Jonah: A “Fish Story” or History?

Christian Courier ^ | Wayne Jackson

[BereanBrain]

We bible believers were lectured for years for believing in the virgin birth.

then science “discovered” that many vertebrates larger in size then man, can, and do occasionally produce asexually. For example, sharks can when males are not available see https://www.nature.com/articles/srep40537

The only reason we know that several animals can do this is because they were held in zoos....Otherwise we would have to listen to them yammer on about how it’s not possible...

[G Larry]

Ya, Christ was just kidding when he cited Jonah....

Matthew 12:38-42

38 Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to him, “Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.”

39 But he answered them, “An evil and adulterous generation asks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.

40 For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the sea monster, so for three days and three nights the Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth.

41 The people of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the proclamation of Jonah, and see, something greater than Jonah is here!

42 The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to listen to the wisdom of Solomon, and see, something greater than Solomon is here!

[D Rider]

It's sort of a moot point since they started excavating Nineveh a century ago. Also, apparently Jonah never left, as he was recorded as becoming a city elder in the records found. Jonahs tomb was found there, in fact it was blown up by ISIS a couple of years ago.

Also, the fish was prepared by god for the purpose of swallowing and transporting Jonah, as is written in the book.

[Fungi]

This happens again and again, “erudite” fools trying to burn faith, the Bible, and Christianity down. Remember the book “The Passover Plot?” Same fools, same idiocy, just another day suffering fools needing attention.

[Jamestown1630]

There’s lots of thought on this, out there - including thought from those who believe in both Creation and Science:

https://discourse.biologos.org/t/the-mysterious-symbolism-of-jonah-and-the-fish/5134

[Maudeen]

This poor man . . .the Bible is the inerrant Word of God. Look at all the students/people he is influencing. I wouldn’t want to be in his shoes come his day of judgement.

[coaster123]

Now Jonah got along in the belly of the whale,
Daniel in the lion’s den,
But I know a guy that didn’t try to get along,
And he won’t get a chance again.

~Hank Williams

[BereanBrain]

I have a BS, MS and 30+ post MS hours in Science. I believe in Science. However, it’s like saying you believe in mathematics. That’s not the question - the question is did you get your sums right? Did you prove your theorem? Or did you make ASSumptions?

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

I remember years ago reading of a man who fell overboard from an 1800s whaling ship and was presumed lost.

They killed a whale, and upon cutting it apart found the sailor alive inside, but badly damaged by the digestive acids. He lived on for several years.

With Jonah it is written that “God prepared a great fish..”

[Jamestown1630]

I was just suggesting other viewpoints.

(In my experience, metaphor and symbology often intimate much more information than a simple, literal reading of words does.)

[BenghaziMemoriam]

"A good retort is always enjoyed by an audience. One of
the brilliant ones that I recall was that of the great Methodist
preacher John Wesley. In the sermon he quoted a word
of Greek and then of Hebrew to explain a text. Someone in
the audience shouted: 'God does not need your learning.' To
which Wesley retorted: 'He doesn't need your ignorance either.'
This reminds me of a lecture I was giving to a group
of university students in Minnesota. In the question period
that followed, one asked me how Jonah was in the belly of
the whale for three days. I answered: 'I have not the vaguest
idea, but when I get to Heaven, I will ask Jonah.' He shouted
back: 'Suppose Jonah isn't there.' I said: 'Then you ask him."
- From "Treasure in Clay: The Autobiography of Fulton J. Sheen"

[Jamestown1630]

LOL!

[Getready]

I am not sure parthenogenesis in a human female would result in a male. Females generally genetically have no y chromosome. If Mary was xxy...she would be a poorly functional male (klinefelters syndrome). 48,XXYY genotypes are males with many many physical problems
So it would stand that the virgin birth of Jesus was a divine interventional birth. IMHO
With God all things are possible, especially things that ain’t supposed to happen.

[backwoods-engineer]

Jesus said it was history, and therefore I believe it. Matthew 12:38-45.

[BuddhaBrown]

“40 For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the sea monster, so for three days and three nights the Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth.”

There is no reason for folks to dig up modern examples of nature kinda/sorta doing whatever they think God did with Jonah.

Jonah was perhaps NOT ‘alive’, in the physical sense, during those 3 days. Which would make Christ’s analogy more accurate.

Piece of cake for God/Jesus. Lazarus was 4 days dead.

[Smittie]

Jonah died in the belly of the whale and was resurrected (by God). This is why Jesus said that he would be Jonah and rise again on the third day.

[blackpacific]

A good friend of mine who succumbed to skin cancer once told me that Jonah’s preaching was enhanced by the fact that he had been bleached by the stomach acid of the whale. He was pale as a ghost and it got the Ninevites attention. God once more bringing a greater good out of evil, the evil in this case being the disobedience of Jonah.

[CptnObvious]

Edwin Settle... was a former college professor (COE College) and minister with a doctorate from Yale Divinity School.

Sounds like Professor Severus Snape, a professor from h*ll for all the believing students. It's like getting taught witchcraft for brain surgery.

God please help the poor believing theological students under heavy spiritual assault.

[BereanBrain]

Why does one wonder if the watchmaker repairs a watch (miracle)?

God does not have his hands tied.