I have a genuine question that I’m interested in to read from you:
If free will is desired by God for us, and some angels used their free will in heaven to rebel, will we be given free will in heaven or be allowed to keep it? If allowed to keep free will in heaven, and the angels rebelled using it once upon a time, what would keep some people that are born again from rebelling in heaven by use of that free will?
I’m quite curious.
I am not a big theologian or anything of the sort. I’m just a fellow human trying to pursue Christ. lol so if you know more than me please be mindful of that in Your explanations. My question is : what does it mean for God to change his mind? How can he change his mind if He is all knowing?
The story I’m referring to is the one where God tells Moses that he will kill all Israelites for worshipping the golden calf instead of Him. But then Moses intervenes and reminds God of the covenant He mad with His people. AND GOD CHANGES HIS MIND. Did God forget about the convenant? I’m sure God is trying to teach me something I just need help getting where He needs me.
I’m also stuck on the word “intercede”, which in my own understanding means to advocate (please correct me if I’m wrong) why was Moses needed for that. In what world can a human change God’s mind… doesn’t that kind of insinuate that God isn’t all knowing and wise?
Guys reading the Bible is so annoying to me because I question absolutely everything but I also understand there are some things I’ll just never understand. I’ve been stuck on this chapter for years lol. But I’m stubborn and I need to get this.
Can someone explain or share their perspective and explain this to me like I’m 12 ?
Simple question up top, more detail below. If I should be asking elsewhere please let me know.
Is there a biblical basis for refusing to vote?
A guy I know made this claim. He didn’t clarify and I didn’t ask (honestly I try not to talk to him), but it got me wondering where he might be coming from. The only thing that came to mind is that it’s a “system of the world” and therefore should be avoided. But if we’re supposed to “render unto Caesar that which is Caesar’s” then it’s ok to participate in taxation? I haven’t been involved with organized Christianity in 20+ years, so a lot of this has gotten fuzzy for me.
Also this guy has a driver’s license and passport [eyeroll] but again it’s not about him.
Which Christian beliefs and ideas can be understood through natural theology? I think my question is best illustrated as thought experiment.
Suppose from the beginning of times God hasn't influenced development of any religion, but which I mean no prophets, no incarnations, no bible, no church. People still have spiritual experiences at the same rate as they do in our world (something like out of body experience, reincarnation memories or marian apparitions, but nothing that would allow for prophets to exist).
For a people in such world:
I obviously don't expect humanity in this world of full divine hiddenness to come to belief of virgin birth, for instance, or anything to do with history or mythology. By "parts of Christianity" I meant certain Christian philosophical and theological doctrines.
EDIT: I think by doing this thought experiment you can determine how much and in what way every Christian doctrine is dependent on the biblical narrative. The Natural beliefs are the least dependent and the Unthinkable beliefs are entirely dependent. Correct me if my conclusion is wrong.
"6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.[c] 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born anew.’[d] 8 The wind[e] blows where it wills, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know whence it comes or whither it goes; so it is with every one who is born of the Spirit.” 9 Nicode′mus said to him, “How can this be?” "13 No one has ascended into heaven but he who descended from heaven, the Son of man."
These verses are from Gospel of John chapter 3. Could someone elaborate on the meaning of verses 7 and 8? I understand that Nicodemus does not comprehend the idea of being born anew, but I don't understand the allegory of the wind. Does it mean that we can only witness miracles, but never fully understand them in depth?
I also have a question about verse 13. I thought that Elijah had ascended into heaven, what am I missing?
So, from what I know and in my understanding of the Christian religion, when we die, and I'm just... I'm skipping past the point of where Jesus returns and everyone raises and you have Armageddon and the end. Everything's thrown into the pit of fire. Okay, so in this stage of, I suppose, the thousand-year reign, or whatever you want to call it, do we have memory of the life that we lived on this earth? And you could argue that it's the same earth and it's just renowned into a new earth, but like, I mean this time period, I suppose. We have experiences that, in terms of memory, are not good ones, right? And it's almost sinful to even think about it. And then we have, like, dreams of these things happening as well, and, like, reoccurrence. And like, it's just a memory you have. And then when you die, and you are now in this time period, is it even possible in a sinless environment to have a memory of something that was sinful?
Posted this in r/askbiblescholars and they deleted it for whatever reason, saying it didn't align with the subreddit. 🙄 ok