Thursday, December 09, 2004
Knowledge is power...or is it?
So yesterday i'd been studying all afternoon, and as i'm finishing up supper, there is a knock at the door. An older lady with white hair and a purple overcoat that squecks, is standing there.
Honestly I've already forgotten the specifics of what she said, but what I do remember is something about how someday the earth will be renewed and there will be no more hunger, sickness, and the like. It will be the Garden of Eden She is holding a Bible and turns to psalm 37 and says that is such a great chapter with the proimise in verse 37 that says "Turn from evil and do good, and you will live in the land forever" (NLT) Actually it was phrased differently in the version that she had. The point was that "do good and you will live on earth forever".
A little later she mentions that since Moses, Abraham, and others in the old testament died before Jesus came, the won't be in heaven, but resurrected in the renewed earth. I'm not a scholar, and this was one of those times I wish I was, but doesn't the Bible talk about how everyone that has accepted Jesus as their savior will be in heaven? I'm not saying she was wrong, I just don't know; only God knows. The idea struck me as missing the point. Isn't it about spending eternity in heaven with God, and not suffering without him in hell?
Later on she gets into that to have everlasting life, you have to know the Bible, and not just keep that knowledge to yourself, but to share it with others. Even though she talked about Jesus and that he was a great speaker, there was no mention of giving your life to Christ to become saved and go to heaven. I was frustrated that I lack the skills to even debate or discuss this issue with her. During this conversation, she had a couple verses supporting what she was talking about. As I listened to her read them, they struck me as being either being misinterpreted or mistranslated. I am amazed that those who know something close to the truth, but not the actual truth itself, can be hard to talk to.
She turned out to be a Jahoviahs Witness, as I had expected. I was given a booklet entitled "Knowledge that leads to everlasting life" and was invited to a bible study on Sundays.
In looking at a couple verses while writing this, I come across this one: "Avoid godless, foolish discussions with those who oppose you with their so-called knowledge. Some people have wandered from the faith by following such foolishness." (1 Timothy 6:20b-21) Maybe it was a good thing that I wasn't in a mood to discuss this in detail.
Honestly I've already forgotten the specifics of what she said, but what I do remember is something about how someday the earth will be renewed and there will be no more hunger, sickness, and the like. It will be the Garden of Eden She is holding a Bible and turns to psalm 37 and says that is such a great chapter with the proimise in verse 37 that says "Turn from evil and do good, and you will live in the land forever" (NLT) Actually it was phrased differently in the version that she had. The point was that "do good and you will live on earth forever".
A little later she mentions that since Moses, Abraham, and others in the old testament died before Jesus came, the won't be in heaven, but resurrected in the renewed earth. I'm not a scholar, and this was one of those times I wish I was, but doesn't the Bible talk about how everyone that has accepted Jesus as their savior will be in heaven? I'm not saying she was wrong, I just don't know; only God knows. The idea struck me as missing the point. Isn't it about spending eternity in heaven with God, and not suffering without him in hell?
Later on she gets into that to have everlasting life, you have to know the Bible, and not just keep that knowledge to yourself, but to share it with others. Even though she talked about Jesus and that he was a great speaker, there was no mention of giving your life to Christ to become saved and go to heaven. I was frustrated that I lack the skills to even debate or discuss this issue with her. During this conversation, she had a couple verses supporting what she was talking about. As I listened to her read them, they struck me as being either being misinterpreted or mistranslated. I am amazed that those who know something close to the truth, but not the actual truth itself, can be hard to talk to.
She turned out to be a Jahoviahs Witness, as I had expected. I was given a booklet entitled "Knowledge that leads to everlasting life" and was invited to a bible study on Sundays.
In looking at a couple verses while writing this, I come across this one: "Avoid godless, foolish discussions with those who oppose you with their so-called knowledge. Some people have wandered from the faith by following such foolishness." (1 Timothy 6:20b-21) Maybe it was a good thing that I wasn't in a mood to discuss this in detail.
# posted by Jacob Bird @ 7:43 AM 
