What purpose does the devil serve? Why didnt God just kill him back then?

[ebia]

spirit cannot be killed as in cease to exist.

why?

 

[Optimax]

why?

Because they are spirit not a physical being.

You are also a spirit.

Your physical body can be "killed".

However when that event occurs you do not cease to exist.

Depending on if one is saved/born again (rom 10:9).

The real person (spirit and soul) goes to heaven or hell.

 

[ebia]

Because they are spirit not a physical being. You are also a spirit. Your physical body can be "killed". However when that event occurs you do not cease to exist. Depending on if one is saved/born again (rom 10:9). The real person (spirit and soul) goes to heaven or hell.

Leaving aside some of the pseudo-gnostism in that.
That doesn't answer the question, it just restates the assertion.

Why can't a spirit be destroyed? If something is created then how is it not possible for it to be uncreated?

 

[BobRyan]

Forgot to mention.

The devil is a spirit.

A spirit cannot be killed as in cease to exist.

So God is simply not up to being able to do it???

Is there an actual Bible text for that?

 

[BobRyan]

Why let something with this much evil influence roam the earth and cause havoc for 5-6000 yrs so far to be killed at the end of the tribulation when Satan could have just been wiped out when he was kicked out of heaven.

"The Great Controversy Between Christ and Satan" - -

Satan’s rebellion was to be a lesson to the universe through all coming ages, a perpetual testimony to the nature and terrible results of sin. The working out of Satan’s rule, its effects upon both men and angels, would show what must be the fruit of setting aside the divine authority. It would testify that with the existence of God’s government and His law is bound up the well-being of all the creatures He has made. Thus the history of this terrible experiment of rebellion was to be a perpetual safeguard to all holy intelligences, to prevent them from being deceived as to the nature of transgression, to save them from committing sin and suffering its punishments.{GC 499.1}

To the very close of the controversy in heaven the great usurper continued to justify himself. When it was announced that with all his sympathizers he must be expelled from the abodes of bliss, then the rebel leader boldly avowed his contempt for the Creator’s law. He reiterated his claim that angels needed no control, but should be left to follow their own will, which would ever guide them right. He denounced the divine statutes as a restriction of their liberty and declared that it was his purpose to secure the abolition of law; that, freed from this restraint, the hosts of heaven might enter upon a more exalted, more glorious state of existence.{GC 499.2}


With one accord, Satan and his host threw the blame of their rebellion wholly upon Christ, declaring that if they had not been reproved, they would never have rebelled. Thus stubborn and defiant in their disloyalty, seeking vainly to overthrow the government of God, yet blasphemously claiming to be themselves the innocent victims of oppressive power, the archrebel and all his sympathizers were at last banished from heaven. {GC 499.3}


The same spirit that prompted rebellion in heaven still inspires rebellion on earth. Satan has continued with men the same policy which he pursued with the angels. His spirit now reigns in the children of disobedience. Like him they seek to break down the restraints of the law of God and promise men liberty through transgression of its precepts. Reproof of sin still arouses the spirit of hatred and resistance. When God’s messages of warning are brought home to the conscience, Satan leads men to justify themselves and to seek the sympathy of others in their course of sin. Instead of correcting their errors, they excite indignation against the reprover, as if he were the sole cause of difficulty. From the days of righteous Abel to our own time such is the spirit which has been displayed toward those who dare to condemn sin.{GC 500.1}


By the same misrepresentation of the character of God as he had practiced in heaven, causing Him to be regarded as severe and tyrannical, Satan induced man to sin. And having succeeded thus far, he declared that God’s unjust restrictions had led to man’s fall, as they had led to his own rebellion.{GC 500.2}


But the Eternal One Himself proclaims His character: “The Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty.” Exodus 34:6, 7.{GC 500.3}


In the banishment of Satan from heaven, God declared His justice and maintained the honor of His throne. But when man had sinned through yielding to the deceptions of this apostate spirit, God gave an evidence of His love by yielding up His only-begotten Son to die for the fallen race. In the atonement the character of God is revealed. The mighty argument of the cross demonstrates to the whole universe that the course of sin which Lucifer had chosen was in no wise chargeable upon the government of God. {GC 500.4}

 

[Gottservant]

What does that mean???

meaning what?

It means just what it says "Jesus uses the Devil to remind us there is greater perfection in God, than we have assumed there is in ourselves"

 

[Optimax]

Leaving aside some of the pseudo-gnostism in that.
That doesn't answer the question, it just restates the assertion.

Why can't a spirit be destroyed? If something is created then how is it not possible for it to be uncreated?

So God is simply not up to being able to do it???

Is there an actual Bible text for that?

There are many "Bible text" that reveal.

God does not "destroy" any created being that is a spirit.

They exist forever either with God as a family member, or in hell/lake of fire as a non-family member.

 

[ebia]

There are many "Bible text" that reveal.

God does not "destroy" any created being that is a spirit.

They exist forever either with God as a family member, or in hell/lake of fire as a non-family member.

Your assertion was that spirit cannot be destroyed.
That's what you are being asked to support.

 

[Optimax]

Your assertion was that spirit cannot be destroyed.
That's what you are being asked to support.

There is no scripture I know of that clearly states that a spirit cannot be destroyed/killed.


On the other hand do you know of scripture that clearly supports that a spirit can be destroyed/killed?

 

[ebia]

There is no scripture I know of that clearly states that a spirit cannot be destroyed/killed.


On the other hand do you know of scripture that clearly supports that a spirit can be destroyed/killed?

I see no reason to suppose that God cannot destroy anything he creates.

 

[Optimax]

I see no reason to suppose that God cannot destroy anything he creates.

You not being able to see a reason is far, far from scriptural support.

 

[ebia]

You not being able to see a reason is far, far from scriptural support.

We agree (presumably that):
God can destroy things.
That God created spiritual entities.
That God is supremely powerful.

And it was you that made the assertion "God cannot destroy..." as the reason why he doesn't.


The burden of proof is clearly on you.

 

[98cwitr]

Why let something with this much evil influence roam the earth and cause havoc for 5-6000 yrs so far to be killed at the end of the tribulation when Satan could have just been wiped out when he was kicked out of heaven.

Satan's purpose is to contrast Good/God. He is the agent by which evil exists. We could not know the difference between Good and Evil without him. Look back to the Garden, why do you think God put the Tree of Knowledge there in the first place?

 

[BobRyan]

meaning what?

It means just what it says "Jesus uses the Devil to remind us there is greater perfection in God, than we have assumed there is in ourselves"

Moses seemed to be pretty convinced that there was greater perfection in God than in himself when facing God at Sinai and the many times he was down on his face when meeting with God at the doorway of the tent of meeting.

I don't see how looking to Satan would have finally helped Moses to see that God is more holy than Moses. Meeting God face to face appears to have done that.

 

[BobRyan]

There are many "Bible text" that reveal.

God does not "destroy" any created being that is a spirit.

They exist forever either with God as a family member, or in hell/lake of fire as a non-family member.

God "destroys both body AND soul in fiery hell" Matt 10:28

 

[Optimax]

There is no scripture I know of that clearly states that a spirit cannot be destroyed/killed.


On the other hand do you know of scripture that clearly supports that a spirit can be destroyed/killed?

I see no reason to suppose that God cannot destroy anything he creates.

You not being able to see a reason is far, far from scriptural support.

We agree (presumably that):
God can destroy things.
That God created spiritual entities.
That God is supremely powerful.

And it was you that made the assertion "God cannot destroy..." as the reason why he doesn't.


The burden of proof is clearly on you.

Perhaps you forgot what I wrote.

I quoted it above for your remembrance.

Can you provide scripture that clearly supports that God destroys spirits?

 

[Optimax]

God "destroys both body AND soul in fiery hell" Matt 10:28

The words used for soul and spirit are not the same.

 

[ebia]

Perhaps you forgot what I wrote. I quoted it above for your remembrance. Can you provide scripture that clearly supports that God destroys spirits?

I haven't asserted that God does destroy spirits

I've challenged your assertion that God cannot destroy spirits. The onus is on you to support your assertion

 

[BobRyan]

There are many "Bible text" that reveal.

God does not "destroy" any created being that is a spirit.

They exist forever either with God as a family member, or in hell/lake of fire as a non-family member.

God "destroys both body AND soul in fiery hell" Matt 10:28

The words used for soul and spirit are not the same.

Matt 10 does not allow that as an exception. It is not parsing words or playing games. It points to what man cannot kill - and places this with God who will not only kill - but "destroy BOTH" body AND soul in fiery hell.

27 What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops.
28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

 

[Optimax]

God "destroys both body AND soul in fiery hell" Matt 10:28



Matt 10 does not allow that as an exception. It is not parsing words or playing games. It points to what man cannot kill - and places this with God who will not only kill - but "destroy BOTH" body AND soul in fiery hell.

27 What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops.
28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

This scripture uses the three words, "spirit", "soul" and "body".

The word translated "spirit" is NT:4151.

The word is "pneuma" by analogy or figuratively, a spirit, i.e. (human).

The word is translated ghost, life, spirit (-ual, -ually), mind.

NT:4151
pneuma (pnyoo'-mah); from NT:4154; a current of air, i.e. breath (blast) or a breeze; by analogy or figuratively, a spirit, i.e. (human) the rational soul, (by implication) vital principle, mental disposition, etc., or (superhuman) an angel, demon, or (divine) God, Christ's spirit, the Holy Spirit:


KJV - ghost, life, spirit (-ual, -ually), mind. Compare NT:5590.
(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.)

The word translated "soul" is NT:5590.

The word is "psuche" and is translated heart (+-ily), life, mind, soul, us, you.

NT:5590
psuche (psoo-khay'); from NT:5594; breath, i.e. (by implication) spirit, abstractly or concretely (the animal sentient principle only; thus distinguished on the one hand from NT:4151, which is the rational and immortal soul; and on the other from NT:2222, which is mere vitality, even of plants: these terms thus exactly correspond respectively to the Hebrew OT:5315, OT:7307 and OT:2416):


KJV - heart (+-ily), life, mind, soul, us, you.
(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.)

The word translated "body" is NT:4983.

The word is "soma" and is translated bodily, body, slave.

NT:4983
soma (so'-mah); from NT:4982; the body (as a sound whole), used in a very wide application, literally or figuratively:


KJV - bodily, body, slave.


(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.)

The different words show a distinctive difference between the three words.

In Matt 10:28 the word translated "body" is NT 4983, the same word translated "body" in 1 Thess 5:23.

The word translated "soul" in Matt 5:28 is the same word translated "soul" in 1 Thess 5:23.

Matt 10:28 does not use the word "spirit" and is not a reference to the "killing" of the spirit of a man.

Matt 10:28
And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. KJV