The Highway Forums General Discussion Theology Discussion Forum Please Help Me Understand

<blockquote><font size=1>In reply to:</font><hr>[color:"blue"]I Cor 1:12-14</font><hr></blockquote><p>seya,<br><br>Methinks you really meant 1Cor 2:12-14? Secondly, that hardly serves to answer Prestor John's question. Simply typing in a biblical passage, wrongly at that, without any explanation of how you are interpreting it isn't conducive to an edifying exchange of ideas. [img]http://www.the-highway.com/w3timages/icons/rolleyes.gif" alt="rolleyes" title="rolleyes[/img]<blockquote>1 Corinthians 2:12-14 (ASV) "But we received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is from God; that we might know the things that were freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Spirit teacheth; combining spiritual things with spiritual [words]. Now the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him; and he cannot know them, because they are spiritually judged."</blockquote>It seems to me that this passage has nothing whatsoever to do with "hermeneutics", i.e., how we are to interpret the Bible. But rather, it is a testimony to the ORIGIN of the divinely inspired text through the instrumentality of human writers. Paul is saying that what he writes wasn't sourced out from worldly philosophers, dialecticians, or psychics, but contrariwise, what he has learned and thus writes came from and through the Holy Spirit, thus "spiritual things" (divine and absolute truth) penned in "spiritual words" (from the Spirit). He had already established that what he wrote was "wisdom" (2:6), which came from God. The fact that Paul penned his letters in human language goes against any idea that "spiritual words" means some "ethereal language of the Spirit", for it is to be discerned by the grammar of the reader aided by the Spirit Who then applies those words to the heart as they are understood with the mind.<br><br>The remainder of the passage, v. 14 deals with the inability of the natural man; i.e., one who has not the indwelling of the Spirit to comprehend the truth of the Apostle's, thus the Spirit's words, nor receive (accept them as true), for only those who have the indwelling of the Spirit will even find God's revelation desirable, never mind acceptable and applicable as a life-changing source.<br><br>It has already been granted by the majority of responders in this thread that the "fire" referred to in the passages quoted is mostly likely not physical fire but illustrative of the torment which one experiences when thrust into physical fire. The fact remains that the majority of texts which speak of hell, speak of an actual torment, suffering, etc., which is beyond the ability of men's minds to fully grasp. It is separate and transcends mere "separation" and its consequential "loneliness" that you are advocating.<br><br>I also find it ironic that you dismiss the "reasoning of men" insofar as their interpreting the inspired text, but you totally obfuscate the biblical text by appealing to fallacious human reasoning when you appeal to God, who is full of mercy, as the sole ground for dismissing what is clearly taught in them. Although it will not be argued that God is merciful and slow to anger, this does not disprove that He is equally, and I would suggest even more so, HOLY and JUST. His thrice Holy character is that which He holds as the standard of all that is good and righteous. And those who have transgressed His holy law will be accountable and subject to it at the Judgment.<br><br>Perhaps it would be beneficial if you would interact with the biblical texts which have been offered in this thread which the historic Church has overwhelmingly understood to mean that which you find so offensive; so offensive in fact, that you have seen fit to draw a dividing line between yourself, as the "spiritual one" and everyone else who holds to a literal hell as a place of eternal torment of the wicked and labeling them as "nonspiritual", implying even that we all are doomed for that alleged "separation" of which you believe will be their end.<br><br>In His Grace,