Fishers of Men

[unsafe]

I once again remind you of the lesson given by John Steinbeck in East of Eden:

There are three ways to translate this verse-ette:

i) Thou WILL master it - a prediction
ii) Thou MUST master it - an instruction
iii) Thou MAY master it - free will

Well good for this John fellow---But John is Not God --nor is he a Born Again Christian ---so at best His interpretations are from His Human mind only -----he doesn't have access to Spiritual Interpretations without the indwelling of the Holy spirit -----------So nice try -----

AI says

AI

No, John Steinbeck was not a "born-again Christian" in the modern evangelical sense. While he was raised Episcopalian and maintained a lifelong affiliation with the church, his views on religion evolved.
Steinbeck scholars suggest that he became more agnostic later in life, though he still incorporated religious themes and imagery into his writing. His wife, Elaine Steinbeck, noted that while he wasn't a regular churchgoer, he did appreciate the spiritual aspects of religion.

I once again remind you of the lesson given by

So using your quote to me here I send it back back to you with this -------

I once again remind you of the lesson given by God -----who knows more about what He said and meant------ than Mr John Steinbeck who is veiled from understanding Spiritual things ---according to scripture ----NOT ME ------! Corinthians 2:14 ----the Natural man cannot discern Spiritual things ----

This is what God said to Cain -------

Genesis 4:7
AMP
If you do well [believing Me and doing what is acceptable and pleasing to Me], will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well [but ignore My instruction], sin crouches at your door; its desire is for you [to overpower you], but you must master it.”

Other translations say

ISV says
Now as for you, will you take dominion over it?"

ESV says
Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it.”


Hebrew word here for------ must is---and all these words mean the same thing in Hebrew --

Lexical Summary mashal:
To rule, to have dominion, master

rule, have dominion over Genesis 4:7

Moral mastery (sin to be ruled, Genesis 4:7).

• Moral Exhortation: Cain is told, “sin is crouching at your door… you must rule over it” (Genesis 4:7). Dominion is now a battle inside the heart.

 

[unsafe]

I don't follow a religion, really, but rather the simple-ish rule to love neighbour as myself.

Ya that is a good rule ---but unfortunately that is the Second Command -------and without obeying the First Command --the Second Command will fail ---as your loving with human Love which is imperfect and will cave in under the burdens and cares of this world ------

So Good luck with following the second command without obeying the First one ----which gives you God's Love -----Agape ----which will not fail you in your quest to do the Second one -----

 

[BetteTheRed]

In my case, the first commandment is a bit moot. If Godde is simply The Universe, then loving Everything means that one must love mozzies and harmful viruses. Sort of a parallel to love your neighbour with a wyrd twist.

 

[unsafe]

In my case, the first commandment is a bit moot. If Godde is simply The Universe,

Well maybe your Godde is the Universe ----but the God of the Bible is not a thing He is 3 persons in One ----

So Good Luck with your Universe Godde in trying to love your neighbour consistently the same all the time ----May your Universe Godde be with you always ------

this is what AI says
"universe goddess" is used in fiction and fan communities to describe powerful female characters associated with space or cosmic forces.

 

[BetteTheRed]

this is what AI says
"universe goddess" is used in fiction and fan communities to describe powerful female characters associated with space or cosmic forces

I am seriously disinterested in AI and its wyrd opinions.

I spell God Godde because I think of it as a sort of short for something not dissimilar to the Trinity, God the Male, Goddess the Female, Essence the Spirit of Wisdom, Goddessence in full, I guess. (Makes a lot of men uncomfortable when 2 of the trinity are female, lol.) I am not a "fan" of anything, really, except maybe literature in English. I think of myself as being born godstruck. I was born of two atheists, found myself an Evangelical Lutheran church at the age of 4, and spent a dozen years seriously immersed in it. Consequently, played with some different ideas of spirituality, from Wicca to Paganism to Humanism. Returned to an agnostic non-theist progressive Christianity in my late 30s when I divorced and needed a spiritual stepping off place for my children. I cannot FORCE myself to believe in anything, so I rest content in the power that is love and gentle kind community.

 

[unsafe]

I am seriously disinterested in AI and its wyrd opinions.

You can be disinterested in AI if you want ----I kind of think AI has some pretty good things to say and sometimes I agree with what it puts out -----

. Played with some different ideas of spirituality

Well good for you --Hope you find what Spiritually suits you -----so good luck with that -----

I have found what is right for me --- the God of Abraham --Isaac and Jacob --- I LOVE my Life ---and I wouldn't change it for no one or for nothing else --------I am living a wonderful ----happy ---joyest ---healthy ---peaceful --prosperous ----stress free --anxiety free ----sickness free ----disease free ------doubt free --fear free ---enemy free ---people bondage free ----worldly care and burden free ----and can keep my emotions in check ---so this Spiritual life I found suits me just fine ------

 

[BetteTheRed]

the God of Abraham --Isaac and Jacob -

Curious you don't mention the God of Jesus.

 

[unsafe]

Curious you don't mention the God of Jesus.

Jesus is God -----ONE GOD 3 Persons ------

 

[BetteTheRed]

Jesus is God -----ONE GOD 3 Persons ------

View attachment 11554

That is your belief, and not mine.

I don't believe that Jesus thought he was divine.

The trinity is a theological construct that didn't arise until generations of Christianity had passed. It's not an early belief.

 

[Mendalla]

I don't know, we see signs of it fairly early on. Maybe not first generation but certainly had arisen before the 4th century and Nicaea. That debate did not happen because of something novel, but a strain that was already old enough to generate variant ideas about it. I don't think it originated with Jesus but I think the roots certainly appear fairly early on.

 

[unsafe]

I don't believe that Jesus thought he was divine.

The trinity is a theological construct that didn't arise until generations of Christianity had passed. It's not an early belief.

well ---that is your belief ---not mine ------

All that means to me is you don't believe the Word -----and that is fine by me -----so good luck with your Belief ---- --

 

[GordW]

I don't know, we see signs of it fairly early on. Maybe not first generation but certainly had arisen before the 4th century and Nicaea. That debate did not happen because of something novel, but a strain that was already old enough to generate variant ideas about it. I don't think it originated with Jesus but I think the roots certainly appear fairly early on.

This. From very early on (Paul and the Gospels) we see that people were stating that in Jesus they had seen God. Then they tried to figure out what that meant/how that could be which led directly to the Trinitarian controversies of later centuries. Now certainly the ways they worked it out owe as much or mor to Greek philosophical systems (for better or worse) than traditional Judaic theology but by then the Christian church was well removed from some of its Jewish roots.

 

[Mendalla]

Now certainly the ways they worked it out owe as much or mor to Greek philosophical systems (for better or worse) than traditional Judaic theology but by then the Christian church was well removed from some of its Jewish roots.

One of the religious studies channels on YouTube, forget if it was Religion for Breakfast or Let's Talk Religion but probably the latter, has done a couple videos on the Neo-Platonist (which, in spite of its name, draws more on Aristotle than Plato) influence on Christian theology in the early centuries. The two were contemporaries, in fact. Some of it was in heresies but some was in the mainstream.

Interestingly, centuries later you get some key Arab Islamic writers drawing on Neo-Platonist writings, too, though it's less direct. The Neo-Platonists were contemporary with people like Origen while the Arabs only had the writings.