Christians: How many Gods are there?
THE BATTLE AXE: Law, Slavery and Redemption (09/13/2013)—(5.) To break covenant with divine person is not a simple crime that may be described in human terms of misdemeanor, felony, or capital offense. Vital terms for existence and relationship with the Creator are dishonored and violated. In effect, the covenant-breaker denies fundamental conditions that establish their own being, and are intended to maintain and support the lives of others. Such sinners may no longer be regarded and trusted to function in ministry as a caretaker to the Creation of GOD, as one endowed with the spirit of GOD, or as one established in sacred operations of eternal life. Through the pursuits of lust, selfish pleasure and pride, sinners become abominations; they lose all godliness, and are no longer capable of angelic or human displays of humility, obedience and reverence. (6.) What we today are calling “captives”, “exiles” and “slaves” in Bible reports generally were a defeated nation’s labor force and manpower denied their homeland, and relocated because of shortages in conquering nations and empires (e.g., Assyria, Babylon, Rome). Christian believers do not attribute the creation of slavery to GOD. Among other things, men in a condition of servitude became spoken of and treated as “chattel” and “property” through misuse and perversion of provisions in the law that endorsed their continued voluntary association with host families following their employer’s decease. This took on the appearance of ownership, and as an aspect of dynasty and inheritance. (7.) The dependence of servants upon the household wherein they served was little different than that of a child. Food, shelter, clothing, meaningful activity and work were all provided. Divine law, therefore, protects the servant as one who is vulnerable, and servitude is managed as though an adoption. Where servants earned the affection and trust of an employer who was childless, the servant could become the employer’s spouse, or even the employer’s sole heir. See Genesis 27: 28-30, Exodus 34: 19-20, 1st Kings 9: 20-22 and Romans 6: 1-23, KJV.
THE GOLDEN ARROW: Then certain philosophers of the Epicureans, and of the Stoicks, encountered him. And some said, What will this babbler say? other some, He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods: because he preached unto them Jesus, and the resurrection. And they took him, and brought him unto Areopagus, saying, May we know what this new doctrine, whereof thou speakest, is? For thou bringest certain strange things to our ears: we would know therefore what these things mean. (For all the Athenians and strangers which were there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new thing.) Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars’ hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious. For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you. God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; Neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us: For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring. Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man’s device. And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead. And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked: and others said, We will hear thee again of this matter. (Acts 17: 18-32, KJV)
THE DOUBLE DAGGER: A Start for the Idea of GOD? (09/09/2013); Utterance is Spirit (09/08/2013); Why GOD Prayed to GOD (09/07/2013); How Was GOD Known Before Jesus (10/06/2012); Jesus, King of Earth? (10/07/2012)
“The fifth ape,” here are a few points most Christian believers endorse as in line with their sacred nature only after much prayer, and careful study of the holy writings. Those who take up the Bible casually, usually operate with the warped idea that, at best, GOD is an equal with mankind, and may be correctly understood using only human devices. In their view, the transformation of human substance (i.e., being born again from divine DNA, so to speak) is superfluous, and unneeded:
(1.) There is only one GOD, however, because the substance and process of divinity is not limited to carnal, material and social effects, Christian believers acknowledge the single GOD as appearing through many aspects of existence, pursuing distinctive sacred goals, and functioning in many clear, identifiable patterns.
(2.) The Bible record documents sacred events wherein GOD has appeared to and through human lives. A divine perspective is provided displaying divinity over the course of thousands of years, and thousands of lives. While there are permanent aspects of GOD to be seen and acknowledged as immutable and unchanging, how GOD is spoken of has changed in accordance with various features of human language. Included are how language is acquired and learned, regional differences, the names for GOD, and development of language through change for novelty. (In our lifetime, today, we rarely hear, Cool! Narly! and Crazy Fat!)
There is far more to be said, correctly applied, and spiritually understood. For example, (3.) GOD is a spirit. The concept of a single “Godhead” that would contain multiple expressions of divinity as person requires a strict use of ideas and language that respond to sacred substance found only within the make-up of GOD, and that has been imparted to mankind through divine process such as adoption (of the spirit), baptism, creation, and rebirth. The various inseparable aspects of GOD include faith, holiness, humility, joy, longsuffering, love, righteousness, truth, wisdom, and wrath against sin.) Even so, I trust this fragment will be useful. Be it unto you according to your faith.
THE BLACK PHOENIX
Washington, DC
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