Bible Discussion Thread

I have been received some great guidance from people since I started using this app to read the bible after very many years of not even thinking about the bible in my life.

I am now intrigued as to how you would classify yourselves in terms of a denomination, as in roman catholic, Protestant, Methodist, Baptist etc,?

GiGi thank you for your response and I fully support the non-denominational approach to the way in which we practice our religion and express our views not only between ourselves but towards others as well. In fact, whilst I have not got a a clear position in my mind I am inclined to extend the "non-denominational theme" to somehow encompass other religions that have positions similar to ourselves.

I have for many years lived and worked with Muslims across the Middle East and over South East Asia and I have enjoyed the company of Jews as friends and with the exception of the lack og recognition of Jesus Christ as being the SON OF GOD I find the principles of both these religions to be the same as ours.

Again I have lived and worked in South Korea for many years and have enjoyed very close associations with Buddhists who don't recognise a deity but nevertheless adhere to the same basic rules as we do. I have not in depth experience of Hinduism and from what little I have observed their religion is quite a mystery to me but again I have work with a god number of Hundu's and Sikhs and found them also to live a life that is largely built on the same rules for humanity (reference the Twelve Commandments) as we hold to.

I have difficult in accepting that our merciful and forgiving GOD would reject all these other member of the human race for not not holding precisely to the same religion that we share. I will be most interested in your views on this.

Roy

Good morning Roy,

I am glad that you are benefiting from this site so much. I am, too!

To me, it does not matter what denomination we are here. What matters on this site to me is that we study the Scriptures and

learn from it with the help of the Holy Spirit. We also learn from bible study with friends or church groups, from our pastors and

teachers in our church. We also learn from sites that explain Christian viewpoints about Scripture. So, this is one avenue for us

to learn and share Scripture, spurring one another on in faith and knowledge of Christ. We come from varying denominations.

We don't all agree on all matters, but we try to understand each other and present our views as clearly as we are able from a

biblical perspective. We also pray for one another and build one another up with encouragement and sincere concern for one

another. It is a blessing to have this venue. Past generations lacked this but still were maintained in the true faith by the Holy

Spirit, as we are.

Glad to have you among us, Roy!

GiGi this is a second reply and addresses a different subject entirely - this concerns the concept og heaven and eternal life. We I try to get my head around this my mind boggles and my thoughts become more and more confused. I have reached out through the internet toward the offices of the leaders of the Church of England and to the Pope and the responses I have receive have been decidedly undefective and not in the least helpful.

Until I receive a rather airy fairy response from someone in the Roman Catholic Church I had a partially formed (but still very confused) image of something a kind to Old Testament drawings of GOD in his heaven surrounded by all the souls of mankind and I mean all the countless billions. In some way I would join this host and there I would again be united with all of the people that I loved on this earth and in some other unclear manner we would continue to "live" in total harmony with all every other sole in heaven in a wonderous existence of no stress and no pain, total equality under the blessing of OUR FATHER WHICH IS IN HEAVEN and this in my mind would be represented on absolutely heavenly existence that would be infinite. It is because of this and my hope that GOD will forgive me my sins that I do not fear what happens after I die.

What is your view?

Roy

What is your view?Roy

Good morning Roy,

I am not really sure of your question to me, but I think you are seeking knowledge about heaven and what it will be like for us believers. I am glad that you have the hope of heaven in you and so it awaits you and I when we die.

The Scriptures does not describe our heavenly existence in much detail, probably for good reason on God's part.

But Jesus said that He was going to prepare a place for us in John 14:2. He says that in our resurrection, our bodies will be reunited with our souls and spirit, but in a glorified way whereby our we will be immortal and incorruptible. So sin will no longer be found in us and we will live forever with God ( 1 Corinthians 15:35-58; 1 Thessalonians 4:17)

In heaven we will be completely satisfied with God has in store for us there. Our existence will be glorious, wanting for no good thing. We will not be solitary or alone, but have eternal fellowship with other believers and with God in Jesus Christ. We will see Jesus, and thus, since the Father and the Spirit dwell in Him, we will see God and worship Him in Spirit and in Truth.

Your ideas are pretty much aligned with my own I am happy to say as I was disturbed by the response to my quest that I received form the representative of the Pope.

Maybe I am not so far adrift in my thinking after all.

Best regards

Roy

Well Roy, I am glad that you are sharing on here. I would be interested in hearing what the Pope's representative said to you.

GiGi, it was all very airy fairy and I did not keep it, not like I do with the messages I get from you people which are real worth keeping for re-reading as and when I feel like it. It is easier to describe the contents by waht is did not say and it was that that left me sad and disconcerted. There was no mention at all of the kind of thought that you and I have shared. No mention of a possibility of in some way being able to again communicate with the people how have gone before us and who we loved and still love. It gave the impression that whatever the relationship between us and GOD after death was very much a one on one situation with no interface other than, as I interpreted it, my soul, spirit or whatever simply being absorbed into an all encompassing enormous shroud like entity that did not need to recognise individuality but did provide a serene form of eternal existence.

Not all relatable to my own view.

You ever heard of anything like that.

Roy

Dear Roy, thanks for the info on what you received from the pope's rep. The Roman Catholic church has "mystified" what the bible calls our union with Christ. Some in the Catholic church teach that this union means we are "absorbed" into the essence of God.

This mysticism is a mixture of Eastern religion and the concept of believers being unified with God through Christ. In Eastern religious thought (think Buddhism) through meditation a person "ascend" to be absorbed into the cosmic energy, thus losing personal identity, but one with all consciousness. This is what has been adopted and modified in among Catholic Church members who seek this "mystical union" with God.

I do not think this way at all. The Bible says we are one in Christ, but not absorbed into Him nor do we mix our humanity with His deity. We will be perfected humanity likened to the perfect humanity of Jesus (which He possessed since His conception in Mary).

However, Jesus is not a man that becomes divine, He is God who took on human likeness in every way but sin. So, in Him is full

divinity and full humanity (without sin).

Likewise, we are not humans who become divine. That is a gulf too wide for any to cross, as God alone is divine. We will always be human, even in heaven, but we will be perfected in our humanity to be like Jesus and never sin again. We will have a glorified human body, like Jesus has, that will be immortal and incorruptible. As in a marriage, we will be unified with Christ in mind, heart, soul, and spirit, yet remain separate individuals. We will enjoy the communion of saints which is the bride of Christ. We will forever be with Him and enjoy Him forever.

GiGi

Thank you again. I select from your answer to me three key phrases as your ideas consolidate my own thinking:

1."The Roman Catholic church has "mystified" what the bible calls our union with Christ"

2. "This mysticism is a mixture of Eastern religion and the concept of believers being unified with God through Christ"

3. "We will be perfected humanity likened to the perfect humanity of Jesus

I have never heard of any possible association of RC thinking with the "Eastern Religions" and probably because I have not considered the possibility before and not asked an related questions. Here I find the CE teachings at fault in that they did not refer in anyway to such a link in my religious education, indeed thinking back there was never ant discussion about any alternative religion let allow RC'sm. I should add that I was educated in the a very traditional C of E environment of the English.

Public School system and its normal "High Church" as opposed to Methodist, Baptist and Lutheran thinking. C of E still tending to support an abhorrence of Roman Catholicism with some respect for King Henry VIII and his rejection of Rome. To this day our Queen when she was crowned (1954) the Archbishop of Canterbury declared her to be the "Protector of the Faith.

I hope that I will not be considered rude by asking the question, are you a consecrated person as in clergyman, pastor or religious leader?

Very many thanks for your help with my understanding of our faith.

Roy

Hello again, Roy,

No, I am not a pastor, clergyman, nor religious leader. I just happen be very familiar with the Roman Catholic Church and its teachings and practices. I have been a believer all of my life as far back as I can remember. It has been a blessing to have walked with our Lord all of these years. I am a very inquisitive person, so I like to study up on topics and see how they align with the Word.