Today, points are shared on discernment, receiving one sent, and “seeing” things invisible. Also, there is more on divine knowledge and omniscience. A writer at “Yahoo! Answers” using the ID “Artemis” (Level 7 with 39,362 points, a member since November 02, 2011) posted the following originally asked on Yahoo Answers Canada:
Why do people believe in what Paul/Saul wrote? God's wrath comes in the form of lust for your own gender?
Paul the Apostle, (Saul of Tarsus) was a Hebrew turned missionary who evangelized the gospel of Christ to the first-century world around 55 AD (many years after Jesus died). At first he zealously persecuted the early followers of Jesus of Nazareth and violently tried to destroy the newly forming Christian church – until he realized that he could gain more influence and power by jumping on the Christianity gravy train.
It is said that Paul's dramatic conversion happened when he "saw" the risen Jesus on the road to Damascus – probably one of his hallucinations during epilepsy seizures. Paul's letters DO NOT REFER directly to this experience on the Damascus road. In Galatians, he writes that God "was pleased to reveal his son to me" and in 1 Corinthians, "last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me also".
Thereafter, Paul traveled all over neighboring territories evangelizing and proselytizing Christianity. He wrote Epistles (i.e. letters) to Romans, Corinthians, Galatians etc. making up and detailing all the EVILS THAT WILL BE BROUGHT UPON THEM BY THE WRATH OF GOD, IF THEY DID NOT CONVERT to Christianity. These epistles were then collated to form the new testament.
13 of the 27 books in the New Testament are attributed to Paul, and about half of the Acts of the Apostles deals with Paul's life and works. Only seven of the epistles can be accepted as being entirely authentic. The other 6 are believed to have come from followers writing in his name.
Romans 1:25: "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men… Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshiped and served the creature more than the Creator …God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature. And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly…..”
Isn't this just to scare people - god's wrath will fall upon people who refuse to worship him - and this wrath will be in the form of lust for the same gender? How does that make sense?
Why do people believe in Paul/Saul?
THE BATTLE AXE: The You GOD “Knows” (02/25/2014)—(5.) The omniscience of GOD pertains to the various eternal operations and purposes whereby cosmic and divine order are maintained. GOD knows you as he intends that you will be: Sanctified (i.e., cleansed and set apart for divine service); alert; alive; confident; dutiful; gentle; faithful; forgiving; kind; healthy and nourished in body, mind and spirit; endowed with godly power; merciful; respectful; reverent; righteous; and wise. Through the operations of sin, there are now many possibilities for spiritual confusion, corruption, destruction, and disunity. Apart from GOD, created beings and living creatures do not become aware of, or achieve all the possibilities for the excellence of their own being. The provisions from GOD that enable resistance to sin, yet do not totally eliminate sin, include baptism (spiritual death, and rebirth having divine DNA), sacred law, praise, prayer, the practice of sacraments, and the imparted, indwelling Spirit. Believers in Jesus as their Redeemer and Savior are cautioned against seeking a “whore’s reward,” rather than continuing to prepare for the full measure of immortality and incorruptibility they will receive at his glorious Advent. All that glitters is not gold, so to speak; and those expecting only amusement, hilarity, and an episode of pleasure are often given instead disease, lasting shame, humiliation, and death. We were not created to be anchored and weighed down with blasphemy, defiance, ignorance, and the worship of false gods. Yet, many are mired in, and struggling against these and many other “quicksands” of sin. Having no part with GOD and Christ, those whose names do not appear in the Lamb’s Book of Life will be those that GOD does not “know”. They will be cast into the lake of fire (the second death) as though they never existed. See Matthew: 7: 24-27, 1st Corinthians 3: 9-23, KJV.
THE GOLDEN ARROW: Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought: But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? but we have the mind of Christ. (1st Corinthians 2: 6-23, KJV)
THE DOUBLE DAGGER: Continuously Tested (12/31/2013); Chosen To Serve As Prophets (01/01/2014); Lawful Revenge? (01/02/2014); GOD Angry With Us? (12/08/2013); So We Could Have Life? (12/09/2013); Feeling Loved By GOD? (06/16/2013); To Find A True Christian? (06/17/2013); “Authorized Personnel Only” (03/13/2013); Before Abraham Was… (03/14/2013); Why A “Spokesperson”? (01/14/2013); No Contradictions? (01/15/2013); A Need to Fear? (12/02/2012); On Seeing Jesus Serve the Poor (12/03/2012)
“Artemis”, here are a few points to consider from Christian belief that have helped many recognize and escape from spiritual confusion:
(1.) Believers are commanded to continually practice and apply discernment. We are to use the spirit content we have within ourselves, and within the things given from GOD (e.g., events, praise, prayers, the holy writings) to correctly examine, and successfully recognize other things that will come to us as genuine sacred knowledge, prophecy, revelation, truth, and wisdom. This is specially important for receiving divine spokespersons (we say, prophets), miracles (we say, sacred events) along with incarnations and visitations (we say, those who are sent as was Jesus, whom many among the priests and Levites denied).
(2.) GOD is a spirit who has put forth the aspects of his own makeup as the life and existence of all created beings and living creatures. Despite their operations through intellect, logic, reason, and science, awareness and comprehension are limited for all the many life forms of heaven and earth. Apart from the provisions of GOD, many aspects of their own nature, substance and potential remain hidden from their own finite mind. More than this, the details and dynamics of divine operations, sacred process and eternal purpose are invisible to any spirit not infused with divinity. Among those on the earth, only those born again are able to grasp the unseen presence of GOD displayed in such features as consecration, faith, glory, holiness, divine love, mercy, righteousness, sovereignty, and wrath against sin.
There is far more to be said, correctly applied, and spiritually apprehended. (For example, (3.) In the words of an old-time spiritual song, “Everybody talkin’ ’bout heaven ain’t goin’ there…” Believers trust that what we know—and that we know—are by multiple operations of GOD. Rightly applied, scholarship and study may focus analysis, criticism, and other tools of mankind upon the “stuff” of mankind. Only spirit matter through endowments from the ministry of Jesus Christ may be used to achieve clear and inarguable truth from GOD.) Even so, I trust this fragment will be useful. Be it unto you according to your faith.
For I know nothing by myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord. (1st Corinthians 4: 4, KJV)
THE BLACK PHOENIX
Washington, DC
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