I noticed this Gospel harmony in Pre-pub.
I have a question though : Does the harmonizing process rob these texts of their individuality? Doesn't this resource inadvertently divest each Gospel of their original literary purpose?
Josh, you are missing his point. But it is his point so up to him to respond if he wishes. He has a point? please explain it to us.
Josh, you are missing his point. But it is his point so up to him to respond if he wishes.
He has a point? please explain it to us.
He is certainly welcome to answer, but my guess is that you are in the "don't think anything is missing", everything is fine, blessed assurance crowd, and thus will never comprehend anything I'm trying to convey. So be it. On a certain level, it can't be helped. Circumstances change, though. I've always thought it curious how "blessed assurance" seems to dove-tail so readily with "whoever wishes to save his life will lose it". Maybe that will register with others, like you, some day. Then again, maybe not.
To be frank, though, I'm tiring of this thread, aren't you?
Maybe that will register with others, like you, some day. Then again, maybe not.
I'm glad that you and you alone have figured out all of the great secrets of the universe. Always nice to know that someone has. But I have yet to see a simple, concise and easy to understand description of your belief system.
Tell me...how do you determine what is prophetic and what is not? Especially those texts that aren't "blatantly" prophetic in nature. I've thought about that a lot. I'm not sure if this will register or not...but you CANNOT think about prophecy from a human perspective. If you do, you are lost, and probably in more ways than one. I am well-aware that most Christians think they might "get" the gist of what I'm saying, but their own words betray them. Most Christians' perspective is from-themselves-outward. Unfortunately, even if one's outward perspective is God-focused, it is a view which can do little more than leave a person dead in the water (make a baptism pun if you see fit). My favorite verse in the Bible is Phil. 2:5. Per NKJV, "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus." That can be condensed to "Adopt the mind of Yeishuu`a." It can be distilled to "Think like God." Thinking like a human, aka thinking like a typical Christian, allows a person to honestly believe that handing someone a pocket NT is a great and generous Spirit-led blessing instead of an outrageous blasphemous heresy. The irony is that the decapitated corpse that is a pocket new testament is incapable of providing anyone the salvation that the human-focused, salvation-focused mindset is so intent on attaining. Prophecy actually pictures this exact process in its numerous permutations. It is the strong delusion of 2 Thessalonians. It is the famine of the hearing of the words of YHWH. It is why many are called but few are chosen. It is why so many who call Him "Lord, Lord" will hear the words "depart from Me". It's why He talks in parables so that those listening CAN'T understand. And get this...it's WHY he chose "a devil" as one of His disciples--it wasn't just to fulfill the need for a betrayer...it goes much, much deeper than that. Of course, hardly anyone will believe any of what I just said. That's okay, though. Exactly enough will. So, the beginning of "how" would be to stop thinking about saving your neck. That is not His prime concern. Think about the things that are on His mind. And whatever you do, please don't start in the book of John. Oh, and one other thing. If you start from His perspective, and then start laying the pieces out, prophecies in the hundreds upon hundreds portray a complete picture that is undoubtedly from Him. It isn't familiar, but that is part of what makes it clearly from Him. No picture could have so many interlocking parts as this one Book has and not be of and from Him. Because though it isn't familiar, when heard, many know it is "that thing that was always missing". If you don't think anything is missing, it probably won't have that effect. Btw, virtually any comment against this scenario can be addressed by a prophecy that clearly describes it.
Tell me...how do you determine what is prophetic and what is not? Especially those texts that aren't "blatantly" prophetic in nature.
I've thought about that a lot. I'm not sure if this will register or not...but you CANNOT think about prophecy from a human perspective. If you do, you are lost, and probably in more ways than one. I am well-aware that most Christians think they might "get" the gist of what I'm saying, but their own words betray them. Most Christians' perspective is from-themselves-outward. Unfortunately, even if one's outward perspective is God-focused, it is a view which can do little more than leave a person dead in the water (make a baptism pun if you see fit). My favorite verse in the Bible is Phil. 2:5. Per NKJV, "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus." That can be condensed to "Adopt the mind of Yeishuu`a." It can be distilled to "Think like God."
Thinking like a human, aka thinking like a typical Christian, allows a person to honestly believe that handing someone a pocket NT is a great and generous Spirit-led blessing instead of an outrageous blasphemous heresy. The irony is that the decapitated corpse that is a pocket new testament is incapable of providing anyone the salvation that the human-focused, salvation-focused mindset is so intent on attaining. Prophecy actually pictures this exact process in its numerous permutations. It is the strong delusion of 2 Thessalonians. It is the famine of the hearing of the words of YHWH. It is why many are called but few are chosen. It is why so many who call Him "Lord, Lord" will hear the words "depart from Me". It's why He talks in parables so that those listening CAN'T understand. And get this...it's WHY he chose "a devil" as one of His disciples--it wasn't just to fulfill the need for a betrayer...it goes much, much deeper than that.
Of course, hardly anyone will believe any of what I just said. That's okay, though. Exactly enough will.
So, the beginning of "how" would be to stop thinking about saving your neck. That is not His prime concern. Think about the things that are on His mind. And whatever you do, please don't start in the book of John.
Oh, and one other thing. If you start from His perspective, and then start laying the pieces out, prophecies in the hundreds upon hundreds portray a complete picture that is undoubtedly from Him. It isn't familiar, but that is part of what makes it clearly from Him. No picture could have so many interlocking parts as this one Book has and not be of and from Him. Because though it isn't familiar, when heard, many know it is "that thing that was always missing". If you don't think anything is missing, it probably won't have that effect.
Btw, virtually any comment against this scenario can be addressed by a prophecy that clearly describes it.
You didn't answer my question - at least I don't think you did. And I'm not sure what to say about this diatribe. It would be very amusing to see your personal doctrinal statement though.
It would be very amusing to see your personal doctrinal statement though.
so NOT the purpose of Logos forums
Maybe that will register with others, like you, some day. Then again, maybe not. I'm glad that you and you alone have figured out all of the great secrets of the universe. Always nice to know that someone has. But I have yet to see a simple, concise and easy to understand description of your belief system.
It's not that I can't explain it simply. It's that I can't explain it simply to YOU. I have made statements about prophecy that shocked and horrified people...I'm talking about visible, physical reactions. While the shock was still sinking in, I issued two statements and a question. Immediately, the thing that horrified them only moments before suddenly appeared to be inevitable and almost (but not entirely) innocuous. You, however, can't receive it. I know that.
Simple isn't enough. Preparation is one of the most crucial concepts in Scripture. It's missing here.
He is certainly welcome to answer, but my guess is that you are in the "don't think anything is missing", everything is fine, blessed assurance crowd, and thus will never comprehend anything I'm trying to convey. So be it. On a certain level, it can't be helped. Circumstances change, though. I've always thought it curious how "blessed assurance" seems to dove-tail so readily with "whoever wishes to save his life will lose it". Maybe that will register with others, like you, some day. Then again, maybe not. To be frank, though, I'm tiring of this thread, aren't you?
Yes, I'm tired of it too. My OP was satisfactorily discussed and our little detour has been very Alice-in-Wonderland. I hope you catch the rabbit one day.
It would be very amusing to see your personal doctrinal statement though. so NOT the purpose of Logos forums
I agree.
I hope you catch the rabbit one day.
Done. Enjoy the blue pill.
There are none so blind as those who say "I see". [H]
[:)]
