Well… so much for a “Friendly Biblical Discourse.” Welcome to the discussion.
Interesting that you brought that up. What might God look like if you were to be able to see Him?
John 14:9, "Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father?"
Taking that literally, if you had been around when Jesus walked with His disciples, you would have seen what God (the Father) looked like. Adding a few more scripture passages you might conclude that God looked like a 33 1/2 year old man.
Considering that God created the first Adam, there is no reason to not believe that Adam was created into a 33 1/2 year old man.
What about the Christians that believe on Jesus Christ as there Lord and Saviour? What will we look like. Consider:
1 John 3:2, “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.”
It seems to indicate that we will look like Jesus when we are in our resurrected bodies, a perfect 33 1/2 year old creation of God.
I am not standing that my interpretation is absolute fact, but it is a "friendly Biblical discussion.
Very late to this thread, but I always took what the Lord says in John 14v9 in a more spiritual way. Eg; not literally looking on a copy of His face and form but more as His spiritual representative as part of the Holy Trinity. Similar to the rest of the Bible with seemingly conflicting scriptures, we need to look at them as from the angle of faith, not as from modern, analytical minds. Thats how I’ve been taught and have further found out for myself. The Bible is quite simply not meant to be read as a normal book.
Not explaining my viewpoint very well sorry!
I totally agree. It is far from a normal book. God gave us His word in a form that the smallest child that can read or hear the scripture can learn about God. God gave His word simple enough that a farmer can communicate with Him. God gave His word comprehensive enough that the theologian can study His word from beginning to end. And God was smart enough to give His word such that an analytical mind can search out the deep things of God.
Hebrews 1:3, “Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power….”
God spoke the world into existence (Genesis chapter 1). Nothing is more powerful than His word.
God gave His word to every human to aid them in having an active spiritual relationship in love to all who seek Him (God.)
Have you ever wondered why God created man? What do you believe God would want from you?
Considering that there is one God and nearly a countless number of us, isn’t it pretty vain to believe it’s all about anyone of us? Do you believe God places your temporal fleshy desires (goals) above His desire for your eternal soul?
I find no proven error in the text or the context of the Bible. God has led me to better understand His word because I don’t doubt His word.
The last time was when you mocked the ability to keep the Tenth Commandment. I was led to see that, as the humor of God smiling on man that he could not keep from sinning within his flesh. Man might as well give up and ask for God to save him.
So, god creates humans just so they will do things that make him unhappy, then gets a god boner when people who were designed to fuck up, fuck up, and then have to beg him to be nice?
I really don’t have an answer - I’ve read all kind of apologists, but legitimately haven’t found one that makes sense to me. I don’t have an answer, but would like to hear one so I can learn.
The contradictions are not contradictions. The Bible is not history. The writers of the Pentateuch were unaware of the Historical Method. They were storytellers. Our idea of storytelling is based on western literary theory which begins with Aristotle. The writers of the Bible were from the Near East. They were influenced by the type of storytelling they encountered from Mesopotamia. The creation story in Genesis is made up of two creation myths (thus the apparent contradictions), I believe Babylonian and Akkadian. The changes the Jewish authors made reflected their monotheism. The contradictions we see would not have been seen by the ancients the Torah was written for.
