No you are not correct. I may not believe in it in the manner in which you do, but I certainly find inspiration in it.
Are you saying that only Biblical literalists and innerantists should be considered Christians, and those who don't are not? Unlike you it seem, I see Christianity as embracing a diverse range of views and beliefs about God.
Well I did not determine Christianity by what I think. Do you think that Christianity is determined by "how we see it"?
So do other Christians who don't believe the same ways you do about all things. You do understand the the Bible, is something that you have to interpret, right? So you are really going by what you interpret from the Bible. It's not "what the Bible says", as other read the same things you do yet interpret it differently.
Are you saying, you can interpret these verses to mean anything you want them to, and they do not refer to apostasy?
(
1 Timothy 4:1) However, the inspired word clearly says that
in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to misleading inspired statements and teachings of demons. . .
(
2 Timothy 4:3-4)
3 For
there will be a period of time when they will not put up with the wholesome teaching, but according to their own desires, they will surround themselves with teachers to have their ears tickled.
4 They will turn away from listening to the truth and give attention to false stories.
(
2 Corinthians 4:3-4)
3 If, in fact,
the good news we declare is veiled, it is veiled among those who are perishing,
4 among whom the god of this system of things has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, so that the illumination of the glorious good news about the Christ, who is the image of God, might not shine through.
(
2 Corinthians 11:13-15)
13 For
such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ.
14 And no wonder, for Satan himself keeps disguising himself as an angel of light.
15 It is therefore nothing extraordinary if
his ministers also keep disguising themselves as ministers of righteousness. But their end will be according to their works.
Are you suggesting you have the only right interpretation, and everyone but you is wrong? Do you want to admit that here?
I said nothing about interpretation. You did.
The Bible explains itself. I try to adjust my understanding to those explanation.
Why would I depend on an interpretation, when it just amounts to being someone's explanation? ...and what's so bad about that, they aren't even the author.
Is it not more accurate to hear the author explain, or interpret his words?
If someone explains a text, by using a scripture, it is an explanation from scripture. Not an interpretation.
I beg to differ. Again, how you interpret scripture, is not infallible, nor the last word on all understandings. So even if we are to say, "We are built upon the foundation of the Apostles and the prophets", that does not mean you can't ever have any thoughts or ideas other than the ones stated!
You are of course free to keep your thoughts and ideas. They are yours. They stem from your mind... what's in you.
If you believe we can determine what is, and what isn't by our thoughts and ideas, that's your choice.
When the time of revealing comes, you will know you were wrong. Matthew 7:21-23
The Bible does not agree with that. John 8:31-32; John 17:17; 2 Timothy 3:16-17
That's ridiculous! You miss the part about building on it. Are you suggesting there should be no building, and nothing but the foundation and the foundation alone? How functional or useful is that??
Are you suggesting that I haven't read the Bible?
What exactly do you think I missed, because there are various forms of building going on.
However, certain builders are not building on the foundation. They rejected the foundation, and are indeed building... which supports my point.
(Acts 4:11) This is ‘the stone that was treated by
you builders as of no account that has become the chief cornerstone.’
Apostate "Christians" are building... but on what? Not Christ.
However, there are other building works taking place, so you might need to be specific.
If however, you are referring to the building I am referring to, then your thoughts and ideas do not matter. In fact, you ought to change them, for them to be in line with Christ... and true Christianity.
(Ephesians 2:19-22)
19 So you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but
you are fellow citizens of the holy ones and are members of the household of God,
20 and you have been built up on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, while Christ Jesus himself is the foundation cornerstone.
21 In union with him the whole building, being harmoniously joined together, is growing into a holy temple for Jehovah.
22 In union with him you too are being built up together into a place for God to inhabit by spirit.
You sure you want to call that ridiculous?
If you are declare other Christians not Christians because they have different theological views than you, yes that matters. I'm surprised you don't know this. "Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand." Romans 14
Well, since I did not declare other "Christians" not Christians
because they have different theological views than I do, none of this applies to me.
And what is that criteria? "By their fruits you shall know them". That's it! Not by their doctrinal beliefs and ideas. Where on earth do you get that from, pray tell? Not scripture.
I don't know where you got that from, but it certainly was not from me. Your thoughts and ideas maybe?
The criterion is mentioned in scripture.
(Acts 11:26) . . .it was first in Antioch that
the disciples were by divine providence called Christians. . .
The disciples were called Christians. Not Tom, Dick, and Harry.
So all one has to do is go through the entire book of Acts of the Apostles, and see what a disciple is.
One can even go further than that, and read the Gospels.
There, you find what Jesus taught his disciples, and what they did. You'll even find what they were instructed to teach.
And you don't judge them as not Christian, or apostate Christians, or decieved, or lost, or false prophets, or any of these things?
Judge them? Not me.
God's word is what judges,
(John 12:47-48)
47 But if anyone hears my sayings and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I came, not to judge the world, but to save the world.
48 Whoever disregards me and does not receive my sayings has one to judge him. The word that I have spoken is what will judge him on the last day.
Even Jesus did not judge them, and yet...
(Matthew 6:2) . . .do not blow a trumpet ahead of you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets. . .
(Matthew 6:5) . . .Also, when you pray, do not act like the hypocrites. . .
(Matthew 15:7) . . .You hypocrites, Isaiah aptly prophesied about you when he said. . .
(Matthew 22:18) . . .Jesus, knowing their wickedness, said: “Why do you put me to the test, hypocrites?
(Matthew 23:13-29) . . .Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because you . . .
Was Jesus judging, or making observations - identifying, or calling a spade a spade?
Did he not tell us to do the same?
In the same Chapter, where he said, "Stop judging that you may not be judged. . ." (Matthew 7:1) He said...
(Matthew 7:15-20)
15 “Be on the watch for the false prophets who come to you in sheep’s covering, but inside they are ravenous wolves.
16 By their fruits you will recognize them. Never do people gather grapes from thorns or figs from thistles, do they?
17 Likewise, every good tree produces fine fruit, but every rotten tree produces worthless fruit.
18 A good tree cannot bear worthless fruit, nor can a rotten tree produce fine fruit.
19 Every tree not producing fine fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
20 Really, then, by their fruits you will recognize those men.
If it were not for science, we would not be able to identify an atom. Would you call an atom a rabbit, or an atom?
Likewise, if it were not for God's word, we would not be able to identify false prophets.
Would you call a false prophet a true prophet, or false prophet?
Well if you don't know, I can understand if you kept silent.
What's sad to me, is that people claim to believe the Bible, but when it really boils down to it, it's evident they don't, because they don't think you can know anything from it... except your ideas.
I constantly have been sharing verses to back what I've said. For instance, "By their fruits you shall know them". "Who are you to judge another man's servant", and the like. I'm backing up what I say, yet I'm not finding any support for "By their beliefs you shall know them", by those Christians in this thread who are acting as if they have the right to call other Christians as non-Christian, or apostates, or whatever other judgment they are choosing to pass on their fellow-Christians.
What do you think fruits are... mangoes and cherries?
Well, they are, but those aren't what Jesus is talking about, as I am sure you know.
(Matthew 12:33-37)
33 “Either you make the tree fine and its fruit fine or make the tree rotten and its fruit rotten, for by its fruit the tree is known.
34 Offspring of vipers, how can you speak good things when you are wicked? For
out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.
35 The good man out of his good treasure sends out good things, whereas the wicked man out of his wicked treasure sends out wicked things. 36 I tell you that men will render an account on Judgment Day for every unprofitable saying that they speak;
37 for by your words you will be declared righteous, and by your words you will be condemned.”
