What is God's highest priority?

[URAVIP2ME]

What are you saying the Holy Spirit is not a person, Like some power but not as we Christians Believe ,the third person of the Godhead?

Who are the 'we' Christians because Jesus said MANY would prove false at Matthew 7:21-23
I am Not the one saying God's spirit (Psalm 104:30) is Not a person, but the Bible itself is saying God's spirit is Not a person.
True, in Greek grammar a neuter can be worded as a he or a she but remains genderless.
Numbers 11:17,25 (KJV) is clear God's spirit is an 'it' and Not a person.
Remember too our spirit is also genderless as an 'it' as recorded at Ecclesiastes 12:7 B ( it ).

 

[URAVIP2ME]

You do realize that Jesus didn't speak in Greek most of the time, though all the Gospels were written in Greek I hope. He didn't speak Hebrew except for instance when he read from Isaiah. which is what the Old Testament was written in. He spoke Aramaic most of the time. This is similar to Jewish people speaking Yiddish today. So what Jesus said here was was in Aramaic, translated to Greek.
Language of Jesus - Wikipedia
There exists a consensus among scholars that the language of Jesus and his disciples was Aramaic.[1][2] Aramaic was the common language of Judea in the first century AD. The villages of Nazareth and Capernaum in Galilee, where Jesus spent most of his time, were Aramaic-speaking communities.[3] Jesus likely spoke a Galilean variant of the language, distinguishable from that of Jerusalem.[4] Based on the symbolic renaming or nicknaming of some of his apostles it is also likely that Jesus and at least one of his apostles knew enough Koine Greek to converse with those not native to Judea. It is reasonable to assume that Jesus was well versed in Hebrew for religious purposes.

Yes, Jesus spoke Aramaic and the Christian Greek Scriptures were written in the common spoken Greek of the day.
The old Hebrew Scriptures were written in Hebrew, and Numbers 11:17,25 (it) is translated from the Hebrew.
As my high school English teacher explained the reason for the Yiddish today was because the old Hebrew was harder.

 

[Saved by grace 2]

The Holy Spirit only speaks through Messengers of God like Jesus or Baha'u'llah. I will say no more.

My Faith, as all true Christian's Faith are dictated by ALL the Scriptures and thru the indwelling Holy Spirit who is given to everyone who is Born Again, and who teaches us all things.
As with many other of your beliefs here once again you are mistaken.
You, over and over again simply use scriptures to build upon pre-conceived beliefs, and then throw away and disregard others that so vividly show the errors of your claims.

You have made a very true statement though, in the previous thread, there is nothing the Baha's or any other religion will say to sway me from what I KNOW to be true.
As the Apostle Paul said to the Galatian church for doubting the Truth that he Proclaimed, he received thru Revelation of God!!........

No Doubt though you will also reject these warnings, but you will atleast know where I and all true believers stand!

Galatians 1: 6-10
I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—
7 which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse! 9 As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let them be under God’s curse!
10 For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ.

Galatians 1:11-12
But I make known to you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. 12 For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ!

Galatians 1: 13-17
13 For you have heard of my previous way of life in Judaism, how intensely I persecuted the church of God and tried to destroy it. 14 I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people and was extremely zealous for the traditions of my fathers. 15 But when God, who set me apart from my mother’s womb and called me by his grace, was pleased 16 to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles, my immediate response was NOT to consult any human being. 17 I did not go up to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before I was, but I went into Arabia. Later I returned to Damascus.

The Apostle Paul made these claims and pronounced that anyone teaching anything other than the Gospel Jesus personally gave him and set him apart to do would be condemned. And why? Because there is NO OTHER GOSPEL. There is no other way by which we are saved and brought into the Family of God's eternal Kingdom.
You will no doubt claim again that you have done that, as you have said before, but then go into all these other non-biblical teachings that reject the Lord Jesus Christ as the One Christ, the One Messiah, the Only One that will establish the Kingdom of God.

Paul and Peter, James and John all teach these things very clearly. To reject those claims is to prove that you Truly don't KNOW the Truth, The One Christ, the one King of King and the ONE who will return and establish the Throne promised to David, that thru his descendents there will always be a King sitting on the Throne of David. Jesus is the fulfillment of that prophesy and every other promise pointing to the Messiah, who is the Son of God, the Son of man.
Paul, under the direction and power of the Holy Spirit wrote most of the New Testament and built upon what the Disciples were first given to preach and proclaim by direct command of the Lord Jesus Christ.

I will not bother laying out what the Full gospel of Jesus Christ, as I have given it to you many times already. But if you think you can simply cherry pick truths from the Christian Faith and blend them with others to make some unified religion, all I can say is good luck. Because you do not have the Lord Jesus Christ directing you, and as Scriptures say. To reject the Son is to reject the Father!

I John 2:22-23
22 Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ (the ONLY Messiah, the Anointed)? This is the antichrist [the enemy and antagonist of Christ], the one who denies and consistently refuses to acknowledge the Father and the Son (JESUS)
23 Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: (but) he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.
.

The Lord God knows those who are his........I do believe God has allowed me to SEE and KNOW him, as the Bible teaches, not like some, who pick and choose what sounds good to fancy their own beliefs. But I trust entirely on what God says! as truth and anything outside of scripture and the Gospel of Jesus Christ is, as Paul said is to be condemned, rejected.

Mine and your (beliefs) will not matter in the end, except what God has established (and clearly) given us as TRUTH..........REALLY Isn't that all that matters.
All these posts you have made and defended the Baha religion for all these years, they mean absolutely NOTHING IF they are false! Don't you owe it to yourself to study the Whole Word of God yourself, and while doing that ask the Holy Spirit to TEACH you! Not men!

John 8:30-32
30 As Jesus spoke these things, many believed in Him.
31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;
32 And you will KNOW the truth [regarding salvation], and the truth will set you free [from the penalty of sin].”

 

[URAVIP2ME]

My Faith, as all true Christian's Faith are dictated by ALL the Scriptures and thru the indwelling Holy Spirit who is given to everyone who is Born Again, and who teaches us all things.
As with many other of your beliefs here once again you are mistaken.
You, over and over again simply use scriptures to build upon pre-conceived beliefs, and then throw away and disregard others that so vividly show the errors of your claims.
You have made a very true statement though, in the previous thread, there is nothing the Baha's or any other religion will say to sway me from what I KNOW to be true.
As the Apostle Paul said to the Galatian church for doubting the Truth that he Proclaimed, he received thru Revelation of God!!........
No Doubt though you will also reject these warnings, but you will atleast know where I and all true believers stand!
Galatians 1: 6-10
I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—
7 which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse! 9 As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let them be under God’s curse!
10 For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ.
Galatians 1:11-12
But I make known to you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. 12 For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ!
Galatians 1: 13-17
13 For you have heard of my previous way of life in Judaism, how intensely I persecuted the church of God and tried to destroy it. 14 I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people and was extremely zealous for the traditions of my fathers. 15 But when God, who set me apart from my mother’s womb and called me by his grace, was pleased 16 to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles, my immediate response was NOT to consult any human being. 17 I did not go up to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before I was, but I went into Arabia. Later I returned to Damascus.
The Apostle Paul made these claims and pronounced that anyone teaching anything other than the Gospel Jesus personally gave him and set him apart to do would be condemned. And why? Because there is NO OTHER GOSPEL. There is no other way by which we are saved and brought into the Family of God's eternal Kingdom.
You will no doubt claim again that you have done that, as you have said before, but then go into all these other non-biblical teachings that reject the Lord Jesus Christ as the One Christ, the One Messiah, the Only One that will establish the Kingdom of God.
Paul and Peter, James and John all teach these things very clearly. To reject those claims is to prove that you Truly don't KNOW the Truth, The One Christ, the one King of King and the ONE who will return and establish the Throne promised to David, that thru his descendents there will always be a King sitting on the Throne of David. Jesus is the fulfillment of that prophesy and every other promise pointing to the Messiah, who is the Son of God, the Son of man.
Paul, under the direction and power of the Holy Spirit wrote most of the New Testament and built upon what the Disciples were first given to preach and proclaim by direct command of the Lord Jesus Christ.
I will not bother laying out what the Full gospel of Jesus Christ, as I have given it to you many times already. But if you think you can simply cherry pick truths from the Christian Faith and blend them with others to make some unified religion, all I can say is good luck. Because you do not have the Lord Jesus Christ directing you, and as Scriptures say. To reject the Son is to reject the Father!
I John 2:22-23
22 Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ (the ONLY Messiah, the Anointed)? This is the antichrist [the enemy and antagonist of Christ], the one who denies and consistently refuses to acknowledge the Father and the Son (JESUS)
23 Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: (but) he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.
The Lord God knows those who are his........I do believe God has allowed me to SEE and KNOW him, as the Bible teaches, not like some, who pick and choose what sounds good to fancy their own beliefs. But I trust entirely on what God says! as truth and anything outside of scripture and the Gospel of Jesus Christ is, as Paul said is to be condemned, rejected.
Mine and your (beliefs) will not matter in the end, except what God has established (and clearly) given us as TRUTH..........REALLY Isn't that all that matters.
All these posts you have made and defended the Baha religion for all these years, they mean absolutely NOTHING IF they are false! Don't you owe it to yourself to study the Whole Word of God yourself, and while doing that ask the Holy Spirit to TEACH you! Not men!
John 8:30-32
30 As Jesus spoke these things, many believed in Him.
31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;
32 And you will KNOW the truth [regarding salvation], and the truth will set you free [from the penalty of sin].”

Yes, the truth (John 17:17; Rev. 1:5) sets free from the penalty of sin " IF " one keeps on walking in faith - 1st John 1:7.
Free from sin meaning: 'salvation' (Matt. 24:13) of being 'delivered/rescued' from death.
Saved/delivered/rescued from death because of the Resurrection Hope - Acts 24:15
Or, if alive to be counted as one of Jesus' living figurative 'sheep' at his coming Glory Time - Matthew 25:31-34,37
Jesus will bring an end to enemy death according to 1st Corinthians 15:24-26

 

[Saved by grace 2]

Who are the 'we' Christians because Jesus said MANY would prove false at Matthew 7:21-23
I am Not the one saying God's spirit (Psalm 104:30) is Not a person, but the Bible itself is saying God's spirit is Not a person.
True, in Greek grammar a neuter can be worded as a he or a she but remains genderless.
Numbers 11:17,25 (KJV) is clear God's spirit is an 'it' and Not a person.
Remember too our spirit is also genderless as an 'it' as recorded at Ecclesiastes 12:7 B ( it ).

Jesus came as a Man, and he called the Father (Father) insinuating a male. But The Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, our one True God is not Male or Female! He is not one or the other. he in one sense IS Both (AND MORE) All of the attributes that he gave to the Man (Adam) and (Eve) the woman.

We use HE, as the Bible does and rightly so because God is not an IT (lifeless God) And at the same time someone we can not fully comprehend on this side of eternity and quite possibly forever.
This does not cause me to doubt who God is in his Holy Nature, his majesty, his splendor. I just am unable to fully and with all knowledge, define and explain exactly who our Creator is.

In Genesis 1:27
So God created man (male and female) in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.…

God or the hebrew word Elohim (Plural) but yet one God!! Created male and female in HIS Image, not it's image. This speaks of him have the attributes that we were originally created to have and be.

Sin ruined all that, and the God like nature our first parents were first created with DIED. Genesis 2:17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die

Therefore, all mankind was born into this world as our first parents became, And thereby, the need for us to be redeemed, delivered, saved from our due punishment of death for our own sins.

Jesus, God the Son, took on human form to then take our place on the tree and die, II Corinthians 5:21
God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Now we can be restored to the nature we lost thru our first parents. we can be Born Again! this is the Gospel fo Jesus Christ.

And when we believe we are filled with the Holy Spirit and as the Apostle Paul admonishes us to KNOW!

I Corinthians 3:16
Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?

And he (The Holy Spirit) is not this lifeless power of God as some assume, for in Ephesians 4:30 it admonishes us

And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

So I ask, How can you grieve something that is not able to be offended?

As for all humans be genderless,.....really?? Ecclesiastes 12:7. does not in any way insinuate that we are not male and female. it simply says the Spirit ( which could more honestly and correctly say the Spirit of Man(kind) will return the the lord.

 

[URAVIP2ME]

Jesus came as a Man, and he called the Father (Father) insinuating a male. But The Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, our one True God is not Male or Female! He is not one or the other. he in one sense If Both the attributes that he gave to the Man (Adam) and (Eve) the woman.
We use HE, as the Bible does and rightly so because God is not an IT (lifeless God) And at the same time someone we can fully comprehend on this side of eternity and quite possibly forever.
This does not cause me to doubt who God is in his Holy Nature, his majesty, his splendor. I just am unable to full define and explain who our Creator is.
In Genesis 1:27
So God created man (male and female) in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.…
God or the hebrew word Elohim (Plural) but yet one God!! Created male and female in HIS Image, not it's image. This speaks of him have the attributes that we were originally created to have and be.
Sin ruined all that, and the nature our first parents were created with DIED. Genesis 2:17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die
Therefore, all mankind was born into this world as our first parents became, And thereby, the need for us to be redeemed, delivered, saved from our due punishment of death for our own sins.
Jesus, God the Son, took on human form to then take our place on the tree and die, II Corinthians 5:21
God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Now we can be restored to the nature we lost thru our first parents. we can be Born Again! this is the Gospel fo Jesus Christ.
And when we believe we are filled with the Holy Spirit and as the Apostle Paul admonishes us to KNOW!
I Corinthians 3:16
Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?
And he (The Holy Spirit) is not this lifeless power of God as some assume, for in Ephesians 4:30 it admonishes us
And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
So I ask, How can you grieve something that is not able to be offended?
As for all humans be genderless,.....really?? Ecclesiastes 12:7. does not in any way insinuate that we are not male and female. it simply says the Spirit ( which could more honestly and correctly say the Spirit of Man(kind) will return the the lord.

Thank you for your reply. No, humans are Not genderless but our spirit is - please see Ecclesiastes 12:7 B ( it )
Those called to govern with Christ in heaven (Rev. 20:6; 5:9-10; 2:10) could be considered as neither male or female - see Colossians 3:11; Galatians 3:28-29.
For that matter, all angels are considered as male. ( No female angels )
Yes, God's spirit is Not lifeless ( please see Psalm 104:30 ) but a powerful force of action.
In Isaiah's time the people grieved God's spirit by their rebellion as Isaiah 63:10 informs us.
Besides 1st Cor. 3:16, 1st Peter 2:5 says the apostles were 'living stones' ( figurative of course )
We know they were Not a literal temple nor literal stones but spiritually speaking.
Thus, the spirit of mankind ( it ) returns to God in the sense that a foreclosed house returns to the owner.
The house does Not move or go anywhere but any future for that house now lies in the owner's hands.
So, any future life (Acts 24:15) is depending upon getting resurrected.- John 6:40,44

 

[lewisnotmiller]

I would like to pose a question for theists, namely: what is God's top priority? I cannot prove that no god exists, but there are many types of gods that I can prove do not exist.


I know that an omnipotent god whose top priority is preventing rape and murder cannot exist.
I know that an omnipotent god whose top priority is preventing childhood cancer cannot exist.
I know that an omnipotent god whose top priority is preventing starvation cannot exist.
I know that an omnipotent god whose top priority is preventing the extinction of 99% of the species he created cannot exist.
I know that an omnipotent god whose top priority is having a personal relationship with all of his human creations cannot exist.
I know that an omnipotent god whose top priority is having all humans believe in him cannot exist.


I could give many other examples, but I think the point has been made. If God exists, and he is omnipotent, his top priority cannot be any of the above things. So what is God's top priority? Since it seems like one of the items I listed above would be the top priority of the god of classical theism, it almost seems that if God does exist, then his top priority is to make it look like he doesn't exist.

It's somewhat tangential, but I'm not sure the concept of 'top priority' makes sense for an omnipotent being. Ranking priorities is something we do in order to prioritise effort, due to limitations.
God doesn't have those limitations. He would literally either do, or not do something. He would handle all items, regardless of priority.

So it's not about focus or priority. It can only be about the desire to stop something, and/or the impacts of stopping something.

 

[Trailblazer]

My Faith, as all true Christian's Faith are dictated by ALL the Scriptures and thru the indwelling Holy Spirit who is given to everyone who is Born Again, and who teaches us all things.
As with many other of your beliefs here once again you are mistaken.
You, over and over again simply use scriptures to build upon pre-conceived beliefs, and then throw away and disregard others that so vividly show the errors of your claims.

That is exactly what you and other Christians do, use scriptures to build upon pre-conceived beliefs that you learned from the church, and then you throw away and disregard other scriptures that so vividly show the errors of your claims.

As the Apostle Paul said to the Galatian church for doubting the Truth that he Proclaimed, he received thru Revelation of God!!........

No Doubt though you will also reject these warnings, but you will atleast know where I and all true believers stand!

Galatians 1: 6-10
I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—
7 which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse! 9 As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let them be under God’s curse!
10 For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ.

Galatians 1:11-12
But I make known to you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. 12 For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ!

You wasted a lot of time posting those verses because I have heard this so many times before, and you don't even know what the verses mean.
The warning that no man shall preach a different gospel means no man shall preach another gospel of Jesus Christ, and the warning was given because there is only one gospel of Jesus Christ.

The Writings of Baha'ullah are NOT a gospel, they are NEW revelation from God.

The Apostle Paul made these claims and pronounced that anyone teaching anything other than the Gospel Jesus personally gave him and set him apart to do would be condemned. And why? Because there is NO OTHER GOSPEL. There is no other way by which we are saved and brought into the Family of God's eternal Kingdom.

That is true. There is NO OTHER GOSPEL by which we are saved. There is only one gospel, the gospel of Jesus Christ.

The Writings of Baha'ullah are NOT a gospel, they are NEW revelation from God.
Baha'u'llah did not come to earth to confer individual salvation, as that work had already been completed by Jesus.
Baha'ullah came to confer salvation upon all of humanity, not only those who believe in Him.

The following passage is referring to God, who is the Eternal Truth and the Lord of all creation. God has no desire except the regeneration of the whole world, and the establishment of the unity of its peoples, and the salvation of all them that dwell therein.
Jesus did not do that work and Jesus is not coming back to do it because Jesus said He was NO MORE in the world and His work was FINISHED here.

“Wert thou to consider, for but a little while, the outward works and doings of Him Who is the Eternal Truth, thou wouldst fall down upon the ground, and exclaim: O Thou Who art the Lord of Lords! I testify that Thou art the Lord of all creation, and the Educator of all beings, visible and invisible. I bear witness that Thy power hath encompassed the entire universe, and that the hosts of the earth can never dismay Thee, nor can the dominion of all peoples and nations deter Thee from executing Thy purpose. I confess that Thou hast no desire except the regeneration of the whole world, and the establishment of the unity of its peoples, and the salvation of all them that dwell therein.”
Gleanings From the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 243

The One Christ, the one King of King and the ONE who will return and establish the Throne promised to David, that thru his descendents there will always be a King sitting on the Throne of David. Jesus is the fulfillment of that prophesy and every other promise pointing to the Messiah, who is the Son of God, the Son of man.

No, Jesus Christ will not return and establish any kingdom on earth..

Jesus never promised to return to earth, not once in the New Testament. Jesus said His work was finished here and He was no more in the world. That means that the return of Christ has to be another Person. The following verses are the verses that Christians choose to ignore.

John 14:19 Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also.

John 16:10 Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more.

John 17:4 I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.

John 17:11 And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.

John 19:30 When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.

Jesus never even once claimed to be a king, and He never said he was coming to rule.
All those Christians beliefs came about from misinterpreting scriptures.

John 18:36 Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.

John 18:37 Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.

These two verses in John 18 completely negate that Jesus is the King of this world or that Jesus will ever come to this world to rule it, and they fit perfectly together with John 17:4 and John 17:11. Jesus came into this world to bear witness unto the truth about God. He did that so there is no more reason for Jesus to come back to this world again. That is why Jesus said “I am no more in the world.”
This is just one example of things Christians believe gtag are contradicted by te scriptures.

Christians just cannot face the fact that the same Jesus who walked the earth 2000 years ago is never coming back to this world.
They cannot face that Jesus is never coming back because that is what they want. This is psych 101 stuff.

Mine and your (beliefs) will not matter in the end, except what God has established (and clearly) given us as TRUTH..........REALLY Isn't that all that matters.
All these posts you have made and defended the Baha religion for all these years, they mean absolutely NOTHING IF they are false! Don't you owe it to yourself to study the Whole Word of God yourself, and while doing that ask the Holy Spirit to TEACH you! Not men!

You are correct in saying that my and your (beliefs) will not matter in the end, except what God has established (and clearly) given us as TRUTH..........REALLY Isn't that all that matters.

All these posts you have made and defended the Christian religion, they mean absolutely NOTHING IF they are false!
The Bible is not the Whole Word of God. What Baha'u'llah wrote is also the Word of God, the direct Word of God straight from God through the Holy Spirit, not the Word of God through men who never even knew Jesus.

Don't you owe it to yourself to study the Whole Word of God yourself?

The Holy Spirit is not a person so it does not teach anyone anything. The Holy Spirit only teaches through a Messenger of God such as Jesus or Baha'u'llah.

 

[Truthseeker]

Yes, Jesus spoke Aramaic and the Christian Greek Scriptures were written in the common spoken Greek of the day.
The old Hebrew Scriptures were written in Hebrew, and Numbers 11:17,25 (it) is translated from the Hebrew.
As my high school English teacher explained the reason for the Yiddish today was because the old Hebrew was harder.

My point was that you can't rely on the meaning of the Greek because that was not the original language he spoke in. Heck, you can't count on the exact wording that Jesus said in Aramaic.

 

[lewisnotmiller]

Then in your example, God's top priority is not having a relationship with humans, it's giving humans free will, which is a higher priority than having a relationship with humans in your example above. I should add that it's ironic that theists talk so much about free will when it's obvious logically that if God knows the future then free will can't exist.

Assuming linear time.

 

[Trailblazer]

Assuming linear time.

There is no logical connection with God knowing the future and free will not existing.
God knows what humans will do in the future because God is All-knowing, but God's foreknowledge is not what causes people to do what they do.

People will choose to do what God knows they will do only because what people choose to do is identical with what God knows they will do, since God knows everything they will do. However, the choices humans make are not caused by what God knows. They are caused by human choices and the ensuing actions.

Please tell me that you understand this. If you understand it you will get the door prize since you will be the very first person who ever understood it of the multitudes of people I have explained this to!

 

[Koldo]

It's somewhat tangential, but I'm not sure the concept of 'top priority' makes sense for an omnipotent being. Ranking priorities is something we do in order to prioritise effort, due to limitations.
God doesn't have those limitations. He would literally either do, or not do something. He would handle all items, regardless of priority.

So it's not about focus or priority. It can only be about the desire to stop something, and/or the impacts of stopping something.

A top priority, if I properly understood the OP, is what takes precedence above all else. Not merely because of insufficient resources but also because God might have conflicting desires.

A very simple Christian example: free will takes precedence over health.

 

[Trailblazer]

A very simple Christian example: free will takes precedence over health.

How so?

 

[lewisnotmiller]

A top priority, if I properly understood the OP, is what takes precedence above all else. Not merely because of insufficient resources but also because God might have conflicting desires.

A very simple Christian example: free will takes precedence over health.

Yup. That's what I said. It has to be about conflicting desires or the impacts of an action.

 

[Kenny]

I would like to pose a question for theists, namely: what is God's top priority? I cannot prove that no god exists, but there are many types of gods that I can prove do not exist.


I know that an omnipotent god whose top priority is preventing rape and murder cannot exist.
I know that an omnipotent god whose top priority is preventing childhood cancer cannot exist.
I know that an omnipotent god whose top priority is preventing starvation cannot exist.
I know that an omnipotent god whose top priority is preventing the extinction of 99% of the species he created cannot exist.
I know that an omnipotent god whose top priority is having a personal relationship with all of his human creations cannot exist.
I know that an omnipotent god whose top priority is having all humans believe in him cannot exist.


I could give many other examples, but I think the point has been made. If God exists, and he is omnipotent, his top priority cannot be any of the above things. So what is God's top priority? Since it seems like one of the items I listed above would be the top priority of the god of classical theism, it almost seems that if God does exist, then his top priority is to make it look like he doesn't exist.

I think the issue here is what we think “omnipotent” means in reference to God and man. As I read your options, to me it seems like you are missing a point...

If God is an omnipotent God, can He create a human being outside of His omnipotence?

 

[Saved by grace 2]

point out that item in the bulleted list where he speaks what he hears. Can a spirit speak or hear? Were the Christians guided into all truth back then? I don't know about you, but it doesn't look like that to me. Take notice @Saved by grace 2.

Another good question, the short answer is the Holy Spirit does not have a physical body, so no he does not atleast with me, speak with an audible voice. He has as some have bore witness, both in Scripture and thru out the generations before and after Christ Jesus came to earth. I cannot speak for anyone else.

THE LONG ANSWER IS:
YES he is Spirit. So in almost every instance The Holy Spirit does not speak to us like Jesus physically communicates with us, who is also Spirit, who did and yes!, STILL has a physical body. And we who believe in Jesus Christ and are Born again, now have a Spirit and always will have, Like Jesus Christ, a Physical body. But for now, the difference is, we live in this earthen BODY, that will eventually die.
Here Jesus, being the first born from the dead, is an example to all who Believe in him, that by dying FOR our sins, he died in his physical body and was resurrected in the Body he was crucified in. THAT IS WHY THE TOMB IS EMPTY! Once we die in our physical BODIES (because of our sins), it is then that we will meet the Lord in the air, and we will receive the immortal Spiritual body that will never die.

I know there are differences in Trailblazers interpretations on what 1 Corinthians 15:44 says. I would like to address that later though.

Back to the Spirit speaking to us who belong to Jesus Christ, It should be noted that Jesus Christ while on earth went and prayed often by himself. This is another example Jesus gave us of how we are to interact and HEAR from God, thru prayer, thru the Holy Spirit. Infact the Scriptures say the Holy Spirit intercedes for us when we are praying.
Romans 8:26-27
In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.

Prayer is the Spiritual means of talking to God, and God talking to us. God thru the Holy Spirit speaks to us in a couple ways. Directly to and (in) our Spirit which is now alive and able to discern the internal speaking (truths) of the Holy Spirit,
I Corinthians 2:13-15
13 And this is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom, but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words.
14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
15 But the spiritual man [the spiritually mature Christian] judges all things [questions, examines and applies what the Holy Spirit reveals], yet is himself judged by no one [the unbeliever cannot judge and understand the believer’s spiritual nature].

The Holy Spirit speaks to us in our Spiritsand reveals (First) Jesus Christ) then leads us, guides us, sanctifies us, and conforms us into the Image Of Jesus Christ.

AND God, thru Holy Spirit, speaks thru the Written word!

I Timothy 3:16-17
16 All Scripture is God-breathed (and revealed by the Holy Spirit who lives in us) and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,
17 so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Jesus told his disciples, the Holy Spirit would not speak of himself but would remind them of what Jesus taught them. This not entirely what the Holy Spirit would do, but the first and main ongoing purpose, for what he is sent to do. How does this apply to us 2,000 years later. Well we have the gospels and the books of those who DID walk with Jesus and the Apostle Paul who said what he received he received by direct revelation from Jesus Christ. So when we receive the Truth thru the Written word that Proclaims Jesus Christ and meditate and even memorize scripture, the Holy Spirit reminds us of the Sword of the Spirit (which is the Word of God) when we are in need..........which is always by the way!
We also see in Acts that the Holy Spirit was involved in directing them on missions, and fulfilling the commission Jesus gave them and US to do the same today. We too, Preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And we today are led by the Spirit of of God to proclaim, and live by the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit living in us.
The scripture says that The Holy Spirit will not speak of himself. I believe this means a couple things, first he will not be pointing to himself i.e.of anything directly pertaining to him, but his purpose is that the Holy Spirit supernaturally gives us new spiritual life by connecting us with Jesus Christ through faith. By believing (By FAITH) in the Command to believe in Jesus Christ who died for our sins, and accepting the free gift of salvation, we are now a HOLY people empowered by the Holy Spirit to live according to the commands of our Lord, which are far more than the commandments written on paper (or stone) but by being LED (daily) by the Holy Spirit. All of this is true but it is not accepted as those who doubt this to be. This too was promised by Jesus Christ.
John 14:17
Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you

FIRST BY FAITH I must believe in Jesus Christ, I must BY FAITH believe and accept the Holy Spirit of God into my life. THEN I must learn to discern which voice within me is of the Holy Spirit! or of Self, or of the World or of Demonic voices. This is something that is learned. But Jesus promised my SHEEP (not Lambs) hear my voice and they follow me........We are Born again, Signifying we are Born into the Kingdom (DAY ONE) by Faith in the Jesus Christ. But as a child grows and learns to live in this world, maturing with each day, (hopefully) SO IT IS with the New Born Again Believer in Christ Jesus.....and sadly this is not necessarily true with us at times. Paul warned the Corinthian Church that although they should be mature, they were still only able to receive the milk of the word, not the meat!

Jesus said when the Holy Spirit comes he will bear Witness of ME (Jesus) He will not bring attention to himself but Bear witness and testify to those who would believe in Jesus Christ. SO THIS is the FIRST main purpose of the Holy Spirit to come. For without believing in Jesus Christ and being born again by Water and by the Holy Spirit, we will die in our Sins, and will not have any part of GOD and his Kingdom!

John 15:26
But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:

 

[SeekingBalance]

You all seem like a great group but I'm juggling this idea of no heroes... God seems like kind of a hero. But if no hero then no god. It's a weird idea. Not attacking anyone but if you have ideas to steer me. (Or prompts for my stubborn AI)

I hope all is well.

 

[Saved by grace 2]

No, Jesus Christ will not return and establish any kingdom on earth..

Before I answer can you please tell me what is The Book of Revelation about?

 

[The Hammer]

"What is God's highest priority?"

Which God?

 

[The Hammer]

Before I answer can you please tell me what is The Book of Revelation about?

Death