Subject: Acts 13:1 |
Bible Note: I am late catching on how this site works and did not see this note you left me, sorry for the delay writing back. I have actualy had the priveldge of working for an SDA who was a very good person and have had the pleasure of talking about this concept with a number of SDA. What they all like to ignore is that the Bible both OT and NT use the word sleep as a euphimism for death and this is not news, this is old. Just becuase one says that a particular verse is being taken out of context and someone does not like it does not mean that it isn't. Ok Solomon seemed to have no concept of an afterlife, but Job did - after my flesh is gone and I die I will see my Redeemer, and David did - my soul shall not see decay, and so did others in the OT. All of the passages in the NT like Jesus talking about Jairus daughter being asleep and Lazarus being asleep prove that this was just a familiar phrase of speech meaning death in the time of Jesus... I think we do others a discervice if we aren't willing to defend the faith and there are people who don't like it because they disagree on some of the minor and major points about what Christians believe. We should be willing as Christians to talk about the hard passages and the easy passages in order to get at what scripture has to say. Let me ask you something, is showing what a text means in the language the people were speaking at the time shooting down someone else's theology? Or is it bringing out something that is there to be seen in the text if one is willing to remain open to a new view? And if something truly has no basis in scripture as to what the author's intent was or what the particulars of his audience is, is pointing that out shooting down theology, or clarifying it? I am not going to touch the works bit with a ten foot pole becuase you don't seem willing to discuss it for real yourself and I am not here to judge anyone, that is not the point of doing theology or talking about theology. The point of discussing theology is to clarify what one believes about God as theology is the study of God. I am and have been engaged and so is everyone esle in here, including you, been having discussions about God, and that is part of doing theology, not tearing down theology. Why shouldn't you be willing to defend the works position if that is what you believe? There is nothing wrong in taking a stance, we are adults here and should be able to discuss things honestly and without reserve as Christians who love one another. I can be tolerant of your differing beliefs and love you at the same time as disagreeing strongly with you, that is one facet of Christian love. Don't assume that just because someone has a strong opinion on something that they haven't talked to people who believe that other view or that they are being intolorant of others. There is a warning in here against being deviceve with one another, I don't think that stating what we believe is the truth should be seen as deviceve. I think deviceveness comes in when we say things that are purposefuly harmful or hurtful to another Christian about what they believe, not pointing out a difference or saying we find no basis in scripture for this or that or that something is out of context. God bless, Tamara |