Does Satan have ANY good in him?

[Darkness]

God NEVER told Satan to afflict Satan with painful sores.

Please provide one verse where God instructs Satan to inflict sores onto Job's skin.

Job 42:11 (King James Version)
Then came there unto him all his brethren, and all his sisters, and all they that had been of his acquaintance before, and did eat bread with him in his house: and they bemoaned him, and comforted him over all the evil that the LORD had brought upon him: every man also gave him a piece of money, and every one an earring of gold.

There are several passages that identify the serpent of Genesis 3 with Satan.

One is in Revelation 12:9

"The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him."

And yet another here:


Revelation 20:2
"He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years."

If the Serpent was the Devil, should not the book of Genesis say that it was so? John the Revelator merely gave his opinion on the story a long time after it was written.

 

[McBell]

If the Serpent was the Devil, should not the book of Genesis say that it was so? John the Revelator merely gave his opinion on the story a long time after it was written.

And this is only relevant if you take the assumption that any time the word serpent is used in the Bible that it refers to the serpent in the garden.

I find that particular assumption to be a rather large jump.

 

[apologistndenton]

Please provide evidence that the serpent is Satan in disguise and not just a serpent.

You, being a creation with the capacity to reason and utilize logic, surely see the ignorance of believing that a mere carnal being , such as a serpent or an animal, void of any spiritual abilities, have any capacity to deceive, not only the first of all mankind (Adam), but both you and I as well....
*just a thought*

Do you think a man writing a mad vision to be reliable source of information?

You ask of me proof from the Word of God, to dismiss prior accusation of Scripture, and after providing said Scripture, you claim the in-validness of said Scripture... one cannot choose to exchange their ground according to rebuke.
Choose a side. Stand behind it. Do not attempt to use the Word Of God to prove Its nonexistence. That dont fly, playa. Try again, my friend.

Job 42:11 (King James Version)
Then came there unto him all his brethren, and all his sisters, and all they that had been of his acquaintance before, and did eat bread with him in his house: and they bemoaned him, and comforted him over all the evil that the LORD had brought upon him: every man also gave him a piece of money, and every one an earring of gold.



If the Serpent was the Devil, should not the book of Genesis say that it was so? John the Revelator merely gave his opinion on the story a long time after it was written.

Very nice. Clever, I admit. Almost convincing...however,
You must remember that said scripture teaches that it was the FRIENDS that said that it was "ALL THE EVIL THAT THE LORD BROUGHT" upon Job, NOT that this accusation was actual reality, but mere peer observation. Try again, darlin.

 

[gnostic]

You ask of me proof from the Word of God, to dismiss prior accusation of Scripture, and after providing said Scripture, you claim the in-validness of said Scripture... one cannot choose to exchange their ground according to rebuke.
Choose a side. Stand behind it. Do not attempt to use the Word Of God to prove Its nonexistence. That dont fly, playa.

Try again, my friend.

The nonexistence of any god, ghost, ghoul, goblin, unicorn and fairy in my reality or in my life (beyond that of what I read from scriptures or novels, or see on TV and movies), proves that none of these exist. Until I see one of these in real life, then I can safely assert that there are no proof of a god.

Quoting verses in the bible or other scriptures are not proof. It is merely literary evidence that haven't been proven.

Now, if you can find real proof for me, and not simply your faith or belief, then I will believe, and I will admit that I am wrong. So until then.....

You can believe what you like, but I am just as entitled not to believe in your blind faith, until you or someone can provide me the proof. Or if God can provide the proof of his existence by manifesting himself before everyone.

Of course, believing doesn't mean I would worship your god, because quite frankly I don't like your god. He seem more arrogant tyrant than loving father, judging by the way he behave in the Old Testament, or by the way he will burn anyone in hell for eternity in the New Testament for not believing him.

 

[apologistndenton]

First of all, I ask you to forgive me for mistaking you with another poster. (was having a blond moment Please disregard my comment regarding your request for scriptural proof, and please do not think me a incompetent lune. Moving on..

The nonexistence of any god, ghost, ghoul, goblin, unicorn and fairy in my reality or in my life (beyond that of what I read from scriptures or novels, or see on TV and movies), proves that none of these exist. Until I see one of these in real life, then I can safely assert that there are no proof of a god.

Fair enough, however, according to your basis of reality, you must have the ability to physically see with your own eyes a substance in order to believe it exist.
Have you seen a million dollars? George Washington? You own heart? Why do you not doubt these things? You have never seen them, correct?

Quoting verses in the bible or other scriptures are not proof. It is merely literary evidence that haven't been proven.

Yet thousands have dedicated their lives to prove Biblical scripture false ands have been unsuccessful...interesting, to say the very least, me thinks.

Now, if you can find real proof for me, and not simply your faith or belief, then I will believe, and I will admit that I am wrong. So until then.....

I admire your humble and honorable disposition, you have spiritual maturity and an open mind, that many never obtain, so good on ya, doll.

You can believe what you like, but I am just as entitled not to believe in your blind faith, until you or someone can provide me the proof.

I agree wholeheartedly and thoroughly respect your beliefs...what kind of proof?

Or if God can provide the proof of his existence by manifesting himself before everyone.

Would His physical presence be the only way you would believe? Or are there other ways?

Of course, believing doesn't mean I would worship your god, because quite frankly I don't like your god. He seem more arrogant tyrant than loving father, judging by the way he behave in the Old Testament, or by the way he will burn anyone in hell for eternity in the New Testament for not believing him.

[/quote] LOL! I know what ya mean, doll.
I have thought that same way! Unfortunately, it was not until after I came to know Him intimately that I discovered my (not your) misunderstood beliefs...*in deep thought*
How much easier my work would be if my God would make Himself appear more agreeable to the world, rather than an enemy to those who do not know Him..
One must ponder on the reason this "god" would remain as He is or how He is understood, after seeing how so many have rejected/hated much about Him or why so called "deceived believers of an fairytale god" have not found a way to recreate Him...perhaps He is real...perhaps He would rather be hated by those who misunderstand Him or lack the ability to do so, than to deceive or hide Who He Is..

 

[gnostic]

I have thought that same way! Unfortunalty, it was not until after I came to know Him intimately that I discovered my (not your) misunderstood beliefs...*in deep though*
How much easier my work would be if my God would make Himself appear more agreeable to the world, rather than an enemy to those who do not know Him..
One must ponder on the reason this "god" would remain as He is or how He is understood, after seeing how so many have rejected/hated much about Him or why so called "deceived believers of an fairytale god" have not found a way to recreate Him...perhaps He is real...perhaps He would rather be hated by those who misunderstand Him or lack the ability to do so, than to deceive or hide Who He Is..

I only judge him by what I read of him. Some of it is okay, but in other case I don't like him. The portrayal of God in Book of Job is less than likable. To me he is worse than his tool Satan.

 

[apologistndenton]

I only judge him by what I read of him. Some of it is okay, but in other case I don't like him. The portrayal of God in Book of Job is less than likable. To me he is worse than his tool Satan.

Ahhhh, but the portrayal of God that is written in the book of Job is mostly of man.

For the most part, we are told of what Job's sidekicks thought and said of Him (God) not of Who He really Is.
We are taught of the attitudes of those who both suffer and who observe the suffering.
God is love. God loved Job.

 

[gnostic]

Every and each book in the bible was written by man.

 

[BruceDLimber]

Greetings!

>Does Satan have ANY good in him?

Given that we Baha'is believe that God is One, Supreme, and has no equal (so that thre's no such thing as a "devil" competing with Him), and that IOV "satan" simply refers to our own lower (animal) nature when we give it control instead of our higher (spiritual) nature, I suspsect you can answer this question for yourself!

Peace,

Bruce

 

[gnostic]

Because he doesn't want it. The Bible says that Satan was once the mightiest of all angels but he eventually decided that he wasn't content with being second best and tried to overthrow God. The Bible doesn't go into any detail as to if or why Satan thought he could succeed, but he obviously failed as was cast out of Heaven. Satan had full knowledge of what he was doing, so had he had any remorse for his actions then he would have never done it in the first place.

I don't know where Christians get this story from, it certainly wasn't from Jewish literature.

Yes, Satan did rebel, found in the late Jewish lore, Haggada, that Satan didn't want to play 2nd fiddle not to God, but to Adam.

When God created Adam, God ordered all the angels to bow not to Himself, but to Adam. Satan refused to bow to Adam, because he was made out of earth and clay, whereas he is a spiritual being. So Satan challenged Adam in wisdom test or test of knowledge. Satan failed to name a single animals that God had created, but God named every animals without problem. When Adam won, Satan and his followers still refused to bow to Man. For this reason, Satan was thrown out of heaven along with his followers.

Satan did not deny God's superiority, but rejected Adam superiority over him.

The Haggada began after the Jews return from their exile from Babylon and didn't finish this text until either the 1st century BC or 2nd century AD. The story contained many folktales, not found in the canonical Hebrew texts - the Tanakh. Jews, then and there have never really accepted the exaggerated narratives, particularly this story about the Fall of Satan, but for some reasons Christians used these in their own version. It seemed strange that Christians can't distinguish fairytale from their own bible.

 

[GabrielWithoutWings]

I don't know where Christians get this story from, it certainly wasn't from Jewish literature.

Yes, Satan did rebel, found in the late Jewish lore, Haggada, that Satan didn't want to play 2nd fiddle not to God, but to Adam.

When God created Adam, God ordered all the angels to bow not to Himself, but to Adam. Satan refused to bow to Adam, because he was made out of earth and clay, whereas he is a spiritual being. So Satan challenged Adam in wisdom test or test of knowledge. Satan failed to name a single animals that God had created, but God named every animals without problem. When Adam won, Satan and his followers still refused to bow to Man. For this reason, Satan was thrown out of heaven along with his followers.

Satan did not deny God's superiority, but rejected Adam superiority over him.

This is the same story that the Qur'an tells with Adam and Iblis. The Yezidis also have this story, but Melek T'aus eventually works it out with God and he becomes the Lord of the Earth.