What would Christians do if there were no bible?

[freeindeed2]

How would you know if the spirit guiding you was of God or of the Devil?

Well, the Spirit is GOD and testifies about the Son and our need of Him to save us. The Spirit/GOD has promised to lead us into all truth and Jesus/GOD IS the truth. It is the will of God/Spirit for us to believe in the Son.

The Devil is the Devil - not GOD, and would only influence us to rely on self - we can save ourselves by what we do. But those with the Holy Spirit/GOD living in them would know this is not true.

It is extremely easy to tell the difference. But many people today who call themselves Christians do not trust the Spirit/GOD and would rather rely on their own 'performance' than actually believe that God living in them / Holy Spirit is able to direct their paths. In essence they do not trust the Holy Spirit, which means they do not trust God because the Spirit is fully God.

Before there was a 'Bible' stories were passed down through oral tradition. I suppose it would be much the same today. It worked for thousands of years and is still used in many cultures today.

 

[StormyOne]

Well, the Spirit is GOD and testifies about the Son and our need of Him to save us. The Spirit/GOD has promised to lead us into all truth and Jesus/GOD IS the truth. It is the will of God/Spirit for us to believe in the Son.

there are some believers who find what you have said difficult to grasp.... that an all-powerful God can communicate His will to us here and now..... with or without the bible....

 

[freeindeed2]

there are some believers who find what you have said difficult to grasp.... that an all-powerful God can communicate His will to us here and now..... with or without the bible....

While I love the Bible and read it every day, salvation is not found in it. Jesus himself said, "You search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to me! Yet you refuse to come to me to receive this life." John 5:39

Jesus is the full and living revelation of the Father and He is our life and salvation. The Scriptures merely give testimony that points to the Living Word. Jesus is our everything, yet people still refuse to come to him and would rather their own abilities or performance count toward their salvation instead of accepting the life offered freely by Jesus Christ. The Bible is a tool, but Jesus is the reality.

 

[moicherie]

there are some believers who find what you have said difficult to grasp.... that an all-powerful God can communicate His will to us here and now..... with or without the bible....

Looking at the letter addressed to the Hebrews, the writer was not to know that his words would last so long but he wrote that in these last days (i.e the days he was living in ) God who use to speak to humaniaty through prophets now speaks to us through His son. Now if the writer all that long ago could see that Jesus was the Ultimate revelation of God and not what men wrote what is stopping us from have the same line of thinking? What caused this total reliance on the bible about God rather than God Himself? Did having a printing press/mass education/making the bible available to the masses make those same masses 'lazy'?

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=hebrews%201:1,2;&version=46;

 

[annie1speed]

Quote: I disagree.... what was the measuring stick when there was no bible? End Quote

Weren't there priests, prophets, the law, the written portion of the Old Testament? ...... God has always had ways of communicating with His people.

Do you believe it is possible to silence God?? That is a rhetorical question.

 

[annie1speed]

Quote:
Originally Posted by annie1speed
Quote:
Originally Posted by StormyOne
yep......

Agreed. EGW's writings aren't in the Bible...

End Quote

Does EGW's writings have things that are not in the Bible? I was told she just illustrated Biblical truths more clearly.

well you will have to read some of her stuff if you are so inclined but there are things she says that cannot be found in the bible..... End of Quotes

Hmmm.......

I have read some of her 'stuff' as you call it, so I guess I have been so inclined.

My original question was, "Is there any part of our lives that the Bible does not give guidance for?" To which you said "Yep." What parts are you referring to?

 

[StormyOne]

Quote:
Originally Posted by annie1speed
Quote:
Originally Posted by StormyOne
yep......

Agreed. EGW's writings aren't in the Bible...

End Quote

Does EGW's writings have things that are not in the Bible? I was told she just illustrated Biblical truths more clearly.

well you will have to read some of her stuff if you are so inclined but there are things she says that cannot be found in the bible..... End of Quotes

Hmmm.......

I have read some of her 'stuff' as you call it, so I guess I have been so inclined.

My original question was, "Is there any part of our lives that the Bible does not give guidance for?" To which you said "Yep." What parts are you referring to?

her narrative of the fall of Adam and Eve.... her version is not in the bible..... and on one point there is a contradiction...... the bible says that Adam was with Eve when she took the fruit..... EGW says that Eve wandered from Adam......

 

[AndrewK788]

her narrative of the fall of Adam and Eve.... her version is not in the bible..... and on one point there is a contradiction...... the bible says that Adam was with Eve when she took the fruit..... EGW says that Eve wandered from Adam......

I actually hadn't noticed that before. But it is true. I checked 3 different translations and each one does clearly say that Adam was with Eve when she took the fruit.

 

[freeindeed2]

Quote: I disagree.... what was the measuring stick when there was no bible? End Quote

Weren't there priests, prophets, the law, the written portion of the Old Testament? ...... God has always had ways of communicating with His people.

Do you believe it is possible to silence God?? That is a rhetorical question.

Hi Annie,

What written manuscripts were written prior to Moses' writings that are part of what we know today as the Bible?

Also, to answer your rhetorical question, God has never been silent, nor will he ever be. He spoke everything we know into existence. His sheep still know his voice and follow him (and to let some in on a little secret...he lives IN us! Isn't that cool!).

Anyway...

 

[annie1speed]

Hi Free,

I was referring to Moses' writings - which are a part of the Bible. Sorry I was not more clear. I thought we were talking about the Bible in its complete form as it is today.

I guess I should have said the Law (Moses' writings) .

Annie

 

[annie1speed]

Quote:
Originally Posted by annie1speed
Quote:
Originally Posted by annie1speed
Quote:
Originally Posted by StormyOne
yep......

Agreed. EGW's writings aren't in the Bible...

End Quote

Does EGW's writings have things that are not in the Bible? I was told she just illustrated Biblical truths more clearly.

well you will have to read some of her stuff if you are so inclined but there are things she says that cannot be found in the bible..... End of Quotes

Hmmm.......

I have read some of her 'stuff' as you call it, so I guess I have been so inclined.

My original question was, "Is there any part of our lives that the Bible does not give guidance for?" To which you said "Yep." What parts are you referring to?

her narrative of the fall of Adam and Eve.... her version is not in the bible..... and on one point there is a contradiction...... the bible says that Adam was with Eve when she took the fruit..... EGW says that Eve wandered from Adam......

I am not sure I am following you. What you are pointing out is a place where Ellen White's writing differs from the Bible.

Two questions: Where Ellen White's writing differs from the Bible, which do you believe?

How does Ellen White's account of the fall of Adam and Eve give us guidance for our lives that the Bible does not give?

 

[AndrewK788]

Quote:

yep......

Agreed. EGW's writings aren't in the Bible...

End Quote

Does EGW's writings have things that are not in the Bible? I was told she just illustrated Biblical truths more clearly.

well you will have to read some of her stuff if you are so inclined but there are things she says that cannot be found in the bible..... End of Quotes

Hmmm.......

I have read some of her 'stuff' as you call it, so I guess I have been so inclined.

My original question was, "Is there any part of our lives that the Bible does not give guidance for?" To which you said "Yep." What parts are you referring to?

her narrative of the fall of Adam and Eve.... her version is not in the bible..... and on one point there is a contradiction...... the bible says that Adam was with Eve when she took the fruit..... EGW says that Eve wandered from Adam......

I am not sure I am following you. What you are pointing out is a place where Ellen White's writing differs from the Bible.

Two questions: Where Ellen White's writing differs from the Bible, which do you believe?

How does Ellen White's account of the fall of Adam and Eve give us guidance for our lives that the Bible does not give?

I don't think EGW gives any guidance that is not also in the Bible. But I think when people see certain inconsistencies, such as that listed, it begins to take away the credibility of the author and place all of her writings under scrutiny.

 

[StormyOne]

Quote:
Originally Posted by annie1speed
Quote:
Originally Posted by annie1speed
Quote:
Originally Posted by StormyOne
yep......

Agreed. EGW's writings aren't in the Bible...

End Quote

Does EGW's writings have things that are not in the Bible? I was told she just illustrated Biblical truths more clearly.

well you will have to read some of her stuff if you are so inclined but there are things she says that cannot be found in the bible..... End of Quotes

Hmmm.......

I have read some of her 'stuff' as you call it, so I guess I have been so inclined.

My original question was, "Is there any part of our lives that the Bible does not give guidance for?" To which you said "Yep." What parts are you referring to?

her narrative of the fall of Adam and Eve.... her version is not in the bible..... and on one point there is a contradiction...... the bible says that Adam was with Eve when she took the fruit..... EGW says that Eve wandered from Adam......

I am not sure I am following you. What you are pointing out is a place where Ellen White's writing differs from the Bible.

Two questions: Where Ellen White's writing differs from the Bible, which do you believe?

How does Ellen White's account of the fall of Adam and Eve give us guidance for our lives that the Bible does not give?

if the narrative from egw is not true or she adds where the bible is silent that should be some cause for concern....

 

[moicherie]

Quote:
Originally Posted by annie1speed
Quote:
Originally Posted by StormyOne
yep......

Agreed. EGW's writings aren't in the Bible...

End Quote

Does EGW's writings have things that are not in the Bible? I was told she just illustrated Biblical truths more clearly.

well you will have to read some of her stuff if you are so inclined but there are things she says that cannot be found in the bible..... End of Quotes

Hmmm.......

I have read some of her 'stuff' as you call it, so I guess I have been so inclined.

My original question was, "Is there any part of our lives that the Bible does not give guidance for?" To which you said "Yep." What parts are you referring to?

How to use a computer for one- lol

 

[moicherie]

I don't think EGW gives any guidance that is not also in the Bible. But I think when people see certain inconsistencies, such as that listed, it begins to take away the credibility of the author and place all of her writings under scrutiny.

Actually she did, considering the culture of her day her views on Adventist race relations are understandable but not based on bible guidelines.

 

[sentipente]

Two questions: Where Ellen White's writing differs from the Bible, which do you believe?

How does Ellen White's account of the fall of Adam and Eve give us guidance for our lives that the Bible does not give?

Ellen's account of the fall is completely erroneous and was obviously tailored to fit what she already believed.

 

[sentipente]

wait for god to give us new revelation

I don't recall us waiting for God to tell us how gravity works, or how any other thing in the universe works.

 

[freeindeed2]

I don't think EGW gives any guidance that is not also in the Bible. But I think when people see certain inconsistencies, such as that listed, it begins to take away the credibility of the author and place all of her writings under scrutiny.

EGW claimed more than 2000+ visions - which is many times the recorded visions in all of Scripture...

...she wrote (or borrowed) almost 25,000,000 (million) words, which amounts to around 100,000 pages...

She gave plenty of guidance that is not found in Scripture. Have you not read her 'works'?

 

[LightWorker1967]

I don't think EGW gives any guidance that is not also in the Bible. But I think when people see certain inconsistencies, such as that listed, it begins to take away the credibility of the author and place all of her writings under scrutiny.

Andrew—I agree.

I've always found this conversation a little like asking if reading a book on transpersonal psychology or particle physics is "consistent with the Bible."

And then, some people who consider Ellen White an inspired prophet also demand the "is it Bible-based" test for her ideas. As if Ellen White is not allowed to say something revolutionary that completely blows our previous understanding of the Bible away. Or allowed to be a prophet and make mistakes—get a lot of things right, take liberties with a few, or goof a few things up.

As I remember, many of our superstars in the Bible made mistakes much larger than the ones E.G. might have made.

If we continue to limit our unfoldment as Children of God in this way, using the Bible as a club, God's may take it back!

I don't think this amazing woman's life work has to make us feel comfortable, has to pass our plagiarism tests, has to be fully internally consistent, or has to be fully consistent with our personal interpretations of the Bible TO HAVE VALUE!

 

[RC_NewProtestants]

I don't think this amazing woman's life work has to make us feel comfortable, has to pass our plagiarism tests, has to be fully internally consistent, or has to be fully consistent with our personal interpretations of the Bible TO HAVE VALUE!

Being of value is a whole lot different then being an authority on truth which is the way the SDA church describe EGW in the fundamental beliefs. I get value out of Dean Koontz writings but I don't see them as an authority on truth, big difference. By the way just read his book Life Expectancy it was a great book.