The language and process of the holy writings are in view, today, along with more on the childhood of Jesus. The “Yahoo! Answers” writer using ID “keyjona” (Level 7 with 25,578 points, a member since June 21, 2008) posted the following:
Did our Father forgive our debt? or did our brother pay for our debt?
THE BATTLE AXE: The Childhood of Jesus? (03/06/2013)—Mature Christian believers accept that the holy writings are a tool in the process of divine revelation. Readers must take on a new “mind-set”, a distinct way of thinking about human existence, and about themselves. Repeatedly, the Scriptures present persons and human events as types, figures and displays of spiritual principles and truths, rather than heroes or villains in epic tales. Various figures appear (e.g., angels, judges, priests, prophets, kings, the covenant people, the Christ and Messiah) as expressions of sacred devices and instruments to carryout divine intent. The reports given to a reader are not so much to detail specific actions and incidents as to reconfigure their consciousness using spirit-content. The full reality of Divine Person and divinity reside in the official administrator, the Christ; therefore, the man, Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ, is to be seen and understood as an instance of Almighty GOD appearing in flesh (i.e., incarnate). Additionally, in principle, all of the holy prophets are alive and present in the person of the Christ, as though a single individual could be a composite containing the aspects of spiritual goodness from the lives and personality of every godly person that ever existed. Bible readers generally understand that many activities for practical living and the day-to-day lives for the people of GOD were fixed and focused by the counsels, laws, parables and proverbs from GOD. Also, there were traditions continued across many generations. The course of a child’s activity, development and growth was generally described and predictable through the prescriptions and requirements from such elements. Mature Christians typically hold that nagging questions and unsatisfied curiosity about the childhood of Jesus usually comes from our “old man” more than from the “new creature in Christ.” Bible believers are not being equipped to answer directly whether Jesus ever played-stick ball with other boys, played pranks, was sexually initiated, or committed the errors and mischief many of us have known. This is because our correct focus is upon his experience, fulfillment and portrayal of divine law, promise, proclamation and prophecy (see 1st Corinthians 13: 8-13, KJV). Thus, in addition to what we understand as the standard experiences of home-life, learning and worship, a believer’s knowledge of the childhood of Jesus is obtained through the record describing other children and youth in divine service such as Moses, Samuel, David, Josiah, and Timothy. Also, believers themselves undergo the very same spiritual experiences that make up “the childhood” of Jesus through their own baptism, sanctification, and continuing spiritual growth as a reborn child of GOD. Consider again Galatians 4: 3-7 (KJV).
THE GOLDEN ARROW: We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. (2nd Peter 1: 19-21, King James Version)
THE DOUBLE DAGGER: A Text for Lives Today? (11/25/2012); Pornography from the Bible? (11/26/2012); Doing Nothing? (01/04/2011); “As If” (01/05/2011); Eaten in Haste? (01/06/2011); Proving Truth? (12/24/2010); Lord of Sabbath (12/25/2010); Bible Complete? (11/01/2010); Holy Writings? (11/02/2010); Bible Boring? (09/29/2010)
The two ideas you present reinforce one another, and are not truly complete standing alone. Many mature Christian believers agree that, while the holy writings use many common expressions and language describing human events, secular process and social realities, the primary intent of Scripture is to establish a consciousness of spiritual elements that interact and overlap as the human condition, and that cannot be completely known through the flesh (i.e., experiences of such senses as hearing, seeing and touching). Such concepts as duty, freedom, indebtedness, innocence, obedience and reward are used to put forward a more complete awareness of human relationship to the invisible, yet real, creator and maker of mankind.
The interconnected concepts of law, judgment, and salvation generate peculiar descriptions of mankind, of mankind’s Creator, and of the universe wherein humanity exists. Beginning with ones awareness of the demands from human law, it is reasonable for men upon the earth to speak in terms of fines, levies, punishments, and financial sanctions that may be brought against transgressors and violators of contracts that include the overall social consensus (i.e., civil, corporate, family and criminal law). However, to embrace the concepts of covenant and continuing intimate relationship with GOD, the need is for terms whose definitions are given by GOD, and that are broad, yet concrete and exact enough to embrace themes that are cosmic, existential and eternal. Because, radical and often undefined terms that allow men to assume they are all saying the same thing or that they themselves have right knowledge are repeatedly used (such as atonement, forgiveness, love and peace), believers in Christ are to be anchored in more than mere mental exercises and words. The church serves as the source of a new lifestyle and living vocabulary that includes shared experience of giving, praise, prayer, repentance and sacramental worship.
The language created to speak of sin necessarily must be “non-sense”, for sin is no material, physical or spirit thing that exists. Sin was discovered first among the holy angels as the complaint against limitations imposed by divine law. Because sin may not be known or eliminated by created beings and living creatures independently and separate from divinity, sin may dominate their endowments of awareness and self-will. Sin contains no divine substance, and, in this sense, sin is not “created,” and sin does not exist. Sin is not an expression of the divine will, and has no power to overcome the will of GOD. Even so, sin has direction, effect and presence. Divine devices supplied to make possible a living awareness and resistance to sin include law, priesthood, prophecy, repentance, sacrifice, the imparting of Spirit to indwell the living and the transformation of heaven and earth (i.e., “the making of all things new”).
There is far more to be said, correctly applied, and spiritually apprehended. (For example, the human intellectual process for knowing includes both deductive and inductive reasoning. Through induction, a broad group of similar elements display a “rule” that is common for them all. Thereby, many different or repeated instances combine to provide substance as a single truth. In the Bible, thousands of incidents from thousands of lives combine to affirm spiritual concepts and values only crudely spoken of through human language and speech.) Even so, I trust this fragment will be useful. Be it unto you according to your faith.
THE BLACK PHOENIX
Washington, DC
THE WHOLE ARMOR OF GOD 