Richard's Content

#437591 Babylon, Mystery Religion

Posted by Richard on 20 February 2012 - 08:50 AM in Theology

Didn't he become a Catholic?

#437600 Babylon, Mystery Religion

Posted by Richard on 20 February 2012 - 08:39 PM in Theology

Woodrow? No way! Evangelical to the core.

OK it must have been folklore - you're right.

#438167 Babylon, Mystery Religion

Posted by Richard on 12 March 2012 - 08:22 PM in Theology

Even if it was, what would that prove?
That God quite sensibly took a variation of an already understood pagan concept in order to speak to pagans? i.e like your accomadation theory concept?

The concept of family is not a pagan one. It arose organically from observations of nature. God didn't say 'I'm going to call myself a Father and Jesus my Son because pagans have this concept called "families" and that will make sense to them.'

Um... you mean Genesis 1:26-28, surely? God invented the family.

#438168 Does anyone own a NET Bible?

Posted by Richard on 12 March 2012 - 08:24 PM in Theology

Can hardly stand the translation myself but the notes are fantastic.

#438179 Babylon, Mystery Religion

Posted by Richard on 13 March 2012 - 09:51 AM in Theology

Um... you mean Genesis 1:26-28, surely? God invented the family.

Man + woman does not = family. There's no family until Can & Abel are born. And I was speaking generally.

Verse 28 - "be fruitful and multiply" and then into Genesis 2 - marriage. The family principle is central to God's purpose.

#438180 Does anyone own a NET Bible?

Posted by Richard on 13 March 2012 - 09:54 AM in Theology

Can hardly stand the translation myself but the notes are fantastic.

What don't you like about it and what version do you have?

I just don't like the way it reads and I have found more clunkers than I have had hot dinners.

I use it, the NASB, ESV, KJV among several others.

#438201 Babylon, Mystery Religion

Posted by Richard on 13 March 2012 - 04:17 PM in Theology

Verse 28 - "be fruitful and multiply" and then into Genesis 2 - marriage. The family principle is central to God's purpose.

<----- The point. ---------------------------------------------> Richard.

I am happy about that. Because I believe Ev's point to be wrong and that I have the Bible on my side!

#438212 Babylon, Mystery Religion

Posted by Richard on 13 March 2012 - 07:06 PM in Theology

I am happy about that. Because I believe Ev's point to be wrong and that I have the Bible on my side!

He isn't, and you don't;

On the contrary; he is very wrong and I do have the Bible on my side. This is what Ev said:

//The concept of family is not a pagan one. It arose organically from observations of nature.//

Which is nonsense. I replied with Genesis 1:26-28 and I didn't say a man and a wife is a family. I even clarified with quoting from verse 28 - "be fruitful and multiply" i.e. have children - form a family.

God invented the family. It says the same thing in Isaiah 45. The family principle is central to God's purpose and has nothing to do with arising "organically from observations of nature."

a man and a wife isn't a family. That's the point he made, and it's right.

And if I had said "a man and a wife is a family" he would almost have had a point.

Saying there was going to be a family in the future doesn't change this. Saying Adam and Eve were told to be fruitful and multiply doesn't change this. Saying the family principle is central to God's purpose doesn't change this. You're trying to redefine the English word 'family'.

I never even tried to define the word 'family' using the phrase "a man and his wife".

#438219 Babylon, Mystery Religion

Posted by Richard on 13 March 2012 - 07:44 PM in Theology

A simple "oops I was wrong, sorry" would have sufficed Ev. :bubble:

#438220 Babylon, Mystery Religion

Posted by Richard on 13 March 2012 - 08:15 PM in Theology

You might also like to look at Malachi 2 which explains why God instituted one man-one wife - to produce a godly seed. That was what God decided, not organics.

#438222 Babylon, Mystery Religion

Posted by Richard on 13 March 2012 - 08:29 PM in Theology

No, Malachi 2 says that God instituted marriage to produce a godly seed which is what family is all about. You cannot have a family without a marriage (well you can try but it's going to be dysfunctional and not the ideal God instituted) and you can have marriage without a family but Genesis 1:26-28 is very straightforward and I will go with the Bible. Let God be true and every man a liar.

#438267 Is a Jealous God a good God?

Posted by Richard on 14 March 2012 - 11:45 AM in Apologetics

I suspect we agree on this - the reason I'm taking the time to talk about Divine Command Theory again is the suggestion that God's morality could be different from ours. What we know to be right (even when we fail to adhere to it, which is depressingly often) is what God regards as morally right.

Of course God's morality can be different from ours (if we take 'ours' as society). You look at what society calls good and it totally contradicts what God has said in his word. I am not sure what Divine Command Theory is - do you mean we just obey God because he said it? In a sense we do, but not blindly. We obey God because we know he's right, and he has given us abundant evidence that he is right, so when there are things that seem right (Proverbs 14:12) we don't go that route and we choose God's way instead.

#438269 Elisha and the Axe Head

Posted by Richard on 14 March 2012 - 11:49 AM in Theology

I heard a talk on this recently and I think it went along the lines of the tree representing Israel and the axe head the Gentiles. So the fall of Israel brings Gentiles into the hope. It made sense when I heard it. Sorry for not having all the details.

#438319 Elisha and the Axe Head

Posted by Richard on 15 March 2012 - 07:34 AM in Theology

I believe the axe is just an axe, and the axe head is just an axe head. There's no symbolism here.

You don't believe there are parables taught in the miracles of Scripture? You also don't believe the bread and wine are seen in the dreams of the butler and baker. I don't know why. Scripture is full of this wonderful symbolism.

#438321 Elisha and the Axe Head

Posted by Richard on 15 March 2012 - 07:44 AM in Theology

You don't believe there are parables taught in the miracles of Scripture?

I do, and I'm sure Ev does.

You also don't believe the bread and wine are seen in the dreams of the butler and baker.

I know why they're seen there; active imagination.

Wrong. It's called Bible study.

#438323 Elisha and the Axe Head

Posted by Richard on 15 March 2012 - 07:52 AM in Theology

I agree that logic is a determining factor in Bible study. That's why I said the conclusions made in the examples given are from Bible study, because logic is involved, as well as reliable methods, validation processes and so on. I am not a fan of Ockham's Razor, it seems like someone made it up and the Bible came before whoever Ockham was.

I know you guys on here have a different Bible study method and it's not one I am particularly fond of using myself but that's fine for you I guess. I prefer to let Scripture interpret Scripture and use the power of intertextuality and related methods. Don't knock it; it's powerful.

#438325 Elisha and the Axe Head

Posted by Richard on 15 March 2012 - 08:44 AM in Theology

I can't be bothered. Every time I come here I feel unwelcome in any case so I think I will just get on with other stuff. Thanks anyway

.

#438326 Elisha and the Axe Head

Posted by Richard on 15 March 2012 - 09:10 AM in Theology

And if you can't figure it out, it's in your last sentence. Things like that is the reason why people stay away from this place.

#438329 Elisha and the Axe Head

Posted by Richard on 15 March 2012 - 09:37 AM in Theology

Sorry, I thought you were just being pompous. My apologies.

The method I used is to confirm connection when there are at least two or three links between different passages of Scripture, not just "this is what I think this means".

#438848 Adam. Firstborn of all creation?

Posted by Richard on 03 April 2012 - 02:03 PM in Theology

I am a little befuddled here, are you claiming that you agree that there was a civilization already in development prior to the Creation of Adam on the Sixth day?.....

No. I'm saying that I believe the story of Adam is one which defines the people of Israel

How could that be when Israel didn't come along until a long time after and from Adam came all sorts of other nations?

#438860 Adam. Firstborn of all creation?

Posted by Richard on 04 April 2012 - 07:17 AM in Theology

No. I'm saying that I believe the story of Adam is one which defines the people of Israel
How could that be when Israel didn't come along until a long time after and from Adam came all sorts of other nations?

'Defines', not 'describes.' The story of Adam is one that the Israelites would look to as the story of their origins.

OK.

#439274 Handy wall chart of logical fallacies

Posted by Richard on 24 April 2012 - 07:59 AM in Philosophy

Ooh looks nice, thanks.

#439278 Christian Fellowship

Posted by Richard on 24 April 2012 - 08:34 AM in Theology

It occurs to me that the term fellowship is short-hand for the practical aspects of discipleship in Christ. When we reduce it to "who we break bread with" then we miss the point entirely (despite the fact that in the tabernacle this aspect of life in the holy place was represented by the table). Lots of food for thought in the article, thanks Ev.

#439342 Handy wall chart of logical fallacies

Posted by Richard on 25 April 2012 - 08:23 AM in Philosophy

Why can't we?

#439346 The Talpiot Tomb

Posted by Richard on 25 April 2012 - 08:50 AM in Archaeology, Biblical History & Textual Criticism

Is that the James Tabor involved with the Original Bible project? Whatever happened to that in any case?