNaKh, we can know that they are inspired by God because Paul said that they are in 2 Timothy 3:16-17 NASB. All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness, that the man of God would be adequate, equipped for every good work.

What does it mean for Scripture to be inspired by God? Does it mean God spoke the words? Does it mean that the prophets who wrote them down were inspired? It is the Scriptures that are inspired. And people did write them down. So we can know that every word is important.

I hope that this helps with your perspective. Please let me know what you think by replying to this my post.

 

[Guyver]

Jacob, thank you for your post and questions. It would be my pleasure to answer your questions and any questions asked of me when time permits. I hope to get back to your questions some time this evening if possible.

 

[Guyver]

Dear Guyver,

The Bible is the Word of God is a statement that I can stand behind. Yes there are words in the Bible. And we can say that they came to us by God. But not all the words in the Bible are the word of God verbatim. There is recorded in the Bible many times thus saith the LORD type of statements. There we can know what God said. Such as from one person to another, from a prophet to someone else.

Does that much make sense?

No Jacob, it does not make sense to me, but with respect, I understand why it makes sense to you because I used to believe the same way that you do now. You stated that you believe the Bible is the Word of God. That means you are subject to a form of cognitive bias (as I once was)called confirmation bias. It means that you are prone to accept things that confirm your beliefs and dismiss things that do not. It’s common to all intelligent human beings, and even those who are not intelligent, statistically speaking....which is another way of saying that everyone is susceptible to it.

Just because someone says “Thus saith the Lord” does not mean that God actually said that. It means that someone said God said that. History is replete with people claiming that God told them something and it was demonstrably false. This goes back deep in human culture and the experience of our ancestors who came before us. They had trible shaman who would get in touch with “God” or the gods as they believed them, and they made the people think they were right.

Therefore, any claim of God saying this or that, should be taken with great skepticism and examined very closely. For if not, one may guilty of the great fault of claiming to know something about God that they actually don’t know, but only believe.

 

[Jacob]

No Jacob, it does not make sense to me, but with respect, I understand why it makes sense to you because I used to believe the same way that you do now. You stated that you believe the Bible is the Word of God. That means you are subject to a form of cognitive bias (as I once was)called confirmation bias. It means that you are prone to accept things that confirm your beliefs and dismiss things that do not. It’s common to all intelligent human beings, and even those who are not intelligent, statistically speaking....which is another way of saying that everyone is susceptible to it.

Just because someone says “Thus saith the Lord” does not mean that God actually said that. It means that someone said God said that. History is replete with people claiming that God told them something and it was demonstrably false. This goes back deep in human culture and the experience of our ancestors who came before us. They had trible shaman who would get in touch with “God” or the gods as they believed them, and they made the people think they were right.

Therefore, any claim of God saying this or that, should be taken with great skepticism and examined very closely. For if not, one may guilty of the great fault of claiming to know something about God that they actually don’t know, but only believe.

I am talking about the Scriptures. The prophets wrote and sometimes spoke for God.

 

[Guyver]

The fact of human ancestory is scientifically proven beyond any shadow of a doubt. That’s not to say that modern theory of evolution from common ancestory is proven, because it’s not (IMHO) But is clear that populations change over time. As it pertains to human development in the past 100,000 years...it is well understood.

So, religion that tries to deny this is just wrong. Just as any science that attempts to prove God doesn’t exist is also wrong.

 

[Guyver]

I am talking about the Scriptures. The prophets wrote and sometimes spoke for God.

I know it Jacob. I guess you didn’t understand my points. They do crazy talk so it’s not God.

 

[Guyver]

When we speak of the Scriptures, that is, the TaNaKh, we can know that they are inspired by God because Paul said that they are in 2 Timothy 3:16-17 NASB. All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness, that the man of God would be adequate, equipped for every good work.

What does it mean for Scripture to be inspired by God? Does it mean God spoke the words? Does it mean that the prophets who wrote them down were inspired? It is the Scriptures that are inspired. And people did write them down. So we can know that every word is important.

I hope that this helps with your perspective. Please let me know what you think by replying to this my post.

Your argument is that we know the Bible is the Word of God because it says it is the Word of God, and you don’t even see the logic fail in that statement. Not to be insulting, but if you’re gonna argue a point, it should make sense.

That would be like saying you believe you’re a lizard because your grandfather told you were a lizard as a child.

The Book of Mormon claims to be the word of God and backs it up with two other later works, also claimed to be of God. Do you believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God Jacob?

 

[Jacob]

I know it Jacob. I guess you didn’t understand my points. They do crazy talk so it’s not God.

Your argument is that we know the Bible is the Word of God because it says it is the Word of God, and you don’t even see the logic fail in that statement. Not to be insulting, but if you’re gonna argue a point, it should make sense.

That would be like saying you believe you’re a lizard because your grandfather told you were a lizard as a child.

The Book of Mormon claims to be the word of God and backs it up with two other later works, also claimed to be of God. Do you believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God Jacob?

What about what Paul wrote in 2 Timothy 3:16-17? Or Peter in 2 Peter 1:20-21?

 

[Guyver]

What about what Paul wrote in 2 Timothy 3:16-17? Or Peter in 2 Peter 1:20-21?

Seriously? What about what the Book of Mormon says?

 

[Guyver]

What about what Paul wrote in 2 Timothy 3:16-17? Or Peter in 2 Peter 1:20-21?

I guess you don’t understand that you can’t prove that the Bible is the word of God because it says it is the word of God Jacob.

Can you think of another way of proving the Bible is the word of God besides that one Jacob?

 

[Jacob]

Seriously? What about what the Book of Mormon says?

I do not accept the Book of Mormon. I have encouraged Mormons to read the Bible.

 

[Jacob]

I guess you don’t understand that you can’t prove that the Bible is the word of God because it says it is the word of God Jacob.

Can you think of another way of proving the Bible is the word of God besides that one Jacob?

The Bible does not say it is the Word of God.

I said that I can stand behind the statement that the Bible is the Word of God.

 

[Guyver]

The Bible does not say it is the Word of God.

I said that I can stand behind the statement that the Bible is the Word of God.

Pardon me, I thought you were saying exactly that by posting the verses you posted earlier. If that’s not the reason, why do you think the Bible is the word of God?