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No - if we are looking at it according to some kind of Greek-thinking, a modern rationalism, which was irrelevant to the Hebrew writers, then Paul said one thing he claims comes from God, and Jesus, a supposed historical figure, says what He claims comes from God.
Based on what? Paul does not claim to speak for God. He wrote letters to specific people/groups.
If you can make such a claim, I'm sure the fringe groups can make a Biblical case for what they claim concerning hell. They have their belief and find the verses to support it I'm sure.
I agree that the writers of the Bible were inspired by God, but inspiration is not dictation. Inspiration doesn't mean one is talking for God. Overall, Paul does not claim to speak for God.
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I don't think I should have to explain the obvious, but as Christians, we take the whole bible as the inerrant inspired Word of God, as a whole and we interpret the bible, by the bible, in a complete whole context. Basically, we take it all as true, and any potential "contradictions" we deem as anomolies that come via contextual or syntax or linguistics, or misunderstandings missapplied by Greek thinking.
But all the early church father's didn't and all Christians today don't.
The book of John was written in
"Greek thinking". The writer Hellenized Jesus.
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Yes - there are difficulties, we can't neatly pidgeon hole absolutely everything, but we believe that the New Testament is pretty clear as to what it is about. We study it to help us flow with the WHOLE message, not just out-of-context apparent problems.
Exactly! We are to understand the whole message. To understand the message of a story or letter, one has to know who is talking.
So I would be correct in saying that God said: "A man will give all he has for his own life. But stretch out your hand and strike his flesh and bones, and he will surely curse you to your face." (Job 2:4-5)
Or that God said Jesus was possessed by Beelzebub! By the prince of demons he is driving out demons. (Mark 3:22)
The problems come when people try to make the Bible something it isn't.
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Do we accept just what Jesus says? Perhaps not the law, but perhaps the prophets, or perhaps just a few parable from Jesus? What's to stop you just saying it is all false, if you are going to explain in under rational thinking?
So if Jesus walked on water, what do I do, to remain rational? Do I simply say he didn't walk on water because we know this to be against scientific principles?
Now you can see how the fringe group can take things to extreme.
I simply said Paul was speaking, not God. That has nothing to do with Jesus, parables, or the prophets. Reason tells us that when Paul writes a letter, Paul is talking. If he is talking for God, he will say so. Reason also tells us that when a writer says that a certain character or person said something, he actually means that character or person said something and not that God is saying it all. Your way the Bible becomes useless gibberish and the fringe can easily build on that foundation with their own gibberish.
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