Bernie

I think okiejack's statement, "It is what is contained in our heart that dictates how we interpret the Bible."... ...hits the nail squarely on the head. To the degree our heart is corrupt (and all hearts are corrupt concerning spiritual things) is the degree to which we refuse to "hear" the truth of the Bible. It's man's heart that corrupts truth, it's not that God's truth "says" something different to each person. Truth is truth -- interpretation is virtually always a mixture of truth with the corruption of error mixed in. When we're 'finished' we'll all be on the same page about what truth truly says, I think..

I've suspected that some healings probably do take place, even in today's glamour-loving Hollywood televangelism. If true, it does so NOT because of the righteousness of any of these men, but because of the faith of those who ask to be healed and the power of Him who heals -- regardless of who else is there to grab the glory for himself.

Hi Valid, You assesment sounds quite 'valid' to me (no pun intended...well, sort of, I guess). I know a lot of folks don't like spiritualizing, and I understand why...I've corresponded with some whom I consider to be extremeists. Well meaning, but if in spiritualizing the doctrine that flows from it begins to tangle your feet and trip you up, better watch out. All Scripture, if true, will be in harmony methinks. But I'm convinced there is very definitely spiritual meaning underlying the merely literal sense in ALL the Bible, both Testaments. In reading the Numbers chapter 17 account (which I don't recall reading before), these analogies seemed to make perfect sense to me. One Accord, I liked your article about time. Trying to figure out what God can do from outside time can be a cool mind-stretching excercise. Makes me feel like a speck of sand after a while. God bless you both in your walk.

Hello Angels, This is a good list, but I think it prudent to offer a caveat concerning... "I am secure... Romans 8:1-2 I am free from condemnation. Romans 8:28 I am assured that God works for my good in all circumstances. Romans 8:31-39 I am free from any condemnation brought against me and I cannot be separated from the love of God" Much of Christianity seems to have gotten away from understanding their sanctification as a process that takes place over the course of life. In other words, many [and of course I don't know that you believe this, only responding to the wording of your post...] think that an intellectual "belief" is the entire process, that once one "believes", sanctification is complete, wrath and condemnation are gone (and they ARE gone in the cosmic or eternal sense). I think the Scriptures teach that belief merely starts the process. We tend to want the easy way out, so "belief" has come gradually to be thought of as the same as "faith", which is not accurate. Belief is infant faith. Faith is full-grown belief. Gotta drink milk before we eat meat. That's how I see it, anyway. God bless you in your walk.

Hello Hilson, I think the sin of smoking is not the act, but that sin is conceived in the spirit, gestated in the mind and, if retained long enough, manifests itself in word (Mat 12:37) and action (Rev 20:13). Thus, sin is a spiritual predicament. We see its effects in the mind and body, but its source is, I believe, spiritual (Mark 7:21). God bless you in your walk.

Hello Valid, Like you, I'm disappointed that email notification of replies to posts isn't available here....I forgot about this post till stumbling across it today. (Getting old and feeble minded) You've piqued my curiosity concerning the cedar, hysop, scarlet, etc. But I don't understand the significance of "ashes" at all. Enlighten me, please. God bless you in your walk.

Hi Wisdom You: "How many times do YOU find yourself doing the things you (as a Christian) KNOW you have no business doing, yet you do, and then YOU blame it on the devil when in fact it's YOU, correct??" More often than I care to admit. "Wickedness is the attitude of the human intellect and will which seeks evil not so much of our human frailty...but rather for its own sake, deliberately, resolutely, treacherously, mercilessly, in contempt of God." (Dictionary of Theology, Crossroad Publishing Co., Karl Rehmer & Herbert Vorgrimler, p. 159) But Satan and his angels are our helpers in sin, I think. God bless you in your walk.

Hello catsmeow, Hope you don't mind my jumping in here.... You said, "Jesus said, "It is finished" and He meant just that. He didn't say that after we suffer in pergatory it'll be finished." I am a former Catholic who didn't believe in Purgatory when I was a church member (31 yrs. ago), but came to believe in it from studying the Scriptures in recent years. We need to be careful not to assign human understanding to God's works. Our Lord's mention of His work being "finished" does not necessarily mean what modern Christianity wishes it to mean. When God decrees something, it is totally, completely finished IN ETERNITY. It is thus because there is no power in the universe that can overcome and render ineffective or false His decrees. When God told Saul he was taking the kingdom from him and giving it to David, it didn't happen for some years, even though it was effectively FINISHED when He decreed it. When Jesus said His work was finished, it also means FINISHED according to God's eternal plan. It ain't finished from OUR perspective any more than Saul's kingdom was taken from him the moment he was informed of God's pronouncement. Hope this makes sense. I also believe there is a "spiritual" side to the Scriptures, Validname, and that the "spiritual" and "literal" are not enemies, but compliment one another. Too often, we argue one over the other, when we should see the two as interconnected. God bless you in your walk.

Hi tsth, (Yikes, how do you pronounce 'tsth'?) You: [speaking to Mat 7:22-23] "The distinction is in the phrase, "you who practice lawlessness. You cannot serve two masters. You cannot be devoted to the Lord Jesus and proclaim to work in His Name, and "practice lawlessness". That is what the pharisee were guilty of. It is hypocrisy of the heart. Lawlessness is from anomia, rendered "iniquity" (or unrighteousness, wickedness, violation of the law). I assumed from your earlier posts that one point you've been making is that modern Christianity has many parallels to the negative aspects of the religious hierarchy of Jesus' day, which I agree with. I think the problem here is that we interpret the scriptures differently. When you see Mat 7:22-23, you see the division as applicable to individuals and groups of individuals. I see the application of these verses (and that of Mat 7:13-14, and virtually all the Bible, both Testaments) to various components WITHIN EACH person. The great stumbling block in soteriology is in assigning elitist treatment by God of some individuals over others. Interpreting the bible as pertaining primarily to individuals or groups of individuals (as per Mat 7:22-23, for example) is the cause of this. The power of Scripture is more readily seen in the application of all its blessings, condemnations and decrees to various elements of the spirit of each and every human being ever born. God bless you in your walk.

Hi tsth, You: "Couldn't America and Christians be the actors before the Jews, to show the same picture about judgment, as the gentiles were shown of the Jews? Isn't this the very same picture the world was shown about the Jews rejecting God the Son, as we are showing as a nation rejecting God too?" If I understand you correctly...Absolutely! Most see Mat 7:13-14 as applying to individuals. I do not; I see its application as primarily to the spirit of each individual. Can be here in time or in the next life. You: "I mean we claim to be Christians, yet only on our lips, not in the heart, not in honor to His Word. We reject His Word, and isn't the world seeing that? To me, this just looks like the same picture, only this time it's the Christians rejecting God the Father as Supreme Authority." Yes. We are quite smug in our Christian arrogance, just as the Jews were about their religious 'excellence', but we shall no more be spared God's righteous wrath than they. God is no respecter of persons. Something to think about....Jesus warns us that "Many will say to Me on that day, "Lord, Lord, did we not prophecy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles? And then I will declare to them, I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness." (Mat 7:22-23). How many is MANY? It could be just lots ...or lots and lots and lots....or even all. What do you think? God bless you in your walk.

Hi folks, Am new to this board; forgive me for jumping in here with my two cents, but found this thread interesting. I think the literal scriptures, which are valid in their own right, actually describe deeper spiritual truths. I tend to think of the Jews as specially chosen "actors" on God's stage which He uses to teach spiritual lessons that pertain to all mankind. All the blessings, condemnation, warnings, exhortations, etc. apply in some sense to every individual on the planet. Thus, if we try to make verses like Rom 9:7 adhere to a literal interpretation, we always seem to run into others -- Rom 11:25-26, for example -- which will never quite allow this. For my part, regarding the original question, I believe the Lord has given me an understanding of spiritual [or metaphorical] "Israel" and spiritual "Judah" as having application in the Scriptures representing the two great schisms in Christianity: Calvinism and Arminianism. There can be as many metaphorical applications as God wishes to reveal, though there are almost certainly some who abuse the Scripture with what I call extremist spiritualizing. God bless you in your walk.