Is it possible that a person could be taught something [about the book of revelation], but then realize later in life that what they learned was a misrepresentation?
[yes of course.]
Is it possible that if one generation of people is told that blue is yellow, and they tell their kids the same, that eventually the society will forget that blue is really blue, even defending the position that blue is yellow?
[yes, it happens all the time.]
Is it possible that the loudest voice is not always the correct voice?
[yes.]
Have you as a Christian, ever considered other Christian life paradigms? In other words, what do Christians in Ethiopia believe? Is it the same as what we believe?
[Most of us don't, but we should. Not every Christian believes what you do.]
Who was Revelation written to? What was going on in their world? Does an understanding of the original setting impact my understanding of the book for today?
[Revelation was written to 7 churches. They were historical churches of the early New Testament times. The church was being persecuted by the Romans.] [To read a book without understanding the intent of the author is like us finding a letter from George to Martha Washington and asking what it means to us.]
The Bible contains many types of literature- History, wisdom, apocalyptic and letters among the list. Are all passages of Scripture to be read and understood in the same way?
[no]
Are there parts of parables that are just part of the story? For example in the parable of the house on the rock and the house on the sand, is it fair to ask- where is the house? Who is the owner?
What is apocalyptic literature? What is the general point of its writing- the normal nuances of this genre of literature?
[Apocalyptic writing usually insists on the demise of the present evil age and a promise of a victorious future with God. It is written about the writer's age, not ours.]
Is it possible that if one generation of people is told that blue is yellow, and they tell their kids the same, that eventually the society will forget that blue is really blue, even defending the position that blue is yellow?
[yes, it happens all the time.]
Is it possible that the loudest voice is not always the correct voice?
[yes.]
Have you as a Christian, ever considered other Christian life paradigms? In other words, what do Christians in Ethiopia believe? Is it the same as what we believe?
[Most of us don't, but we should. Not every Christian believes what you do.]
Who was Revelation written to? What was going on in their world? Does an understanding of the original setting impact my understanding of the book for today?
[Revelation was written to 7 churches. They were historical churches of the early New Testament times. The church was being persecuted by the Romans.] [To read a book without understanding the intent of the author is like us finding a letter from George to Martha Washington and asking what it means to us.]
The Bible contains many types of literature- History, wisdom, apocalyptic and letters among the list. Are all passages of Scripture to be read and understood in the same way?
[no]
Are there parts of parables that are just part of the story? For example in the parable of the house on the rock and the house on the sand, is it fair to ask- where is the house? Who is the owner?
What is apocalyptic literature? What is the general point of its writing- the normal nuances of this genre of literature?
[Apocalyptic writing usually insists on the demise of the present evil age and a promise of a victorious future with God. It is written about the writer's age, not ours.]
What is dispensationalism? Where did it come from? How long has it been around as a doctrine? Does this cause you to think differently about some of the associated doctrines?
[Dispensationalism has given rise to many false teachings in the church, including the notion of a rapture. Nothing like this was not taught prior to 1850]
Do the overarching themes of Scripture teach that we will be saved from difficulty, or does it teach that God is with us through the difficulty?
[We are sometimes saved, but not always saved and the point of faith is not that we should be saved from difficulty.]
Is solid doctrine built on a patch work quilt of chosen Scriptures, or on the overarching themes of Scripture?
[main themes of course.]
Americans are fixated with knowledge. Is the point of the Christian life to know everything or to walk with God?
[walk with God]
How many Bible teachers have been wrong about their interpretation of the scriptures regarding the end of time?
[all of them, but some of them made lots of money selling books.]
Where might all of these questions point us regarding our understanding of the book of Revelation and the Christian life? What is the purpose of the Christian life?
[The purpose of the Christian life is to love God and to love others. We may find difficulty in this life, but in the end, God is victorious.]
We live in God's world, and it is a beautiful, fear free day in God's world.
We live in God's world, and it is a beautiful, fear free day in God's world.
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