Yes, these are made up fictions. That's why fictional labels are necessary, and why they are not found in the actual writings (aka "Scripture").
Actually, the conversations I have are designed to make one look around in order to see that indeed one might already be in the Twilight Zone of a particular religious mindset. The reason you feel this way is that I don't live in that Twilight Zone as you, and hold most everyone with whom I talk to the rigors of a logical Definitional Framework that is readily supported by both scripture and a Lexical Foundation. So to those who are already
in a Twilight Zone, it looks like I have arrived from one. Indeed I merely hope to help that person to see the Twilight Zone in which they already live.
You have heard it said that there are none so blind as those who will not see, but I say unto you there are none so blind as those who are already absolutely convinced that they see.
However, unlike Jesus, it's not my intention to purposefully impose a sense of exasperation upon anyone. And my apologies for that (unless, of course, that's the intention of the Holy Spirit). Perhaps we might consider it collateral damage? Or unintended consequences? A "rough spot" in ... Getting to know you... Getting to know all about you.... (it's easier to break into song when in person).
I can assure you, it wasn't taken that way. But every Jew around Jesus felt like that, because there are innumerable "verses" that state they were
astonished at what Jesus taught. Verses like this one at the end of what you know as The Sermon on the Mount:
And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine:
(Matthew 7:28 KJV)
But there are certain constraints at this forum that don't allow me to be openly astonishing, so I can hint, suggest, post a scripture here and there, so that one who seeks can put the pieces parts together (hopefully) for themselves, as God leads. That said, I am open to a Nicodemus moment if need be.
And therein lies the problem - when one goes beyond what is written and leaps over into "other words," creating new terms that invent doctrines that are
not written. I'd give examples, but you've already touched on a few, one of which is that when Jesus (JESUS) taught about the end of the world he said that those who disappear off the face of the earth are those who do iniquity. (cf.
LINK to my other thread -
also, I hadn't expected my time to be so limited this weekend, but I'll address the outstanding posts over there as soon as I can.)
You see I don't "do" church. And I don't do "church-speak." I am not part of
any denomination, and you can fell the frustration that
that causes. Which brings me back to my first point. Churches are an ecosystem of special terms and definitions (possibly even delusions) that are poisonous to actual truth, whether these fabricate specific doctrines, or certain behaviours (such as the plagiarism of backNforth that just doesn't seem to bother him).
Ought I to let things like that slide? Or sweep things under the proverbial rug in order to maintain a fiction of smiling happy faces all singing Kum-ba-yah because someone scared them about "unity" somehow ??
I was first excommunicated from my parents church when I was 17 (there have been about twelve so far) because I had the GALL !!! (the PRIDE !!! the TEMERITY) of using a Greek Interlinear to study the New Testament writings and SPURN the elders' clear teaching from GOD that one should
only use the King James Version (( that, and I attended a non-church approved university )). I think they were angered because I was openly using the Greek text for three years and they completely missed it.
When scripture says that God is not a respecter of persons, it means that he holds everyone's feet to the fire equally. I tend to do that. (Not the least of whom is myself.) Although....
@Br. Bear has been patiently guiding me to realize that I can set people's feet on fire in a more gentile and kindly manner.
(And I guess I should say that Nick is doing his best to help, when I'm not exasperating
him.)
Why? What's so special or significant about that? What is LOGOS all about? One needs to read Philo to find out.
My point is when people make up these Fake Terms, like the "Written Word" they damage the Definitional Framework of their own writings. There is no GRAPHO LOGOS, and certainly not any GRAPHO RHEMA.
You want to be angry and incensed? Don't direct that at me. I'm not the Satan that gives twisted translations that conform to the theological bias of the ones doing the translations and the denominations paying them. I'm not the one who fused LOGOS and RHEMA together, con-fusing the handicapped English-only readers who just see "Word of God". And then they can't even see what the Bibles says
is the Word of God because their brainwashed screamings keep making them think BIBLE.
Now far be it from me to say that the LOGOS
of God is not Jesus. Because I do. I do say that the LOGOS
of God is Jesus. But we have clear text written in Greek that says the RHEMA
of God is the Holy Spirit. We have clear text that says the Word of God is the Holy Spirit (although the text states RHEMA, not LOGOS at that point).
IS the Bible the Word of God? No. But the Bible does contain the Word of God, so let the Bible TELL you what the Word of God is, knowing that that there are two of them. The RHEMA(
word)-of-God and the LOGOS(
word)-of-God. And when one learns the truth about the LOGOS and the RHEMA, one can see that the Bible doesn't call ITSELF the Word of God. Fake Doctrines do. People indoctrinated with Fake Doctrines do. Fake Doctrines that are built on "Churchisms" - an ecosystem of religious terms created on purpose to keep people blind. Did you even know RHEMA existed before me? (Most don't.) Is it important? Find out.
No man also having drunk old wine (their dearly held church-words) straightway desireth new: for he saith, The old is better.
(Luke 5:39 KJV)
To which I would say, you're not reading scripture. You're reading a translation. A translation that turns into Church Fictions, because your Church has defined the terms you read, disregarding the language in which it was written.
But when I set myself to seek what is actually written and what is actually meant, an entirely new panorama - an astonishing panorama reveals itself. It's not complicated, except to those who are set in the old church ways. But who wants to come out of their Twilight Zone when it's the same thing as their Comfort Zone.
In God's peace,
Rhema
