unworldly

maybe if my friend had been born during the "Middle Ages",he wouldn't have had to worry about his faith. Because back then,the church emphasized "the fear of God".

I think he's concerned about the nature of his Christian faith,because it really doesn't fit the image of a joyful,optimistic and happy Christian which we often associate with being "born-again" and which is often seen on Christian evangelical media. His Christian faith is mostly about silent,fearful obedient worshiping of God and i think if he loves God,it's mainly because Bible tells him to love God ,and he simply obeys what the scripture instructs. I think he concentrates his mind on his fear of the Lord ,because it helps him to avoid committing sin and stumbling in his life as a Christian. He doesn't fit the image of a born-again Christian that is often portrayed in the media at all.

Proverbs 1:7 says :"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of all knowledge." Maybe,he's in the very early stages of his relationship with God ,and just needs to become more mature and grow in faith,to love God and also accept that God is love. He has stated clearly that he loves God.

i have a friend who says that he believes in all the essential doctrines and tenets of protestant Christianity. He says that he has trusted in Jesus Christ for his salvation and respects and adheres to the Scripture. But he also says that the main driving force behind his faith is fear of eternal torment in hell. In fact,his fear of God by far overshadows the other aspects of his relationship with the Lord. Do you think his faith is a genuine saving faith?

Looks like our views are compatible with each other.

Let's just forget the whole thing. This thread shouldn't have been created in the first place. it is based on very vague and ill-defined concepts. I don't want to argue with anyone here. You guys are by far much more knowledgeable than me.

I just can't believe such things can happen in the US ,where so many internet security firms are based,and people's awareness of issues related to cybersecurity is very high ,compared to many other parts of the world. I think we're are going to see the introduction of numerous internet security measures to counter the threat of sophisticated cyber attacks in the near future. I think the era of cyber warfare has definitely begun.

Do you know of any part of the Bible where philosophical reasoning (independent of christian faith) is encouraged? Well my question is why would you be separating the two? well...it seems to me that the Bible intentionally makes a distinction between "human wisdom" and "Divine revelation" .

I think Colossians 2:8 is clearly warning Christians about possible dangers of secular philosophy.

Do you know of any part of the Bible where philosophical reasoning (independent of christian faith) is encouraged?

I think "spiritual experiences" transcend logic and reason,and cannot be understood through philosophical studies or arguments. So those who try to reach "Faith" through secular philosophy are probably doing something futile. I don't have a problem with my faith. I know for sure that I am a Christian.

All of the following verses emphasize the importance of faith,and they all seem to degrade philosophical reasoning that happens in a secular setting: 1 Corinthians 1 : For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. 18 For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.” 20 Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach 2 to save those who believe. 22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. Proverbs 1:7: " The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge." It seems to me that generally speaking,Bible seems to have a slightly negative attitude towards philosophical debates and discussions that take place in secular settings. Do you agree with me?

In Colossians 2 we read : 6 Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, 7 rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. 8 See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. 9 For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, 10 and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. Does this mean that God disapproves of any kind of philosophical talk or debate? Do Christian put their faith in jeopardy if they engage in philosophical arguments or discussions? Are these verses referring to the Greek philosophy ?

Word Studies are an essential part of Bible study. English is far less precise than either Hebrew or Koine Greek. Hebrew, in particular, is very nuanced and those nuances and shades of meaning often never come out in English and they can have a profound effect on how we understand a word. Word usage is also very important because the way a word is used is often more important to the understanding of the text than word meaning. My favorite example of word usage being more important is how we use the English word love. We often use "love" to mean something else like, "I just love it when people cut me off in traffic." Or, "Don't you love getting waken up at 2:30 by someone who got the wrong number?" We use "love" to mean the exact opposite of what it means. But as far as etymology is concerned, it is important because there is as much as a 4,000 year old linguistic gap between us and those who lived in biblical times. We can read the Bible and make sense of it for the most part in English, but having a better understanding of the original texts can only enhance and deepen your study of the text. What you're saying may explain why many Christians prefer to study the King James Version ,or the Amplified Version,or the NIV. Perhaps,they believe a particular translation is more accurate than the others,because better etymological analysis has been done to carry out that translation.

Every time I listen to a pastor,I am likely to learn something about the etymological facts that are related to a word or term in the Scripture. Is it a widely accepted practice in Bible study,or something which is not necessary ,but encouraged ? Is it sometimes essential for understanding Scripture?