Crossing the Jordan into the Inner Meaning [New Church, Open]

Spirit and Life Bible Study ^ | Wed Nov 28, 2012 | Rev Dr Johnathon Rose

[DaveMSmith]

Everything in the Old Testament history leads up to the crossing of the Jordan, and yet the way the story is told in Joshua 3 and 4 has major inconsistencies and problems. Is there another way to read it?

Can the Bible be taken literally?

[DaveMSmith]

Readings:

Joshua 3,4
2Kings 2
Psalm 114
John 1, 10
Matthew 3
Mark 1
Jeremiah 12
Zechariah 11
Genesis 1
1Cor 2:14

[DaveMSmith]

Also see Spirit and Life Bible Study on Facebook

[RitaOK]

Whut?

Before we play, what’s your game here? Is there a prize, a ribbon, or a free-for-all argument?

[onyx]

^5

[RitaOK]

Ah, another study to purchase, a blog hit on FB? Come on.

[DaveMSmith]

Nothing to purchase. The USteam is free. No one is counting FB hits - I don’t even think that can be done.

[RitaOK]

Humblegunner has sharpened my bulbs that’s, for sure! LOL! The old poop smells blog hitting in the blink of an eye. ;.D

[RitaOK]

Yes, well now, back to the original question. ( envision fingers tapping) )

[DaveMSmith]

Just trying to raise the level of discussion here on the RF. Catholics claim the Bible is allegory with a lot of inconsistencies. Protestants did away with that and claim the literal meaning is sufficient. The New Church claims the entire Word is significative beginning to end - Genesis to Revelation and is totally consistent; water means truth or in it’s opposite sense, falsity.

[RitaOK]

Good luck there.

[Col Freeper]

Can the Bible be taken literally?

Well, yea .... I take mine literally everywhere I go!

Speaking figuratively of course.

That's a lot of homework you've assigned there!

Will there be an end-of-course exam?

Pop-Quizzes?

A Diploma?

Will the grading be on a bell-curve?

My, my, I wonder: what would Jesus do? (or Paul, or Moses, or Joshua, etc., etc.)

[RitaOK]

;D.)

[aMorePerfectUnion]

“Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves ... For such are FALSE apostles, DECEITFUL workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.” (Matthew 7:15; 2nd Corinthians 11:13).

 

- Warning -

 

This thread has been flagged as Cultic Spam

by Christians on FreeRepublic.com

 

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“Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves ... For such are FALSE apostles, DECEITFUL workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.” (Matthew 7:15; 2nd Corinthians 11:13).

 

- Warning -

 

This thread has been flagged as Cultic Spam

by Christians on FreeRepublic.com

 

Let the reader beware!

 

- Warning -

 

This thread has been flagged as Cultic Spam

by Christians on FreeRepublic.com

 

Let the reader beware!

[DaveMSmith]

And that is your personal opinion. I’ve posted less than 50 threads in my nine years here... hardly spam. And nowhere does Swedenborg claim to be a prophet or does my Church recognize such, so your quote must be self projection...

[aMorePerfectUnion]

None of that changes the cultic nature of Swedenborgianism.

[veracious]

What is main reason you would have this known as a cult?

[DaveMSmith]

Could you define the ‘cultic nature’ of my Church? What do we do to earn this classification? What’s your source?

[aMorePerfectUnion]

Denies the Vicarious Atonement
Denies the Trinity
Denies the deity of the Holy Spirit
Teaches that All religions lead to God
Denies existence of Satan
Swedenborg stated that the Acts and Epistles were not inspired as are the four Gospels and the Book of Revelation
Denies a physical resurrection

Start there. All heresies condemned by the Church.

[Salvation]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swedenborgianism

Aghast!

[Hazelwood Redneck Brain Trust]

I am not a Bible-scholar (and shamefully do not read it as much as I should), but I see it this way:
The Old Testament is a collection of books, stories, prophecies, histories, etc... that are in a strict sense for the Israelites.
While it lays a foundation for Christianity, and is very important in understanding God & the Gospel of the New Testament - it's not a second capstone (Jesus is our salvation. Period.) A lot of people try to equate Judaism/Christianity/Islam by saying that they all spring from Abraham.
While Judaism does spring from Abraham, they stop before they get to Jesus. This is one of the reasons for the need of the Second Coming. The true Israelites & those that follow the God Abraham (all religious people who follow the Hebrew faith as compared to secular Jewish people) cannot deny Jesus the next time.
Islam is Satan's religious military arm and dark "reflection" of Christianity.
Of course Christianity is God's giving humanity a second chance by having a part of himself experience humanity & die as a perfect sacrifice to pay the price for humanities sin. He made the rules and then showed us that even He must obey his own law. (This is the pefection of God.)

So - while the Old Testament is important for those of the Hebrew faith as their covenant with the God of Abraham, it is merely a foundation for the more important Gospel of the New Testament.
As for the prophecies - believe 'em. There's a reason they are in there..

All that and a dollar will get you a cup of coffee. :-)