When I go to the doctor to get a prescription; hop on a plane to fly a couple of thousand kilometres; assume the traffic will stop when the lights change; use GPS to get from A to B; look at images from the Hubble or Webb space telescopes; or glue two things together I depend on scientists, chemists and engineers, sometimes for my personal safety and life.
I don't go looking in ancient Hebrew folklore for information on those things.
That's very good, that you seek help when you feel it is necessary.
Jesus did say the sick needs a physician, so you are sick, and don't know how to deal with that, it would be wise to get help.
Tell me though, would not go back to a doctor who tells you, "I really can't be sure you have x, but take this prescription, because I believe.... "?
Would you hop on the plane, if you are told, they aren't sure the plane has enough fuel to fly you a couple kilometers, but they believe...?
I hope like me you are praying that some maniac isn't fleeing from the cops when the lights change, because sadly, many have lost their life, when they drove on as the lights change to green. The fleeing suspect did not stop. Sad loss of life.
GPS, is like the TV remote control. The manufacturers, didn't ship them off, saying, we believe...
We could go on, but I hope you see the difference, and understand the point I made.
I didn't know Catholics viewed the Bible as "Hebrew folklore". May I ask, is this what is taught by the Bishops, and the Pope, or is this just the personal view of some Catholics?
When I want to find out about Jesus Christ and eternal salvation, then I go looking in the Bible. Above all it points to him, and that's my gospel.
I'm glad to hear that you go to the Bible to find out about Jesus Christ.
Some people believe the stories are fictional though. What is your view of what the Bible tells us about Jesus the Christ?
Do you believe he is the son of God, and came from the realm of the supernatural?
As for the earth lasting forever, Saint Peter didn't think so.
It might be better, to read that text, in St. Peter's original tongue, because evidently, it's not him that didn't think so, but the translators of his words.
You can get the Greek
here.
Shows how careful we need to be, doesn't it.
Did you notice how they inserted [οὐχ] so that it reads, "Earth and the works in it, will [not] be found / discovered?"
We have to be so careful of translations.
Laid bare, I suppose can past, as meaning discovered, or found especially after searching. Greek:
heuriskó.
So, Peter does say, "earth and its works will be laid bare / found / discovered", because Peter knew what he talking about.
He is talking about judgment of the ungodly, and he compared this judgment to the one in Noah's day, where there were heavens and earth that perished.
We know the planet earth in Noah's day was not destroyed, so since Peter was referring to the wicked people then, he is referring to the wicked people now, as the earth that will be laid bare.
The physical heavens in Noah's day, did not drown, so we know peter was referring to figurative heavens then, as he is referring to now.
It's not difficult to understand Peter, and thankfully we can check his words in his original tongue, so that we identify the translations that twist his words to "will not be found", or "will be burned up" (KJV).
Some even paraphrase with "heavenly bodies" (ESV).
Sad. They mislead so many people in the churches today who seem so obsessed with burning. They seem to want God to just burn. Even the Lake of Fire, they want to be literal fire, to roast people.
I guess that's what happens, when we are taught these things from the time we can say, "mama".
I was taught the whole hellfire doctrine too, but studying the Bible, has helped millions to know better.
Thanks to God.
That's another topic though.
If Peter is referring to the literal heavens and literal earth, then the literal heavens and literal earth, in Noah's day, actually perished,
However, we know this is not the case.
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