The Narrow Path 7/21

Radio broadcast. My name is Steve Greg and we are live for an hour each week. The afternoon taking her calls. If you have questions about the Bible or the Christian faith or you have a point of difference from the point of view of the host that you'd like to discuss. Feel free to give me a call. The number is 844-484-5737 of the lines of filled up and that means you will get a busy signal or something like that if you call at this moment. But take this number down call in a few minutes lines to open up all the time in the course of the hour. The number is 844-484-5737 our first caller today is Abigail in the state of Washington. Or maybe Washington DC and assurance adjusters Washington high Abigail I have a question about application of Scripture regarding self or others struggle with years by current events or bring it back to the forefront and I know the difference between what is lawful in America were given state when I'm interested in is what the Lord thinks about it and specifically in Luke 22 at the Passover meal. Jesus told the apostles to bias or even if they had to sell their coats to do it and I know over the centuries, and you can see the whole gamut of relying on particular scriptures to the exclusion of others, all the way from Jesus telling his listeners to turn the other cheek to the other end of the continuum instructions to acquire a weapon, so I know you tested Bible a long time with your thinking on this. Okay I'm going to give you an answer here in the air, but I'm going to tell you where to look for a longer treatment from from from me if you go to my website. The narrow path.com. There will be a tab called topical articles and this article I wrote some years ago for magazine and it's called things how the Christian enforceable resistance, and it covers the whole issue of self-defense and other things like that in greater detail than I will be up to here. I'll address it here out aggressively can give quite thorough treatment. I would their course that articles free everything is free up the narrow path.com now when Jesus said to buy a sword. It's almost certain that he wasn't talking up by the sword for self-defense and the reason I say that is because only a few hours later Peter drew his sword to defend Christ and the apostles from arrest and Jesus said Peter put away your sword, he that lives by the sword will die by the sword, so he apparently did not want to encourage Peter to depend on his sword for his survival or for Christ survival. He said you do that died the same way and also of course we see in the book of acts.

The apostles were persecuted and attacked many times, but we never see them taking up arms to defend themselves. They were greatly allow their leaders like James and Peter to be put in prison and anything subject to execution without raising any opposition at all.

So the disciples apparently did not understand Jesus ultimately to be targeting swords for self-defense. Now the word sword that's in that passage, the Greek word means a dagger or knife and knife course has many uses and he was told to take a backpack and take shoes and take take things with them on the road and you know you need us a knife to I think that very possibly just taken a knife along for the general purposes that any Boy Scout would take a knife along on a camp out and I mean there's a lot of things to do with the knife that it's like the ultimate tool when you're on the road but he may have some other indication in mind.

He may be saying that he may be speaking figuratively. He may be saying you just as anyone who goes to battle must make sure he is well armed and especially if he had no sword.

For example, he would be truly got one even at the expense of some of something else, like his garment, and you need to be that dedicated to be that prepared for the battles you're facing physical battles and it won't reap means physical swords.

He may be speaking figuratively.

Some of suggested that there's a lot of different things he that are suggested as to as many of you, and it's really difficult to know how he intended to be understood, but the one thing I would say is, it does not appear that his disciples after his crucifixion ever understood that that word to mean arm yourselves.

On the other hand, that doesn't mean that Jesus forbade Christians to be armed. It's just that that's probably not what he was advocating you and that particular passage, Jesus did say to turn the other cheek in the summer on the mountain and and to love your enemies, and so forth. And some people are Anabaptists.

In particular, Quakers have taken that is sort of an absolute rule. You just never, never resist bad guy, but we have to remember couple of things. One is that Jesus is not describing a situation of lethal danger he target some priests basically slapping your cross, the cheek is what he described, if a man strikes you across your are right cheek. Well, the only way a right-handed man would do that would with you facing him would be with the back of his right hand because you're right cheek would be opposite if facing his left hand so right-handed managers that strike you on the right cheek, which is what you specified would happy doing so unless he's left-handed happy doing so.

The back of his hand. And that's the Jesus I think is patient some insulting like spitting interfaces, slapping your customers a tremendous insult intended to provoke you, but not intended to kill you or even probably injure you and Jason well just turn the other cheek, there's big, humble about it. He's not discussing the whole subject of self-defense in a time where let's say your life is in danger. After all, he did say in another place when they persecute you in one city fleet to the next, which obviously major seek and save your life from the persecution.

But another thing we should take into account is that even if Jesus were talking about a deadly situation. We sincerely take. He only describes a situation where you are the one in danger and he doesn't speak to the question of what if others that you are caring for or in danger. What if what if the person wants to hurt you is simply try to get your voice and get other people you know should you as a Christian, just say well I'm getting to lay my life down for this aggressive person.

Of course it'll it'll be the end of my children's lives are my wife's life in somebody else's lifetime. I could be protecting. But hey, to be virtuous or virtue signal and it just not resist now. I used to be an Anabaptist. In my youth and I is very adamantly nonresistant and I are is single and I and I was quite willing to die for the Lord as I am now if somebody came to kill me, I would probably try to escape. But if I couldn't I'd resigned myself and I'm not really afraid to die. It's just that I would feel responsible and assents to try to preserve my life since my life is dedicated to serving God. If there's an easy and legitimate way to to be free from premature death. Obviously we we at we don't cross the freeways blindfolded because we don't want to die prematurely outside the will of God and sometimes flight or even, I think even forceful protection against helpless people is within the wheelhouse of the Christian disciple we should do to others as we desire to have done to us, and I know that if something was coming after us we would like very much for somebody to help us or to intervene and read the Psalms how much David cries out for intervention when when he's in danger. I think anybody would, but the point is we are prepared to die and and prepared to love even our enemies, but there are times when the choice is not whether we love our enemies are not, but what we love our enemy more than we love innocent people whom the enemy is trying to kill you know what that Jesus did say with a lover and really didn't say at the expense of the lives of innocent people, you know, we are to stand for the righteous, and from his innocent, helpless, so you know as far as I'm concerned, there is a place for resistance, physical resistance of evil people and that Jesus statement about it in Matthew five is not talking about that situation or trying to forbid that as far as weaponry is concerned, I myself would I think I'd rather die than kill a person. I'm not sure if I would have never been in that situation, but and I would certainly be loath to kill someone even if they were very much my enemy but I there are many nonlethal ways you can resist. We actually live in a time where there is nonlethal weapons.

You can get like tasers and you know paint what pepper ball guns and things like that that don't don't do any permanent damage statement, but they certainly stop them if they're trying to harm and I would much rather opt for something like that.

Then the gun but I don't believe it's immoral for Christian have a gun and I don't think it's immoral for person to defend themselves and others against deadly harm. Unless, of course, God tells them know Polycarp who died as a martyr in the second century when he heard they were coming to rest him, he fled and then he had a dream in his new location in which he interpreted to say that God wanted him to die a martyr so he just waited for the officers come and arrest him and he let them take so it it has led to the way God leads me to to try to save your life so you can live to serve God longer as long as it doesn't involve you in a moral compromise to do so is I think legitimate.

Certainly, there might be times over person be led by the Spirit of God to lay their life down rather than to fight so I don't think Jesus lay down the law that says you have to die rather than defend yourself against a deadly attack. He is talking about loving your enemy and be humble, and so forth and sometimes that might translate into everything. Likes of the apostles were really delayed on the lives for the gospel and did and they didn't resist. On the other hand, there were times they fled or even godly people have sometimes you know protecting other people. So it's it's a more complicated thing than some would say is you do. Even the way you stated the question pointed that out to some other Scriptures on the senator from his head. There are in and since I can't take this much time because my lines are fly want to just urge you to go to the narrow path.com and look under topical articles for my article called the Christian enforceable resistance because we all frown regarding letting me to help and protection of the United States Army.

Although I actually deal with the question of I do with this issue of military service. Also in the article and how we as responsible Americans approach that will I don't think that's in the article, but I certainly thought about that from time to time. You know, if you go to the website.

Matthew 713.com. Matthew 713.com there's an index of former previous calls on this program that you can listen to and if you look up by via title or by topic, maybe under voting. I'm not sure they're Going on voting. I've had questions about that before that it answered so much. Okay Abigail thanks for your call – Mark in Vancouver Washington.

Good to hear from you.

I'm tired Vancouver, BC would agree that the concept of the truth that is usually somewhere in the middle to extreme opinions. The truth being in the middle is, the fair concept right well it's not the best way to determine the truth. I will say that once you know the truth. There certainly are extreme directions on both sides. You can go. But you can't always assume that the truth is in the exact center of the most yellow-green and felt like I love that you don't accept all that is needed. Why would Calvinism like to group those workers and those were blessed and then obviously you have. For example, in the in the parable of the solar you have not yet for groups of people right and it seems to me that that at least one of those troops. Obviously, the goodwill seems to have people who are basically Minutes and there seems to be at least one of the other three groups that contain people who basically are not going to get in.

What would you not say that that that's possible, but that there are some people not to as the two groups that there were some people be Missed and noticed some people were undocumented knocking to be in in the church well in the parable of the sower actually Jesus just talk about the condition of heart that that the gospel meets with in various people where the seller is selling the word of God and it lands on four different kinds of soil that are four different kinds of heart.

Some of them very hard. Some soft initially but hard below the surface. Some infested with thorns and thistles was don't make a good growing environment for the state and some is good ground. It's good wholesome receptive ground now. What Jesus is simply saying is that when you share the word of God you with the masses or whatever there is any different kinds of responses depending on the state of our hearts summer ready for summer. Not some probably are certainly our marketing say because her heart is so hard to see doesn't penetrate all and the birds taken away.

Others have soft and good hearts that are ready to receive so exegesis timeouts not saying that this that these conditions of heart were foreordained by God and others. He's not saying some people just born with hard hearts and simply born with good hearts. I don't think the Bible teaches ending like that anywhere in the Bible you when you're when you're preaching the gospel he preached the people who've lived life for some period of time in their hearts are not in the condition they were with airborne people harden our hearts in the course of time by resisting truth and to other people soften their hearts by being broken through grief or through being humbled or whatever. Different things happen in life that cause your heart to be shaped your heart is talking metaphorically about the heart not your physical blood pump under fifth rib but were talking about your metaphorical heart.

It's not static it's dynamic and it's always changing. That's why you have to guard your heart with all diligence about Cisco's out of it are the issues of life and if your heart is hardened there's warnings about don't harden your heart on there's others talk about you humble yourself and things like that so Jesus is simply saying this is the way it is when you preach the gospel to some people to be ready have a heart that receives it. Some will not please not say that God foreordained that the kind of heart.

These people have no is is the way it is that he's not suggesting how it came to be that way. One could argue if they were Calvinists that those hearts are that way because God ordained a heart that way but that certainly is not stated in the passage I think is more likely to hearts are not condition because of what they've done with their hearts in the course of life before they heard the gospel become hardened or or whether they become soften that would be the issue, I think, all right, let's talk to Huckleberry from Hills Berg, California. Maybe it was very very small print. I can't read hello Huckleberry, welcome to go on good that Healdsburg Healdsburg okay okay – wanted. I have the five month old. My first child and listening to your your messages and and are teaching that I've noticed that you have had an unique experience in reading. Then, and even with marriage and I was wondering what sort of advice you would give to new fathers and raising your children to serve God and even sure if you have any examples. Well, by the way, GSR listeners will know about my unique experience as I've had two marriages failed both of them were cases where I was faithful and determined to keep the marriage together. In both cases the wife at one. In one case the wife simply backslid the C seemed to have some kind of mental disorder is hard to know.

But both.

In both cases, the wife left me and children.

I children by both of them and I raise those children think that after their wife left. That's pretty unusual, very unusual. As far as the children go my child and raising spirits has not been what I would've wished.

Either we we homeschool our kids. We raise them in the faith. We love them unconditionally and once actually in the case of Mike's second wife left. There were four kids at home. Still, and they were very stumbled by the ending of the marriage they stayed with me and didn't go with her but they were nonetheless the faith was shaken, and they kinda got enamored with the wrong company and went the wrong way for a while but most of them are just I'm happy to say seem to be returning in the right direction at the moment. There may be an exception, but that I five children and it looks to me like vectors something good on the horizon, but I'm not. I'm not sure it's just gotten much better in the last few years in my communication with them, but you know I do not know how to guarantee I don't think you can guarantee that your marriage will succeed or that your children will serve God.

I realize that people say will if you love your wife as Christ loves the church then shall never go astray. Why think God loved Israel like Christ loved the church and for what astray and I think Christ loves the church like Christ loves the church and the church is gone astray times to the Bible does not teach that if you love your wife as Christ loved the church she will not go astray. Hosea, the prophet had his life ghostwritten. He did her no harm in no doubt loved her and we have simply the fact that people have free will and women have free will is much as men do, and in many cases men leave their wives.

But the wife has as much power leave her husband for no good reason as well as husband is therefore husband loves his wife cannot guarantee that she wants straight.

If there's someone else is more attractive to her, or even if she has mental issues have some limited sobbing it.

There's no there's no guarantees. What is guaranteed is a Christ will always be with you always approve of your righteous conduct he'll always approve of your love and sacrifice for your wife and your children and and our rewards for this. It's like you can't, there's no way you can guarantee that your friends will always be your friends. I've had friends a couple times betrayed me for no reason that I know and you know I had done them as far as I know nothing but good, but you just can't determine how people are going behave, including the winter, married to the ones you raise. Once the results of my children certainly serve God until they were in their late teens and left home, but after that they they did go through. Rebellion. Now, some say, but the Bible says if you train up a child the way he should go.

When is only one department well.

The proverb does say that the proverb also says that a soft answer turns away wrath, but it doesn't always matter is true, it always says, it also is the diligent shall be wealthy but some diligent people are not wealthy as the Proverbs are not promises of God, nor the prophecies the problem the Proverbs are what we call wisdom literature. They are observations and recommendations of wisdom. They are, you know, do you want this result. Here's how you should seek it. It's not a guarantee that you'll get it but you will in fact find that the best best way to get good children to raise them in the faith. The best way to keep your marriage together is to love your wife as Christ loved the church, by the way, there's a lecture at my website.

If you go to the narrow path.com and go to topical lectures.

There is a category called individual lectures was about 80 or so individual lectures that are not part sets. One of them I think is called how to love your wife as Christ of the church and just to this, the only lecture I have or had my my wife Dana my present life actually speak at the beginning because I said United llama man, his failed to to maintain the loyalty of two wives and I don't know why and when should listen to me about this but nonexistent my own life today. Tell you what she thinks and then out and out teaching eventually did. As far as raising children goes, I think the best thing you can do for children is have a marriage that glorifies God. This means certainly staying together certainly means that you don't you don't divide all of my children who left the Lord had wives who left them and me and you have had mothers who left and so while that may have something to do with structures kind of a common denominator. So I think staying together and loving your wife and for your wife to also be godly and responsive.

I think that's the best thing that I know of the I know of a Christian couple very godly who who stayed together love each other very much, and they raised three sons and all three of her sons went wrong and I think one of them is compact, but they've had they've had some trials and and so there's just no guarantees. This is a couple that you thought most certainly, they would lose any of your children, but the world is out there Dragon Adam and children once they reach adult age and are not under control anymore. They certainly make their own choices.

Like other adults, but I do believe when a child is an adult and in the position to make their own decisions about folic acid not one thing that will very strongly impact them in their decision is what kind of life. Their parents had together. You know whether there parents have an enviable marriage and whether that's clearly because their parents are following Christ. And especially also of course if they if they see other Christians who are a good example. That's that's what kind of attracts people to Christ and I think that children raised in Christian homes should have unique advantage over others because they get to see day by day. Parents living for Christ. If, in fact, both parents do if both parents don't underestimate. There's possibly be problems but there's no guarantees in it, but I would say this that it still worth doing your duty as a husband as a father and I think more often than not, Christians raise children to bring delight to their souls. I am fact my children. They still bring delight to me somewhat, but much more so when they were walking with God and they will more so when they come back to the Lord, but not much else I can say because obviously I'm not the best example to say hey I did it this way.

Here's how it turned out, and solder know that noise is very loud in nature. Okay, I didn't know your natural noise sound like a know what that is. Anyway, anyway that's that's about as much of my time to give you a go take a break. At this point, but I do hope it goes well for you and go ahead, listen to my lecture, how to love your wife well. God bless you. All right would it take a break for 30 seconds or so.

Maybe a minute and we have another half-hour coming up so were not done and we have calls waiting that we also some lines open the narrow path is a listener supported ministry and if you'd like help us stay on the air. You can write to the narrow path, PO Box 1732 macula CA 92593. You can also donate from the website.

Though everything the website is free. You can donate if you wish@thenarrowpath.com that's the narrow path.com. I'll be back in 30 seconds of Hebrews tells us, do not forget to do good and to share with others and share the narrow show is over today and wanted.com they can learn and enjoy your teachings blog article teachings and archives of all the narrow path, radiation, and be sure to tell them to tune into the show here on the radio chairlift noted the narrow and do good to pass radio broadcast Steve Greg were alive for another half-hour taking your calls. If you have questions about the Bible of the Christian faith.

We'd love to hear from you.

There are a couple of lines on our search for open so you could call now and get through. The number is 844-484-5737 that's 844-484-5737.

In our next caller is David in California hi David, welcome to the narrow path is for calling good thanks and have finished it on what I remember that I wanted to bring that goes to the question at 50 about you when I said that dad okay. Alex is a clear stand, 11, 14, 15. Make mention what one at a time. The second Christie's 11 does not say that Satan is in a July says that he transforms himself into an angel of light. Just like his ministers transform themselves into ministers of godliness, but it that's not saying that he takes on the form of dead people so okay, but I asked you for you, we were specifically disagreed about when he went to the community and familiar spirit by live you know right now is not an example of Satan taken the form of a dead person from well I don't know where she got her power but that that the person who came up who had been Dennis Daniel and that was not impersonating Samuel know that Satan okay I'm going after gifts documented here. You're saying things and moving on without being able to to be corrected. Truth is, the passage does not say it was Satan there is no reference to of Satan at all in the book of first or second Samuel, and when it does talk about this appearance.

It says it was Samuel Tarbell when the when the witch called up Samuel.

It says in chapter 28 five for Samuel verse 12 says the woman saw Samuel okay and then in verse 14 says, and Saul perceived that it was Samuel in verse 15 says now Samuel said to Saul in verse 16 says and Samuel said in verse 29 it says and because of the first words of Samuel the whole story affirms everywhere that it was Samuel. And besides that what Samuel said was that Saul was to be killed. The next and battle that is he's telling future which sent. I don't believe that Satan knows the future.

Certainly Samuel was a prophet of God. So I think we have a case of an actual profit centers. Or at least that's what the Bible says that if you want to say some different than what the Bible says you can think what you want, but I'm not like to say that without being challenged on universal okay okay and scanning the bottles not all that clear that the dead know nothing.

But even if it was Samuel was brought up from the dead. Samuel brought up and he was. He had been roused.

He was actually upset about him in rows from whatever condition he been in so he was not. He didn't know nothing at that moment, but he must return to death.

Okay listen. I you what you're really arguing isn't his name what were discussing because what you told me on Thursday was that in the last days. Satan is good take on the form of people who been long dead now ISU for scriptures you didn't have any. You still don't what you give me now is historic cases of things that you think are examples of Satan impersonated people. But the Bible does agree with you on that, but even if they did. This is not known. These passage predicting the end of the last day so give you one more chance you have any Scripture that says the point you're making.

Trying to make it come to find out from you between between and battered and that I believe that Sarah is an individual, whereas questions that this goes into heaven to know the difference between the two. We know the difference because the Bible teaches one of them in the Bible doesn't teach the other. The other religions you mentioned are actually they believe in reincarnation. They believe the soul goes from one person to another to a new person is born later on that some of the Bible teaches. The Bible teaches that those who are saints. When we are so when we cease to be present in the body were absent from the body and present with the Lord. And so that's where the Lord is is in heaven. So that's where that doctrine comes from but let's just say, even if there was nothing to support that doctrine. I don't think it's an important question. Housley don't I don't really know. I don't know what in the world matters if we sleep until the resurrection are for or for conscious in heaven until the resurrection.

That's it. Certainly neither thing has anything to their ultimate destiny and so you sound to me like a Seventh-day Adventist who just wants to argue about something and it's something I'm not even interested in Argonaut because I don't frankly see, it is important question.

I appreciate your question here, I Daniel in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Welcome to the neuropathic for calling me. I really appreciate you so you want to go and I want I really appreciate your knowledge of the church fathers morning ladies in the external search illusion talk about kids going straight my dad died when I was your role from something, no on their way. California mesothelioma home from work and wanted to works department should not judge Janet Snell chart. So what is your question today. I'm sorry I said so what is your question today where I wanted to get back on and I ended up in seminary from after I was healed and delivered from booze and drugs and picked that up from my mother talk about no one in her messed up and wise men.

Mark Twain says whatever your mother's like that. Mary and I your question was your question about I'm sorry but.well I my first question is because my crippled from injuries.

I don't have a computer. My cousin slowly move back and I tried a friend of mine got a number from the Internet's 60 something is so what is your question well because I don't have a computer smart phone. I was wanting to get the available CDs, DVDs or anything from the website I sent one question.

Well I would love for you to have them. I don't have them. We don't have any hard colleagues of anything that we don't sell anything and we don't have anything in terms of discs like that. We do you have any friends who have a computer not don't stolen twice important utilization something wrong with him big time. Okay well you can go to yes it is you go to public library possibly and use a computer now because my word I can do it well. I'd like to. I loved it. I love to supply you with CDs of everything I really would love it but I don't have any but you know what you probably have friends or grandchild or somebody who has a computer and you know if you by my daughters Louis with her seminar. Okay, so what I'm saying is that if you if you bought them some blank CDs. They probably at your request a download and burn CDs off their computers for you and then you can listen to my CD player. If you have all you owe possible.

Anything that's on your website you can put onto CD do you get the pastor of a church you go to well because my crippled condition and in this cold that were in Pennsylvania will logon" form. Okay well let me just suggest that you let me suggest that you you talk to somebody or your daughter or somebody who actually has a computer and tell her or anybody else has beer which is probably anyone that you that you could hear your voice if you shut out your window and spoke softly just asked them if they would mind burning some CDs for you off of the website and just tell them that the website is let them read to you what some of the topics are and just say I like that when I met and are free to download. We don't we don't sell anything so there's about 1500 of them say you buy a lot of CDs if you want a whole bunch but you can course get any selection of them so I can't really I'm afraid help you with that. I don't hundred products for sale and I know that that's pretty much what you need and there's only occasionally do I regret that I mean I don't believe in some extent. I've been an initiative since 1970 that's 50 years. My policy-I don't believe in selling stuff and from our website.

We don't sell anything so we just don't do that and is and by which much more complicate. If we start selling stuff. They were running a business and there's more paperwork and taxes and all kinds of weird stuff to do and hire people. We don't have a hot many employees are and that we just this is a one-man operation much me my wife as well is a whole bunch of volunteers around the country who do various things to make the program happen let people know that we don't have an organization we don't have an office would only have a secretary and we don't sell anything but we do put everything online for free and there's very few people left who don't have computers and who who can't download things like that but of those few who cannot. I think could easily find either a grandson or some because probably it's an older person computer or a child or a grandchild who has computer and would download some things for you and that's what I was strongly recommend because I don't have anything else to offer and that respect, much as I like to have got to go. I've got other people waiting but I appreciate your call okay Canon Whittier, California. Welcome to the neuropathic for calling hello and yeah okay I see the opening chapters again at the end God's relation man and and it's like establishing one God kindly pagan worship is rampant, even the man. The ancient Hebrew poet striking down a belief that diet stars in the water animals and so forth. I think what would be interesting to know is what were the ancient Hebrew capable of understanding I I would think that if you started going too deep into giant that they would probably think it was like a book of sorcery or something. I would think there would be a big limitation to how the house.

Genesis 1 to 11 could've been written well first so I don't think the ancient Hebrews were stupider than we are, that they didn't have as much scientific sophistication only because they didn't live at a time where where is much was known about science. This is known now. However… Suggests that suggested an alternative.

Let's say the earth is not a few thousand years over this billions of years old and that God didn't create everything by saying, let there be this and it was but instead he created an amoeba and waited for millions of years for to develop into eventually a met in the lot.

Something's got more than one cell, and then these so these complex creatures who which were invertebrates over millions of years became vertebrates, namely fish in these fish. Eventually some them when I land became amphibians and amphibians became reptiles and over millions of years some reptiles became mammals and some became birds and some of the mammals evolved into humans. Now let's just say that's the way God did it because he could done it that way. He wanted to.

There's nobody telling God what he can or cannot do. I'm not really sure that science can explain how this happens because science don't know science don't know they can't prove evolution but but even if it is true it's something it's still full of mystery. We do not know.

No one knows how how complex organs like the eyeballing and like the nervous system into the brain and so forth.

Could could simply gradually piece by piece evolved in small increments, as no one can explain that they tried to third their grasping at straws, and they know it. There's nobody in the scientific world other than Christians who can tell you were the first living thing came from. Even Richard Dawkins says I have no idea where the first living thing so obviously it's not as if science has somehow cleared up all these mysteries.

I would say that if God had done it that way then Genesis could say a very very long time ago. Millions of years ago God created the heavens and the earth and on the suction side today. He decided to make a living thing in the sea, and this living thing, developed over generations through mutations and eventually along came every kind of specie of plant and animal eventually human beings to doubt God could've said that is easily as he said what he did say and it would've been understandable as much to them as it is now me to synagogue. Did I don't think of something sorcery of faith say God did it, it sounds more like sorcery probably decided no light came out of nowhere, but doesn't sound like services, God said, let there be light. We realize that's not sorcery that's a miracle and I think that's you know if God miraculously caused evolution to take place. He could simply call it a miracle and it wouldn't be any more like sorcery than what he did record now, you mentioned that the story in Genesis 1 looks like it's given to show that there's only one God and the people should not worship animals and sun and moon starts over. And it certainly does have those lessons in, but those lessons are actually found in in in the story and and the story could be made obsolete God could use a fictional story to make those points. He wants to go. He could also use a true story and it could be any could've made it just the way it's described, and it would still make the points. Certainly if it happened exactly the way it happened.

Wert word for word in Genesis 1, it was still prove there's only one God and still prove that animals and plants are not God.

It prove everything that that even skeptical scholars would say Genesis 1 is written to prove I would just prove it by telling how it really happened, and that would make those points very adequately, so the question then becomes, did God tell a an untrue story I should say let's say a parable or a myth or something like that in order to get those ideas across. Or did he tell a true story, get those ideas across. Well, as near as I can tell Jesus and the apostles believe that the stories in Genesis were true when Jesus was asked.

For example, about divorce, he said we'll haven't you heard that in the beginning God created them male and female in and and said, for this cause.

Eventually this father and mother cleave to his wife and the two shall become one flesh, and based on this is what God is doing together as one flesh.

No one should break it up so he gives a moral teaching about divorce based on the assumption that Genesis is true and and when they they challenge the visible Moses said carotid bill of divorcement she said well Moses because of the hardness of your hearts let you do that, but from the beginning it wasn't so. In other words, he's describing what was in the beginning by quoting Genesis 1 and two and when they try to raise objections. As you will. That's how it was later but not in the beginning is basically saying in the beginning it was just like it says in Genesis.

So Jesus seem to believe that now, of course, once we decide that Genesis isn't strictly speaking literally true story. Then it raises questions about many other stories in the Bible and and maybe some those questions need to be asked about some because the Bible does contain some parables and things like that. There are stories in the Bible that were not supposed to take his true stories like when Gideon's son told the story that the trees that were not looking for a king and asked these different trees to be their king, and finally master bramble bush communicate now that's obscure what we call a fable and its representative such as not supposed to true story. It's a fable to make to teach a lesson just like Aesop's fables so the Bible does contain such material, but it's usually pretty obvious when is using that instead of a historical narrative. The interesting thing about Genesis 1 is that you know after Adam and Eve were created and then we read of the fall. We then read of who their children were gradually great grandchildren visit seemingly an unbroken genealogy all the way from Adam. In chapter 5 Genesis up to Noah and then there's a story about Noah and after Noah stories is an unbroken genealogy from Noah to Abraham and it not only tells with the names of the people were but you know how long they lived before they had their first child, and how many years they lived after that. So for them in if you're running mythology and you wanted to be understood to be mythology. You don't have to put so much biographical information about every generation. So I'm I'm thinking that the story has the impression gives the impression of being a true story if it isn't, and when we go to heaven, we find that it was not a literally true. I won't be embarrassed for having believed it. I won't be shocked, either because I'm I don't really consider that my faith rests on whether Genesis 1 is a literal story or or some other strata God told to make whatever point he wants to make appreciate your call. Though I we've got a call from court Elaine Idaho don't have a name for the color hello.

Welcome to the narrow path living the dream. That's following Jesus.

Think hey hey how my talking to you and your name is not on my screen okay okay good.

My question is that it needed you yet know the one to get your take on multiple and put in typically respected man who with questioning whether real or not: and I get doubt or think that you this came up not too long ago on another program but I'll be glad to survey what I said for you. You're right.

It does say in first Kings that Solomon departed from the Lord is his pagan wives turned his heart from the Lord. There's no reason to believe that he became an atheist, but he simply did not become he did not remain faithful to Yahweh to to worship only Gawain to keep his covenant, and so he was a defector from from God, though again he does mention throughout that he believed in God. This book appears to be written during the time or maybe at the end of the time where he was straying from God because he says all kinds of things in it that are not true. Now he's not saying they are true.

He's saying that he that he's given his own autobiography. He said I was king and I was looking for meaning I was looking for purpose under the sun. I I tried many things I tried you know, music. I tried horticulture. I tried philosophy.

I tried money. I tried women. I tried everything and he keeps in everything I found and just emptiness is just all emptiness and so he's he's like a person who's gotten up in front of the church to tell their testimony about what they were before they were saved and and and how it's changed and become a Christian. And so when a person gives a testimony especially like Ike I want to test my phone guy named Jim Sullivan who an older man when I was a teenager. He said that he had been one of the drivers for Bonnie and Clyde and had a only been with them for a short time, but he would have a whole life of crime. He owned casinos as part of Mafia and so forth and hit murdered people and he tells his story is very fascinating and then he tells how his through his mother's prayers. Apparently he was brought to the Lord and became very tenderhearted and sweet Christian mannerisms are evident now most of his testimony talk about his life before he knew Christ, and so he said you know I did this I did that I did that now is not describing Christianity and if you said and I thought this I thought that if someone says I thought you know there's no God, well, that doesn't mean that someone who's telling that Tesla is saying to you that there is no God.

He simply correctly representing what he thought at the time, and as you go through we find again and again is Solomon is given his story here. You speak in the past tense.

He does have lengthy paragraphs, even chapters which are philosophical, but they still are couched in the past tense. I thought this I considered this in my heart and so forth. So he still going off about how he was thinking and how he is acting when he was not with God now at the end of the story in chapter 12 is not really story but it's in chapter 12.

He exhorts young men to serve God while they're young and to not waste their lives, which is a good application to story and then at the very end he says in verse 13 and 14 of chapter 12 let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter, fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man for God to bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether it's good or whether it's evil now obviously at the end of the story he saying hey you need to fear God and keep his commitments.

That's what Solomon did not do.

He did not keep his commandments. He drifted from God and let other gods come into his life with his foreign wives now so basically I think he's just giving a testimony and you can take it is true. That's a true testimony, but doesn't mean that he's telling you that he was doing the right thing or think that time any more than anybody else who gives their testimony about the time with God and be my short answer right time. Appreciate your call listening to the narrow path radio broadcast.

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