by jimwalton » Tue Jan 09, 2024 7:14 pm
> So you keep claiming.
More than claiming. I showed the evidence of the themes that are consistent throughout the Bible and the coherent message of the Bible. So, not just a claim, but something you can read for yourself to verify or refute. Just saying "so you claim" is not an argument.
> "Properly" as defined by who?
By God. As you read the Bible and can see for yourself the consistency of themes and coherence of message, one can readily observe that the Bible is God's revelation of Himself so that we are able to understand God properly—as He has revealed Himself to be.
> that doesn't appear good enough to settle religion-related disputes.
The Bible wasn't written to solve all religion-related disputes. It was given to us to reveal God so that we can understand Him properly. It doesn't answer every question we have, nor does it pretend to deal with all of the nonsense people can dream up to dispute about. What it gives us is a thorough and deep enough picture of God that we can understand Him and have a meaningful relationship with Him. But there will never in the course of the world be an end to the gibberish people invent.
> Nothing you have written gives readers clear ways to solve that
Sure it does. The study of the Bible that gives a picture of God, His will and His ways resolves much of it. It's just that people are so motivated to see things their way instead of what is written that the malarkey takes hold of them.
> just nebulous feel-good kind of things.
Oh, not at all. This is maliciously reductionistic and tragically mistaken.
Last bumped by Anonymous on Tue Jan 09, 2024 7:14 pm.