If God wrote a book, what would it look like?

[Achilles6129]

This question is for both those who believe the Bible is the word of God and those that don't: if the Creator of the universe wrote a book, what would it look like? What are your criteria? I'll name five:

1) Clothing is irrelevant

• Since the Creator can see through everyone's clothing, somewhere in the book it will be indicated that clothing is irrelevant and that the Creator doesn't care whether or not you wear clothing

2) Family is irrelevant

• Since the Creator created everyone and values everyone equally the book will indicate that family, at least as understood by natural human beings, is an irrelevant and, indeed, evil, concept.

3) Fulfilled prophecy

• In this book there will be predictions of events that will pass many years after they have been written. These predictions will be extremely accurate and all of them will come true

4) Literary complexity

• Since the book was written by the most intelligent being in existence, it will display a great literary complexity and artistry that will make itself known to those who diligently study it. This literary complexity could involve the use of numbers or it could involve complex literary devices

5) Radical concept of morality

• Since the Creator created everything and everyone and can see things that no-one else can (i.e., through clothing), the book will suggest a concept of morality that is far different from the morality that a natural human being is familiar with. The reason for this is because the Creator obviously has a radically different perspective than a natural human being

I would strongly suggest that the Bible fulfills all five of these criteria and that this is powerful evidence that indeed it is the word of God.

Thoughts?

 

[Davian]

...

Thoughts?

Apologetics are inappropriate for this forum.

 

[Achilles6129]

Apologetics are inappropriate for this forum.

So you can't really talk about anything that has to do with God in this forum then...

 

[I-believe]

The Word Appears in the Flesh
hough many people believe in God, few understand what faith in God means, and what they must do to be after God’s heart. This is because, though people are familiar with the word “God” and phrases such as “the work of God,” they do not know God, much less do they know His work. No wonder, then, that all those who do not know God are possessed of a muddled belief. People do not take belief in God seriously because believing in God is too unfamiliar, too strange for them. In this way, they are far from the demands of God. In other words, if people do not know God, do not know His work, then they are not fit for God’s use, much less can they fulfill the desire of God. “Belief in God” means believing that there is a God; this is the simplest concept of “faith in God.” What’s more, believing that there is a God is not the same as truly believing in God; rather, it is a kind of simple faith with strong religious overtones. True “faith in God” means experiencing the words and work of God based on a belief that God holds sovereignty over all things. So you shall be freed of your corrupt disposition, shall fulfill the desire of God, and shall come to know God. Only through such a journey can you be said to believe in God. Yet people often see belief in God as something very simple and frivolous. The belief of such people is meaningless and shall never gain the approval of God, because they tread the wrong path. Today, there are still those who believe in God in letters, in hollow doctrines. They are unaware that their belief in God has no substance, and that they are unable to gain the approval of God, and they still pray for peace and sufficient grace from God. We should stop and ask ourselves: Could believing in God really be the easiest thing on earth? Does believing in God mean nothing more than receiving much grace from God? Can people who believe in God but do not know Him, and believe in God yet oppose Him, really fulfill the desire of God?
……
http://www.holyspiritspeaks.org/preface-4/
（if you want read some more）

 

[ViaCrucis]

According to traditional Christian teaching the question has an answer, and it's not the Bible. Rather it's Jesus. If God wrote a book it'd look like Jesus, the Incarnate Logos.

God didn't write the Bible, further, the Bible isn't a book. The Bible is a collection of many books written by many different people. Christian teaching is that the books of the Bible are divinely inspired which is a very different thing than saying that God wrote them.

Further, the Bible isn't the chief article of revelation in Christianity--again, that role belongs to Jesus. God's self-disclosure isn't a book or a collection of books, but is instead Jesus.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[Achilles6129]

According to traditional Christian teaching the question has an answer, and it's not the Bible. Rather it's Jesus. If God wrote a book it'd look like Jesus, the Incarnate Logos.

-CryptoLutheran

So then does the Bible look like Christ?

 

[Achilles6129]

The Word Appears in the Flesh
hough many people believe in God, few understand what faith in God means, and what they must do to be after God’s heart. This is because, though people are familiar with the word “God” and phrases such as “the work of God,” they do not know God, much less do they know His work. No wonder, then, that all those who do not know God are possessed of a muddled belief. People do not take belief in God seriously because believing in God is too unfamiliar, too strange for them. In this way, they are far from the demands of God. In other words, if people do not know God, do not know His work, then they are not fit for God’s use, much less can they fulfill the desire of God. “Belief in God” means believing that there is a God; this is the simplest concept of “faith in God.” What’s more, believing that there is a God is not the same as truly believing in God; rather, it is a kind of simple faith with strong religious overtones. True “faith in God” means experiencing the words and work of God based on a belief that God holds sovereignty over all things. So you shall be freed of your corrupt disposition, shall fulfill the desire of God, and shall come to know God. Only through such a journey can you be said to believe in God. Yet people often see belief in God as something very simple and frivolous. The belief of such people is meaningless and shall never gain the approval of God, because they tread the wrong path. Today, there are still those who believe in God in letters, in hollow doctrines. They are unaware that their belief in God has no substance, and that they are unable to gain the approval of God, and they still pray for peace and sufficient grace from God. We should stop and ask ourselves: Could believing in God really be the easiest thing on earth? Does believing in God mean nothing more than receiving much grace from God? Can people who believe in God but do not know Him, and believe in God yet oppose Him, really fulfill the desire of God?
……
http://www.holyspiritspeaks.org/preface-4/
（if you want read some more）

So, any criteria for what a book written by God would look like?

 

[ViaCrucis]

So then does the Bible look like Christ?

No.

Christ is the God-Man. The Bible is ink on paper. Christ is worshiped and glorified as very God of very God, the Bible is not.

The Bible points us to, and in a very significant sense, contains Christ; and is thus divinely inspired and, as we read, "useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness", which is why it is received and venerated as holy and sacred Scripture in the Christian Church.

Only Christ looks like Christ.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[Achilles6129]

So then all of God's commands and doings in Scripture reflect the nature of Christ? Fair enough?

 

[Davian]

So you can't really talk about anything that has to do with God in this forum then...

Read the rules, and govern yourself accordingly.

 

[Achilles6129]

Read the rules, and govern yourself accordingly.

[emoji6] The rules allow virtually no discussion about God whatsoever. It's unfortunate, as there's really no other place to debate anti theists on these forums. Personally, however, I don't really see what's wrong with this topic. We're asking a general question, it doesn't necessarily have to be about the Bible.

 

[Archaeopteryx]

Why would he even write a book? Writing and reading books is a very human form of communication. Presumably a deity would be able to communicate his message to the intended recipients much more directly.

 

[Archaeopteryx]

No.

Christ is the God-Man. The Bible is ink on paper. Christ is worshiped and glorified as very God of very God, the Bible is not.

The Bible points us to, and in a very significant sense, contains Christ; and is thus divinely inspired and, as we read, "useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness", which is why it is received and venerated as holy and sacred Scripture in the Christian Church.

Only Christ looks like Christ.

-CryptoLutheran

In your view, do you think some Christians have turned the Bible into an idol?

 

[Achilles6129]

Why would he even write a book? Writing and reading books is a very human form of communication. Presumably a deity would be able to communicate his message to the intended recipients much more directly.

In order to communicate with future generations?

 

[Archaeopteryx]

In order to communicate with future generations?

Yes, that's what human beings do to communicate with future generations. We do this because we lack a more direct means of communicating with them. Presumably gods don't face the same limitation.

 

[Achilles6129]

Yes, that's what human beings do to communicate with future generations. We do this because we lack a more direct means of communicating with them. Presumably gods don't face the same limitation.

Well it would save the trouble of having to communicate over and over. It would also provide a record of events that could be widely published. So there are good practical reasons for writing a book.

 

[Archaeopteryx]

Well it would save the trouble of having to communicate over and over. It would also provide a record of events that could be widely published. So there are good practical reasons for writing a book.

Again, good practical reasons for humans to communicate through books.

 

[variant]

Why would a God write a book? Wouldn't it be more elegant to just leave any message it wants to send at the core of it's creations psyche?

 

[Tree of Life]

1) Clothing is irrelevant

• Since the Creator can see through everyone's clothing, somewhere in the book it will be indicated that clothing is irrelevant and that the Creator doesn't care whether or not you wear clothing

I've never read that anywhere in Scripture.

2) Family is irrelevant

• Since the Creator created everyone and values everyone equally the book will indicate that family, at least as understood by natural human beings, is an irrelevant and, indeed, evil, concept.

This seems to directly contradict Scripture.

5) Radical concept of morality

• Since the Creator created everything and everyone and can see things that no-one else can (i.e., through clothing), the book will suggest a concept of morality that is far different from the morality that a natural human being is familiar with. The reason for this is because the Creator obviously has a radically different perspective than a natural human being

This doesn't accord with Scripture either.

What Bible are you reading?

 

[ananda]

Why would he even write a book? Writing and reading books is a very human form of communication. Presumably a deity would be able to communicate his message to the intended recipients much more directly.

Instead of a human book (fraught with difficulties associated with translation, time, decay, accessibility, etc.), I would suggest that the Creator embedded its intentions and goals into the natural laws of the Universe, so they are equally accessible to all, through all time, without change, and immediately evident.