Literal vs Metaphor challenge

@kellyjay said
I agree completely

So we agree that a Christian 'should' interpret scripture with the emotion instilled in him by God. (Which Dive has done in his rejection of eternal suffering).

It is the atheist who comes to scripture without emotion.

@Ghost-of-a-Duke

That's a good thing. Emotion and conscience should influence the way you interpret the Bible. Or do you believe God wanted you to come to scripture robotically and without emotional insight?

The reader should not go from one extreme to the other.

And I do not even say the emotion should not be involved.

Mostly the human spirit should be exercised. Notice four times in this book John says that he was in spirit.

The regenerated human spirit is an "organ" for prayer and fellowship with God. It is higher then the human mind, higher then the human emotion, and higher then the human will.

This footnote from the Recovery New Testament is helpful on John being "in spirit" when he received the revelation. And his audience also should be mostly "in spirit" to receive it.

The emotions are involved too. But the human spirit is crucial.

I was in spirit on the Lord's day and heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet ..." (1:10)

Don't zone out if you come across something you didn't ask about. I will highlight in bold the most important part relevant to what I wrote above. My spacing is also used.

This book not only stresses the Spirit of God as the sevenfold intensified Spirit for God's for God's intensified move, but also the human "spirit" as the organ for us to realize and respond to God's move. Only (our) spirit can respond to (God's) Spirit.

This book is composed of four major visions:
1) the vision of the churches (ch.1-3);
2) the vision of the destiny of the world (ch.4-16);
3) the vision of the great Babylon (ch.17-20); and
4) the vision of the New Jerusalem (ch.21-22).

To see these four visions John was in his spirit (1:10; 4:2, 17:3, 21:10), as mentioned in Ephesians 3:5) ("by the Spirit" should be "in spirit," lit.) for the revelation of the mystery of Christ. We also need to be in our spirit to see the visions in this book. It is not merely a matter of mental understanding in our mind, but spiritual realization in our spirit.

Footnote 10(2) of Rev. 1:10 - the Recovery Version (1rst edition ).

@sonship said
@Ghost-of-a-Duke

That's a good thing. Emotion and conscience should influence the way you interpret the Bible. Or do you believe God wanted you to come to scripture robotically and without emotional insight?

The reader should not go from one extreme to the other.

And I do not even say the emotion should not be involved.

Mostly the human spirit sh ...[text shortened]... in our spirit. [/b] [/quote]

Footnote 10(2) of Rev. 1:10 - the Recovery Version (1rst edition ).

"Don't zone out if you come across something you didn't ask about."


I reserve the right to do that.

@Ghost-of-a-Duke

So we agree that a Christian 'should' interpret scripture with the emotion instilled in him by God. (Which Dive has done in his rejection of eternal suffering).

Who has not given Divegeester the right to believe as he wishes on that? I have not forbidden him to have that opinion. I have not insisted he have the same interpretation as I.

Now on his way out, making remarks about my sadistic version of Jesus and other such hit and run diminutive cracks sometimes merit a reply.

I reserve the right to show him that his view is not SO strong that he can get away with that.

But if Dive wants to believe in annihilation, I have not insisted that he change his conviction.

@ghost-of-a-duke said
So we agree that a Christian 'should' interpret scripture with the emotion instilled in him by God. (Which Dive has done in his rejection of eternal suffering).

It is the atheist who comes to scripture without emotion.

No, unless you you want to say all scripture maybe interpreted privately according to the feelings of the reader!

Changing the Word to suit one’s desires started the fall of man.

@sonship said

Who has not given Divegeester the right to believe as he wishes on that? I have not forbidden him to have that opinion. I have not insisted he have the same interpretation as I.

Now on his way out, making remarks about my sadistic version of Jesus and other such hit and run diminutive cracks sometimes merit a reply.

I reserve the right to show him that his view i ...[text shortened]...

But if Dive wants to believe in annihilation, I have not insisted that he change his conviction.

Who are you to forbid anybody anything?"

@kellyjay said
No, unless you you want to say all scripture maybe interpreted privately according to the feelings of the reader!

Changing the Word to suit one’s desires started the fall of man.

So you wish to retract your previous statement, "I agree completely."

@ghost-of-a-duke said
So we agree that a Christian 'should' interpret scripture with the emotion instilled in him by God. (Which Dive has done in his rejection of eternal suffering).

It is the atheist who comes to scripture without emotion.

Do you think an Atheist can come to read the scriptures with the Love and Spirit of God? I think being an Atheist automatically denies any ability to do that.

@ghost-of-a-duke said
So you wish to retract your previous statement, "I agree completely."

No I agree with what you said; however, it may not have been what you meant!

@kellyjay said
Do you think an Atheist can come to read the scriptures with the Love and Spirit of God? I think being an Atheist automatically denies any ability to do that.

That's why I said an atheist comes to scripture 'without' emotion.

@ghost-of-a-duke said
That's why I said an atheist comes to scripture 'without' emotion.

Only a ghost can read the scriptures without emotion.

@kellyjay said
No I agree with what you said; however, it may not have been what you meant!

Do you retract in regards to what I meant in relation to the retraction of my inferred intent of what I said to you before retraction?

Or shall we just drink coffee?

@ghost-of-a-duke said
That's why I said an atheist comes to scripture 'without' emotion.

I don’t see emotion as an issue as long as the reader seeks the truth. So there is no advantage or disadvantages for emotions, but there is one for believing in God, and that God is a rewarded to those that seek Him.

@kellyjay said
I don’t see emotion as an issue as long as the reader seeks the truth. So there is no advantage or disadvantages for emotions, but there is one for believing in God, and that God is a rewarded to those that seek Him.

God has given you a heart and a mind Kelly and probably expects you to engage both of them when you come to scripture. This is not for the purpose of distorting the word of God but understanding and connecting to its true meaning.