This week I want to revisit what can be a confusing topic: the fact that God is one. We can all say God is one, but do you really understand the implications? Failure to do so results in suffering for everyone. I already visited the oneness of God topic in another blog post, entitled, The Nature of God, but because of its monumental importance for mankind, I am going to address it again from a different scriptural angle. [Read more…] about Did Jesus Believe All Is One?
Archives for May 2012
The Beauty of Scriptural Allegory
Was the Bible really meant to be taken literally? What if I could show you multiple scriptures from the Bible itself stating that it’s not? In my last blog post, we discussed how Paul himself boldly proclaimed the Old Testament story of Abraham and his progeny was nothing more than an allegory (found here). In this post I will present more evidence that most, if not all, of the Bible stories are meant to be read in a non-literal manner. We will also discuss how the Bible becomes a much more beneficial and powerful tool (especially for salvation) when we understand that it is not literal. [Read more…] about The Beauty of Scriptural Allegory
Putting Scripture Into Proper Perspective: Part Two
I remember the day like it was yesterday. Sweaty palms. Racing heart. The stage music was playing softly. Ministers were standing around the steps below the pulpit waiting for me and others to come forward. The message had been preached with fire and conviction. The salvation call was out. Jesus had spoken—at least through the pastor—and, being convinced, I was coming forward to set my life straight and give it to Jesus. Why? Because the preacher had convinced me that the Jesus of the Bible wanted this. What exactly this was I wasn’t really sure. But I assured myself that I could figure it all out later. The important thing was that I was getting “saved,” right? I mean, after all, wasn’t getting “saved” by believing the literal gospel story the right thing to do? [Read more…] about Putting Scripture Into Proper Perspective: Part Two
Putting Scripture Into Proper Perspective: Part One
For too long the Bible has been used wrongly. You probably know the drill. A religious leader stands in front of a congregation and preaches from verses in the Bible. The overall hope is that the congregation will believe the message, repent, and then struggle to live the way Jesus or God desires. Sometimes the verses in question are used to get someone “saved” once they accept the message. But this sort of Biblical perspective is completely counter-productive to what the scriptures were meant to do. In fact, the methods discussed above have wrestled the true power of the scriptures right out of the hands of the people. When used in this manner, the Bible, with all its awesome revelations and deep spiritual insights, has become a tool to promote religion. The only problem is that religion usually creates confused, mindless, or arrogant congregation members. [Read more…] about Putting Scripture Into Proper Perspective: Part One