I know and I do appologize for that but I am just a tired old man.
There are just some things I don't any longer find any pleasure in tussling with.
I don't know how old you are, but I have raised six children and fourteen grandchildren and now have great grandchildren. I learned that it was senseless to try to explain every detail of everything to them for they are most usually so full of their own ideas that they scarcely relate to what anyone tells them beyond what they presently see and believe whether or not they are mistaken in the way they see things. That is just a fact of life we must be able to accept. Otherwise there is no end to the wrangling. Sometimes you just have to let go and let them learn for themselves.
And that is all you are noticing in me.
Hope that helps.
Edit: And I suppose I should address why it is you sense that I am so certain of myself. You would have to have worn my shoes and walked my life to really understand. And then you would know that I was not taught every detail of what I know by men nor did I just sit around and when ideas which seemed logical to me came into my head grasped onto them. You can believe it or not believe it, that is your choice, but I was actually shown the truth of God's word in the same way as was Paul and I actually have had visions as did John. That is why I understand what took place with John. And not one thing God ever showed me has failed. Some have already happened and some I know will happen.
What good would it do for me to deny how I learned it just because others choose not to believe me?
buzzb,
1. I have children and grandkids but no grandkids, age wise I am just a few years behind you.
2. The Bible says to study show yourself approved.
3. Peter had the vision of the clean and unclean Acts 10:48 because the mystery of the church had not manifested yet even though it was ratified at the cross Ephesians 2:14-15;3:3-6. This is because of gradual Revelation because not everything of the New Covenant was understood because they were still trying to figure out how the law worked under the New Covenant.
Peter was still looking the KoH and didn’t understand the church age was different in some ways such as with the Gentiles.
They knew they would get saved but didn’t think they were supposed to be equal with them because the Jews were given eternal Covenants in the KoH as the head of the nations Isaiah 2:2-4 and the oracles of God to propagate the gospel Romans 3:2.
Paul explained what happened at Calvary where the veil was rent into so Jew and Gentile would be one in Christ.
4. Paul had visions and revelations when God was dealing with him about the differences of the gospel he preached to the Gentiles Galatian 2:2, 7 and how he was favored to the Gentiles as Peter was to the Jews.
Paul was a student of Gamaliel and knew the law of Moses up and down and was perfect to the law except that he killed the uncircumcision Christians because he thought he was being a Godpleaser Acts 9:1-12 and claimed Christ was the Son of God, but God had mercy on him 1 Timothy 1:13-16 and struck him down Acts 9 and humbled him and showed him the differences about the Old and New Covenant and the mystery of the church etc. in depth in Arabia Galatians 2:1-6-7.
Paul went to the heathen.
2 Corinthians 12 he mentioned about his visions and revelations and how he was up to Paradise and about his specific infirmities that came by way of a messenger of Satan to buffet him which was the trials he went through according to chapter 11 was his trials he went through such as perils of shipwreck, and whippings etc vs. 23–28.
5. I am not against visions and the Holy Spirit leads and guides us into all truth but one has to study to show themselves approved.
No matter how God deals with a man the truth has to line up with the word.
6. We all have to do the best we can and we all have hermeneutics but different levels of understanding.
Biblical hermeneutics deal with what is God’s purpose and destiny for man and earth and the restitution of all things.
History, customs and the way God dealt with men in different ages and what applies to our age in the form of gradual revelation.
Their are plain Staten s, figures of speech and immediate, book, and Bible contextand comparing scripture etc. all in proper perspective.
7. I believe iron sharpens iron vitas much as I have learned from great theologians or just real studied Christians I know when to listen and when not to for the most part. If I don’t know I say I don’t. I always keep hammering to find the truth and sometimes I might get temporary tunnel vision but I get to the truth sooner or later because I stay open to the truth.
At the same time there are things that are not debatable such as the blood for remission of sins etc.
I deduce things by setting them side by side as well. For example, Revelation 12 can have 3 and more different interpretation with their scriptures on their own and the way explained but they are not all right and when you set them side by side you can see more clear.
8. I understand how it can be on these sites but to be scripturally consistent one has to be as literal as can be. It doesn’t mean there is no spiritual application but if you allegorize more you can make it say what you want to.
Whether literal or allegorizing both can go awry if one goes to the extreme.
If you go too literal you could believe Christ wan actual 4 legged lamb instead of a man.
If you make Adam and Eve symbolic and spiritual alone then you deny God created man and would be denying God is the creator. Jerry kelso