To: Dr. Eckleburg; Alamo-Girl; hosepipe; betty boop; blue-duncan; Quix; .30Carbine; xzins; P-Marlowe; ..
Kosta, your argument is the exact same one the atheist makes -- "prove it." A-G is correct. We "prove it" by reading and understanding and debating from Scripture because we have been given faith that the Holy Spirit leads our study
I can't help if atheists use the same method. Labeling a method does not prove it wrong. Neither does saying "We 'prove it' by reading and understanding" really prove anything.
But I submit to you that when you read KJV, for example, you will not know that part of 1 John 5:7-8 is a fraud (in red letters). You will read it and accept it as "inspired" word of God.
For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one1 John 5:78 aka Comma Johanneum
The fact is that this is a later addition, penned by someone other then the author of 1 John. There are other such examples throughout the Bible, all of which point to the conclusion that we really don't know what we are reading because what we are reading may not have been said by Christ or was added at some point by someone other than the inspired author.
Now, the "spirit would lead" us to consider the text in red as genuine, because it expressed clearly the Trinitarian concept. This might further "lead" us to believe and proclaim that the Scripture really does give us Trinitarian doctrine as plain as it gets. But, the truth, which you cannot discern from just reading, tells us that it doesn't.
How do we know that this section is a fraud? Thanks to Church records. None of the Church Fathers who refer to 1 John 5:7-8 in their homilies have the part outlined in KJV. None of the copies older than the 6th century have it!
If we did the solar scriptura folly, we would all believe this is not so. But records show that the fraud was committed and once we know fraud was committed by more than one individual when it comes to the Bible, then we must conclude that we really don't know what we are reading or understanding, do we?
There there is no original and no reliable copy of the Bible, or any of its individual books, we cannot really state with any degree of certainty that any of the were written by the people they say were written by, or that they contain nothing but inspired truth of God. We simply don't know and cannot trust the "spirit leading us" either.
So, appealing to the "leadings" in the Spirit may be as deceiving as the devil who altered the scriptures. But, then, he does appear as the angel of light, doesn't he?
You, for some reason, do not believe in the ability of Scripture to answer all and any questions worth asking and answering regarding our salvation and God's instructions for our lives
For all the reasons stated above.
You, for some reason, place your faith in other men and fallible groups of men and an intricate and imperfect system of Greek nomenclature while decrying the ability of the Holy Spirit to move whom He wills where He wills
It seems that such men and their writings point to the fact that not everything you read in the Bible is pristine or true, and that letting the "spirit" lead you is unreliable because you really don't know who or what is leading you.
3,564 posted on
08/21/2007 4:17:08 PM PDT by
kosta50
(Eastern Orthodoxy is pure Christianity)
To: kosta50; Dr. Eckleburg
It seems that such men and their writings point to the fact that not everything you read in the Bible is pristine or true, and that letting the "spirit" lead you is unreliable because you really don't know who or what is leading you.Given the difficulty with written words being pristine and true, how can oral teaching be even close to pristine and true? One word mispronounced could change the entire meaning of what was said. Have you ever played the parlor game, Gossip?
To: kosta50; blue-duncan; irishtenor; P-Marlowe; xzins; Alamo-Girl; Forest Keeper; PAR35; ...
The fact is that this is a later addition, penned by someone other then the author of 1 John. That is conjecture on your part.
The point you miss is that when one part of Scripture is unclear, we need to search the rest of Scriptures to understand God's meaning. Scripture interprets Scripture, and the Trinity is declared throughout the Bible.
A correct and comprehensive reading of Scripture is no where near as difficult a task as you make it out to be. In fact, men have been doing it for centuries. Men who only knew one language. This is because if the Holy Spirit wants to reach a man through Scripture, He will make Himself known.
As God wills.
But possible conflicting interpretations pale in comparison to the egregious missteps of the RC (and to a lesser degree the EO) who insert so much foul error and outright blasphemy into their worship.
The simple fact that you can read the Second Commandment and still fall to your knees in front of the stock of a tree is so clearly counter to God's word that you lose almost all credibility in anything else you assert.
"And he called the multitude, and said unto them, Hear, and understand: Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.
Then came his disciples, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying?
But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up.
Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch." -- Matthew 15:10-
3,574 posted on
08/21/2007 4:55:31 PM PDT by
Dr. Eckleburg
("I don't think they want my respect; I think they want my submission." - Flemming Rose)
To: kosta50; Dr. Eckleburg
I looked up the passage, 1 John 5:7-8, in my bible and the footnotes reference the later addition to some of the manuscripts. Looks like reading footnotes is valuable. ;)
To: kosta50; Dr. Eckleburg
But I submit to you that when you read KJV, for example, you will not know that part of 1 John 5:7-8 is a fraud (in red letters). You will read it and accept it as "inspired" word of God. For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one1 John 5:78 aka Comma Johanneum The fact is that this is a later addition, penned by someone other then the author of 1 John. There are other such examples throughout the Bible, all of which point to the conclusion that we really don't know what we are reading because what we are reading may not have been said by Christ or was added at some point by someone other than the inspired author. Gee, aren't you Greek Orthodox guys the ones who use the Koine Greek?
So, if verse 7 is missing from the passage there is a real problem with the Greek.
The strongest evidence, however, is found in the Greek text itself. Looking at 1 John 5:8, there are three nouns which, in Greek, stand in the neuter (Spirit, water, and blood). However, they are followed by a participle that is masculine. The Greek phrase here is oi marturountes (who bare witness). Those who know the Greek language understand this to be poor grammar if left to stand on its own. Even more noticeably, verse six has the same participle but stands in the neuter (Gk.: to marturoun). Why are three neuter nouns supported with a masculine participle? The answer is found if we include verse seven. There we have two masculine nouns (Father and Son) followed by a neuter noun (Spirit). The verse also has the Greek masculine participle oi marturountes. With this clause introducing verse eight, it is very proper for the participle in verse eight to be masculine because of the masculine nouns in verse seven. But if verse seven were not there it would become improper Greek grammar.
http://members.aol.com/DrTHolland/Chapter8.html
3,646 posted on
08/22/2007 12:21:06 AM PDT by
fortheDeclaration
(We must beat the Democrats or the country will be ruined! - Lincoln)
To: kosta50; Dr. Eckleburg; hosepipe; betty boop; blue-duncan; Quix; .30Carbine; xzins; P-Marlowe
There there is no original and no reliable copy of the Bible, or any of its individual books, we cannot really state with any degree of certainty that any of the were written by the people they say were written by, or that they contain nothing but inspired truth of God. We simply don't know and cannot trust the "spirit leading us" either.
My profession of faith is significantly different. More specifically, because I love God more than words can tell, I believe Him and trust Him above all else including my own sensory perceptions (the physical evidence) and my own reasoning much less the reasoning of others.
Mans vision and mind are limited and are also limited to his place in time. He is in the creation - both spiritual and physical (Col 1) - and cannot remove himself from it in order to see all that there is at once, objectively. He can never obtain objective truth by his own devices.
This is a frequent point raised in the science debates because the atheists believe that all that there is is that which they can observe by telescope or microscope. They for instance, often point to the randomness they observe in nature as evidence that there was no design and therefore no Designer.
But the theologians know as do the philosophers and the mathematicians confirm that one cannot say something is random in the system when he doesnt know what the system is. And science does not know and cannot know the full extent of the physical system much less the non-physical.
The same applies to all observations made by mortals. We see through a glass darkly.
God alone knows objective Truth. He alone reveals it. That manuscripts containing His words have been altered, misinterpreted, lost or burned is no problem at all for Him. He has the original as you call it. Nothing is lost to Him. And He reveals Truth or withholds it according to His will, not ours.
And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. Matt 13:10-13 For my thoughts [are] not your thoughts, neither [are] your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For [as] the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper [in the thing] whereto I sent it. Isaiah 55:8-11
I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, [that] shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. John 16:12-13
Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: - Luke 24:25
As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, he saith unto the ruler of the synagogue, Be not afraid, only believe. - Mark 5:36
Nevertheless, doubting Thomas was an apostle, too.Praise God!!!
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