Then why do you need a Bible?
To know God more fully, to honor him, to worship in truth, because he wants me to, etc.
Why did Christ send off his disciples saying “teach all nations and baptize...?”
Because they are the good works we are supposed to do.
Why not just let the Holy Spirit do all the work and convert those whom he will convert and dismiss those whom he will dismiss?
He does do all the work, but he uses what he wants to get the work done.
If this is all done by the HS, why all the preaching?
To learn more about God, to learn of his wonderful works, etc.
If faith comes from God, then you don’t count!
Amen, I do not count. It is obvious MY arguments are falling on deaf ears even now.
So, leave it all in God’s hands and be done.
Whether I leave it there or not, it is ALL in God’s hands, and it always has been.
That's fine. But you jumped in, out of context. FK and I were talking about proofs.
You said you can't convince anyone. It must be the HS. Fine. Then let the HS do the work. My point was that in the 1st century, the HS was convincing barbarians to believe to the point of death, being eaten by lions, without the New Testament in their hands. It's been a downward slide ever since. Now we need a bible to convince people to come to church once a week for an hour and make sure it doesn't interfere with sports.
[Why did Christ send off his disciples saying “teach all nations and baptize...?] Because they are the good works we are supposed to do
Oh, but all the work is done by the HS, not by us, your side says. Why would Christ put it in our hands when our preaching doesn't convince anyone? And these are not good works, they are requirements, commandments.
[why all the preaching?] To learn more about God, to learn of his wonderful works, etc
Well, that should be a private matter. Those who believe should and are expected to do so on their own, out of love for God, one would think, instead of waiting for someone to spoon-feed them the info. What kind of a love is that?
[So, leave it all in God’s hands and be done] Whether I leave it there or not, it is ALL in God’s hands, and it always has been
Oh, that sounds so grand! But God gave us freedom and ability to make decisions, and while he created man to be a rational and moral being, he also left it up to us to make that choice. There is no greater abrogation of man's moral responsibility than to say "it's all in God's hands!" ]
Good answers, irish.