Just to try and help my brother. You are using a lot of Scripture without specifying which ones you are in fact quoting.
I know what they are but you need to remember that there are lots of people who read what we post and for them it is a blessing to say where you obtained the words you use.
Then secondly, you are taking most all of them totally out of context for the conversation we are involved in now.....IMO.
Example would be the comments of the burning bush. You are a little confusing but you seem to be intimating that because God spoke out of a burning bush yesterday He can still do that today. While it is true that He can do anything the question would then have to WHY would He choose to do that???? You see, that action would destroy what He had Paul communicate to us in Romans 10:17..........
"Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God".
Salvation comes by the message of the gospel when preached, and believed and confessed by man. The heathen are not saved by looking at a bush or living a good life or by doing good things.
God deals with man in different ways in different times. Yes, God spoke to Moses out of a burning bush but that does not mean He does that today.
That seems to be what you are saying. If I am wrong.....please forgive me.
God speaks to man today through His Word, the Bible. We speak to God through prayer and He speaks to us by His written Word.
You have misunderstood me .
I use the principle of biblical argument as exampled by Paul and in particular the letters to the Romans and Hebrews.
Where by in that argument he uses those scriptures that pertain to that argument .Not twisting them out of meaning. But using the meaning of each verse to uphold his argument .
I do not therefore believe I have taken any of the verses I used out of context and by that their meaning .
In the case of the burning bush .I was simply pointing out that it was not the bush that spoke to Moses but God in the midst of the bush and that part of the argument I had hoped to show what I meant of God doing the work not the man .
You suggest that God only speaks through His word. Primarily yes . But not always . Both by experience and by scripture.
ALL things were created by God and thus potentially everything has something to say or God can use to say it about God or some principle.
Did not Jesus use the natural to convey spiritual truth ?
A burning bush is a common occurance in the heat of the wilderness . But not one that was not consumed . God knows how to catch our attention and it was when Moses turned to see this thing that God spoke to him.
I once saw a snail eating . When did you ever see a snail eating? I never had so my attention was caught by the sight .once I started looking or turned to see it as it were .Then God lifted my eyes to see and understand something that I had not thought of before at all in such a practical way. Another time as I was driving south at 70 mile san hour .I saw a pidgeon flying it seemed just as fast and in a straight line in the opposite direction. It provoked the thought where was it going so fast and purposefully? That led to what I call a very long thought that God used to show me more and understand what perhaps I could not have any other way .
So yes I do believe God can and does speak through any other sort of burning bush if you will.
and why not? All things are upheld by the Word of His power and are not all things made by the Word of God that were made? How is it then you say God cannot speak via a bush or a pidgeon or a snail or whatever way eh chooses to catch your attention?
That does not mean I am a Moses or someone else is. It is simply the same God.
and How did Jesus come to say "the kingdom of God is likened unto a sower that went to sow....?
No problem with misunderstandings .
As it is very easy to do so over the written word and with a gap between the speakers or writers . if that is so with man how much the more with the Word of God? if we are not careful.
But with good will and right attitude any such misunderstandings can be overcome and resolved t5o the profit of both.
As to the matter of faith . That Paul says
faith in God comes by hearing and that by hearing the Word of God .
We should understand it cannot be just by hearing the word preached that men are saved . Though unless it is preached how can anybody be saved is not disputed .
But if all that was needed was to but hear the gospel all would be saved . But they are not .
For the devil has blinded the eyes (of their understanding) that they see not and understand and be saved .
thus it is with ears that hear or understand that generates the faith in God.,
But men have no excuse who condemn faith as they do these days . For ALL men have faith as to what faith IS . "For God has given to all a measure of faith to profit with all"
Thus God is justified in all His ways . For those whos faith is NOT in God and those whos faith is IN God will become manifest .
Thus my argument was indeed still about the subject inquestion about raising the dead .
I was simply answering yours and others objections to the fact that he still can and occasionlay does through the ministrations of men .
But as you said it is not the man who does it . But God who is in the midst of the man working .
in Christ
gerald
I think it is not fair to say because spiritual gifts are valid today, we should expect people to be raised from death today also. Raising people from death is not a spiritual gift.. Signs and wonders are different from spiritual gifts.. Both are operated through empowerment by Holy Spirit.. The purpose is quite different..
