I haven't figured out how to quote text with the author's name in it yet, but I'll answer your questions:
Bushido, Satan had a fabulous argument for Eve to convince her that God was holding back some earthly source of blessing from her and caused her to doubt His word:
Gen 3:1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, "Indeed, has God said, 'You shall not eat from any tree of the garden'?"
Gen 3:2 The woman said to the serpent, "From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat;
Gen 3:3 but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, 'You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.'"
Gen 3:4 The serpent said to the woman, "You surely will not die!
Gen 3:5 "For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."
Gen 3:6 When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate.
Satan challenged Jesus in the wilderness in Matthew 4. Jesus responed each time with: "It is written". We're talking the LORD here, not using new words, but quoting the scriptures? The word has power! In fact the word is the source of all power! God SPOKE the universe and all matter into existence. Pretty solid words I would say - enough to gamble that they are correct?
I'd be careful with anything, or anyone that challenges the validity of God's word. It is the foundation of our faith. The word created all things that exist, and became flesh (Psalm 33:6, John 1:1-14) the word is living and active (Hebrews 4:12), God sets his word above His own name:
Psa 138:2 I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.
Bear, non-literalists delight over this one. It is like a trusty old "gotcha" to the literalists, but it is a thin one. Now I do not claim to be a theological expert, just a Christian man that fears God and believes in His Word. Here's my perspective:
Christ is saying that it is the heart of the matter that brings the guilt of sin. The act is only subsequent to the heart's commission of the actual sin. Therefore if my wife has a friend that is a scorching hottie and I imagine her in any other way but that which is honoring to God, to treat her in my heart as a sister, a fellow heir in Christ, than I have sinned and could be found as an adulterer. I've been guilty of that as has every man in this forum!
Now, my guilt of the sin did not come with it the "benefit" (I'm using darkened language here) of getting to score with this woman; I simply coveted her in my heart. Likewise my eye that offended me by staring at her in a lustful manner may only need to be denied the optical satisfaction of indulging in her blossoming curvature, and averted elsewhere. However, if the eye sins you badly enough - perhaps He is being literal! He does say that it is better to enter Heaven with one eye, a true statement, than to be cast into hell 'intact' (paraphrase).
Bottom Line: Do whatever it takes to break sin's grasp. I had a problem with alcohol, following the old "moderation" key to drinking (as a believer). The way for me to counter that sin in my life was to cut it off. I can never touch a drink again if I wish to stay clean in that area. For another, moderation works - for me it does not, although I would enjoy drinking, it became so sinful to me that I HAD to cut it out, thus fulfilling Christ's challenge literally enough.
wblastyn - the Hebrews were the most advanced in many areas of medicine and understanding of microbial infections that even European doctors were up until the mid-1800's. Dr. Ignaz Semmelweis in Austria, 1845 conducted a study on why so many women were dying in hospitals after giving birth. His conclusions were based on the poor hygiene of the doctors, who would wash the blood off their hands in a stagnant bowl and proceed to the next patient. The Hebrews undertsood microbial contamination even though they perhaps couldn't describe them like we can since they had no microscopes, but what they did have was the Word of God detailing hygenic procedure: Lev 15:13.
Even in America 120 years ago modern medical science failed to comprehend how important the blood was to sustaining life. The Hebrews knew that over 3,000 years earlier. Had the doctors that bled people with supposedly "bad humors" (anyone seen that SNL skit "Medieval Barber" with Steve Martin?) understood that the "life of the flesh is in the blood" (Leviticus 17:11).
Leviticus 13 outlines further procedure to handle the sick and the dead, certainly to avoid microbial infections, and contaminants. Had these procedures been observed by the 14th century scientists, the Black Death could have only taken the lives of a few. But they made the flawed assumption that the air had "bad spirits". Ouch.
Arthur, I quoted (ad nauseum) the account of Genesis 1 in my first post. Here is further evidence and I'll even explain the Hebrew vernacular, if I may to demonstrate this fact:
Gen 2:2 And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.
Gen 2:3 And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.
Exo 20:11 For [in] six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them [is], and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.
Exo 31:17 It [is] a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for [in] six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed.
Lev 23:3 Six days shall work be done: but the seventh day [is] the sabbath of rest, an holy convocation; ye shall do no work [therein]: it [is] the sabbath of the LORD in all your dwellings. (Symbolic to the Judaic faith, previously demonstrated by our Creator in the six-day creation)
The Hebrew word for "Day" is:
יום
yôm
yome
From an unused root meaning to be hot; a day (as the warm hours), whether literally (from sunrise to sunset, or from one sunset to the next), or figuratively (a space of time defined by an associated term), (often used adverbially): - age, + always, + chronicles, continually (-ance), daily, ([birth-], each, to) day, (now a, two) days (agone), + elder, X end, + evening, + (for) ever (-lasting, -more), X full, life, as (so) long as (. . . live), (even) now, + old, + outlived, + perpetually, presently, + remaineth, X required, season, X since, space, then, (process of) time, + as at other times, + in trouble, weather, (as) when, (a, the, within a) while (that), X whole (+ age), (full) year (-ly), + younger.
The whole point here is for those of you that willingly disregard the Bible in exchange for someone else's explanation of things that does not fit within the scripture. That is simply an apostate way of reasoning. And I would be doing all of you a gross disservice by not pointing out this method is contrary to God's word.
Col 2:6 Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him,
Col 2:7 having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude.
Col 2:8 See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ.
May God be glorified. (John 12:28)
