@philokalia saidIf anything Paul said corrupts the words of God, it is the fault of the Church. If the Church holds Paul's words in higher esteem than the words of the Son of God, that is also the Church's fault.
That's a wild statement.
St. Paul's mission was part of divine providence.
Do you think St. Paul was not guided in all the epistles he wrote by God?
Then why would God let him be the one to become so influential in Christianity?
God would die on earth but then let his Gospels be corrupted?
@suzianne saidDo you believe these passages from Acts:
If anything Paul said corrupts the words of God, it is the fault of the Church. If the Church holds Paul's words in higher esteem than the words of the Son of God, that is also the Church's fault.
11 God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, 12 so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them.
13 Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon-possessed. They would say, “In the name of the Jesus whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out.” 14 Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. 15 One day the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know about, but who are you?” 16 Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding.
Acts 19:11-16
16 And it came about while we were going to the place of prayer that a certain servant-girl having a soothsaying[a] spirit met us, who was bringing-about a large profit to her masters telling-fortunes. 17 This one, while closely-following Paul and us[b], was crying-out, saying, “These men are slaves of the Most-High God[c], who are proclaiming to you a way[d] of salvation”. 18 And she was doing this for many days. And Paul, having been greatly-annoyed, and having turned to the spirit, said, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to depart from her!” And it went out at the very hour.
Acts 16:16-18
These are the early Christians talking about how St. Paul was so holy a man that God worked miracles through him.
If a man casts out demons in the name of Jesus Christ and receives the mantle from the other church members at this time to take on an important role, should his words be trusted when talking about the Christian life and Christian issues?
Should we believe the Bible?
@avalanchethecat said"Guys, GUYS! Stop your conversation about the content of the Bible... This really has to be about how I reject the Bible."
Why would you?
Good joke!
@philokalia saidReally not a joke, but it's cool, you go back to squabbling about how many angels.
"Guys, GUYS! Stop your conversation about the content of the Bible... This really has to be about how I reject the Bible."
Good joke!
@sonship saidIn truth it takes just one atheist to change a light bulb, due to their grounding in reality and willingness to get on with the practicalities of life, rather than waiting for divine intervention or putting action off for the hereafter.
@avalanchethecat
lol. Good one. Number of angels.
Question: How many atheists does it take to change a light bulb?
Answer: None, Given 60 million years and the lightbulb will change itself.
@Ghost-of-a-Duke
I removed my joking post. I do that sometimes.
But your's has a caricature.
The normal Christian life enjoys and experiences and serves Christ in the here and now.
"Hereafter" is a vernacular term which I cannot find in the Bible.
And atheists shouldn't be jealous if God has a glorious goal for His redeemed people and the universe that He is moving towards so that there is something more to look forward to.
This gives meaning to history. There is a consummation. There is a climax.
There is no shame in serving the Lord today joyfully with an eager expectation that a new creation is coming in which there is righteousness and sin and death are abolished forever. That's not pie in the sky. That's ham where we am. We know Jesus Christ can only be totally and universally vindicated.
When the atheists takes his final breath stepping into the unknown, many will only look back over their years never coming to rest in their heart that any of it made real sense. I see some just breathing their last with puzzlement "Well that certainly was weird. Whatever it was!"
The Christian has the demonstrated divine victory over death's finality in the resurrection and exaltation of Jesus Christ.
@ghost-of-a-duke saidI suppose I'm an atheist, technically, but it still takes two of us to change the lightbulb. I'll just sit in the dark if the mrs can't be bothered to go and buy the replacement.
In truth it takes just one atheist to change a light bulb, due to their grounding in reality and willingness to get on with the practicalities of life, rather than waiting for divine intervention or putting action off for the hereafter.
. . . one atheist . . . , due to their grounding in reality . . .
Is the man born blind grounded in reality when he insists that the color of blue does not exist?
What about the man born totally deaf? Is he grounded in reality to insist that music does not exist?
I wonder. What do you think?
@sonship saidSound and colour can be evidenced. God can not.
@Ghost-of-a-Duke. . . one atheist . . . , due to their grounding in reality . . .
Is the man born blind grounded in reality when he insists that the color of blue does not exist?
What about the man born totally deaf? Is he grounded in reality to insist that music does not exist?
I wonder. What do you think?