[color=dark-blue]A couple of questions....

Is it possible for a Christian to discuss the nature (disposition) of Christ without using the Bible?

Is it possible to know the nature (disposition) of Christ without reading the Bible?[/color]

According to God, everyone has Christs commandments written in their Hearts and Minds, even if you do not know of Christ or God.

That is why even if you do not ever here the Gospel, you shall be judged by your deeds, as Revelations tells us.

So I would have to say that even though you may not read the Bible, or come to know Christ personally, you have that little inner 'conscience', the commands of Christ, within you, and if you understand it correctly, and follow it, you stand a chance.

Whether or not you can understand the disposition of Christ through this, I cannot say..

JMHO though

Love and Peace

JCA

Is it possible to know Christ without reading the Bible?

Yes, but you will not know Him well. It would be like hearing about someone, wanting to get to know them, but going out of your way to never meet them or read anything written by them. It would be a strange, stilted relationship.

It is also quite possible to talk about Christ without using the Bible, but then you are relegated to talking about personal feelings.

Why wouldn't you want to read the Bible? Curious.

"Natural Theology" is just such an endeavor. Unfortunately it generally has resulted in the wholesale rejection of Christianity as without special revelation it is not possible the atonement and the character of God.

GP

It is also quite possible to talk about Christ without using the Bible, but then you are relegated to talking about personal feelings.

I would have to agree with you Jaltus. To not use the Bible means that peresonal feelings is all that we have to rely upon and this can be bad.

"Natural Theology" is just such an endeavor. Unfortunately it generally has resulted in the wholesale rejection of Christianity as without special revelation it is not possible the atonement and the character of God.

I would also have to agree with this as well. Natural Theology as it is called is a natural bust when it comes to knowing who Jesus really is

Just thought I would chime in here..

Originally posted by Susan

[color=dark-blue]A couple of questions....

Is it possible for a Christian to discuss the nature (disposition) of Christ without using the Bible?

Is it possible to know the nature (disposition) of Christ without reading the Bible?[/color]

You mean I think, what does Christ think, what are his emotions? Is this what you mean about his 'disposition'. If it is, then no, you dont need to read the Bible, in fact you would be able to answer that question yourself far better by going within yourself and inquiring there. But as you haven't read the Bible, maybe some other relgious literature or something, you dont say, anyway the only dispostion the Christ has is LOVE. This IS the CHRIST in a nutshell.

He is not a person but Spirit and he is with you always here and hereafter.

Regards
Gatsby

Originally posted by Susan

A couple of questions....

Is it possible for a Christian to discuss the nature (disposition) of Christ without using the Bible?

Is it possible to know the nature (disposition) of Christ without reading the Bible?

Qualities like forgiveness, patience, humility, love would seem to just be common sense. But you need he Bible to understand how they coincide with his kingship and judgment roles.

Originally posted by Susan

A couple of questions... [1] Is it possible for a Christian to discuss the nature (disposition) of Christ without using the Bible? [2] Is it possible to know the nature (disposition) of Christ without reading the Bible?

Doubtful to both questions. People, especially Christians, who don't or won't read their Bibles may know of "Jesus, who is called Christ"* from what they've been programmed to believe by their churches, or from the subjective opinions of other like-minded believers.

IMO, if they don't read their Bibles, the won't be able to discern for themselves the differences in the "disposition" (moods, attitudes, character, and particularly the nature) of:

• the OT Biblegod (YHVH-Jehovah) and the godlike spirit Jesus often referred to as "Father"; or,
• the differences between Jesus and that Messiah-type promised by YHVH-Jehovah who's supposed to compel, and enforce, Judeo-Christianity upon the world whether the people like it or not.

__________________

* MT 1:16, emp. on "called" (boasted, described, or otherwise so identified, rightly or wrongly) is mine.

Do you really think God would enforce anyone to do anything.

We have free will and I think that would mean that God wouldn't send anyone to enforce anything because that would negate free will.

Regards
Gatsby

Originally posted by Gatsby

Do you really think God would enforce anyone to do anything.

Is not the ultimate goal of the Rapture to gather up all of the like-minded believers and to eventually compel Judeo-Christianity on those people left behind? And, if enforcing one version of the big Three religions upon the "infidels" isn't the purpose and plan of the Christian Messiah or Islamic Mahdi, what else could it be?
As to whether or not the God of Abraham and Mohammed "would enforce anyone to do anything," what I think is unimportant. Perhaps you might ask a Christian or Islamic fundy?

Originally posted by Gatsby

We have free will and I think that would mean that God wouldn't send anyone to enforce anything because that would negate free will.

As I understand it there is, ultimately, no free will in any of the Big Three religions; only the will of their God, IAW which they've been programmed to believe and act.
Wanna go to heaven? Do as God demands.
How should you treat your fellow man, do it like God decrees.

And so it goes . . . . .

My answer to your first part is no.

The answer to the second paragraph is that there is free will, it is free will to chose any religion you want, or none if that suits better, In other words there is free wil but many fail to use it.

Regards
Gatsby

Originally posted by Heterodoxus

As I understand it there is, ultimately, no free will in any of the Big Three religions; only the will of their God, IAW which they've been programmed to believe and act.

Wanna go to heaven? Do as God demands.

A theist position has more free will with God than without God here, we can choose between eternal life or eternal death. While the atheist position generally leaves no choice, only death.

So the atheist position discourages free will on this point.

Originally posted by Heterodoxus

Doubtful to both questions. People, especially Christians, who don't or won't read their Bibles may know of "Jesus, who is called Christ"* from what they've been programmed to believe by their churches, or from the subjective opinions of other like-minded believers.

IMO, if they don't read their Bibles, the won't be able to discern for themselves the differences in the "disposition" (moods, attitudes, character, and particularly the nature) of:

• the OT Biblegod (YHVH-Jehovah) and the godlike spirit Jesus often referred to as "Father"; or,
• the differences between Jesus and that Messiah-type promised by YHVH-Jehovah who's supposed to compel, and enforce, Judeo-Christianity upon the world whether the people like it or not.

__________________

* MT 1:16, emp. on "called" (boasted, described, or otherwise so identified, rightly or wrongly) is mine.

Yahweh is a deity of peoples who came well before Jesus came into being.
And, Jesus was a human.

neither are moods.

Originally posted by John Goddard

A theist position has more free will with God than without God here, we can choose between eternal life or eternal death. While the atheist position generally leaves no choice, only death.

So the atheist position discourages free will on this point.

The theist and the atheist have purely another form of beleive. It is a stated opinion which does not mean that it is true. Thing is they seem to beleive that this means they have no belief system, yet they have.

One doesn't choose between eternal life or eternal death for their is no death. Life, which you are, is eternal as God is eternal.

The nature of Christ is Love and this love underpins everything, you could say it is the glue that binds everyone together no matter what faith they profess to have or not have as the case may be.

Regards
Gatsby

Originally posted by Gatsby

One doesn't choose between eternal life or eternal death for their is no death. Life, which you are, is eternal as God is eternal.

I just go by the Bible.

Revelation 20:14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

Revelation 20:15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.