Satan touched everything that belonged to Job but left his wife. Do you know why?

[CoreyD]

I've had a lot of pastors use well known references to make points, to fictional characters, movies, television shows.

Of course, the difference between the book of Job and, say, a Batman movie is that Job is Holy Scripture. But in terms of whether or not a story or figure is literally real or not is, in either case, beside the point--if the point is make a reference to speak on a particular issue.

St. Paul quoted a Greek poet, whose poem was a praise of the false god Zeus, to communicate truth about the real God.

Acts 17:28
"For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring."

The poet Paul is talking about is Epimenides of Crete,

"They fashioned a tomb for you, holy and high one,
Cretans, always liars, evil beasts, idle bellies.
But you are not dead: you live and abide forever,
For in you we live and move and have our being."
-Epimenidies of Crete, Cretica

The words are addressed to Zeus by the mythological King Minos.

Should Paul's use of the Cretica mean Paul believed that King Minos was a real historical figure? That Zeus was a real god deserving of worship?

Or is Paul using the Cretica to make a point, a different point, one that doesn't require either Zeus or Minos to be real.

Now, you might want to counter that the Cretica is not inspired, it is not Scripture. That's true--but it also doesn't change anything about my argument.

People make references. It's something human beings have always done--biblical authors do it, the Apostles did it, the Lord Jesus Himself did it. We cannot make conclusions that Jesus or the Apostles believed (e.g.) Job was a real historical person simply because a reference is made. That is not a reasonable conclusion to draw based on that data alone.

-CryptoLutheran

You decide.

 

[ViaCrucis]

You decide.

That post doesn't address the points I've raised in this thread.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[CoreyD]

That post doesn't address the points I've raised in this thread.

-CryptoLutheran

The points you raised are not relevant to the post I linked.
They are simply arguments for what you believe.

Hence, I refered you to the post, which leaves the decision to everyone reading it.
It does not matter what I say outside of those scriptures I quoted. People will believe what they want.

I do not see a need to argue outside the scriptures. I reason on them.
As you did, in response, so you will to any response. So how else should I respond, but to give you the scriptures and let you decide.

If you think Job is fiction, then you would have to believe that Daniel is fiction, as well as Noah. Ezekiel 14:14, 20
So, I leave that decision to you.
What else would you like me to do?