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"The people who wrote the Bible did not actually have any 'privileged information about the end of the world.'" Well, you might believe they did not, but many

• olavk 10y ago
  Just because someone believes something does not make it true. The bible predicted the end of the world in the first century. It turned out to be wrong, even though people believed it.
  • nocman 10y ago
    "Just because someone believes something does not make it true". ^ That is correct, and I never said that it was true because people believed it. Of course the same could be said of your statement that "The people who wrote the Bible did not actually have any privileged information about the end of the world." -- it is not true just because you believe it. Perhaps I should have just said "there are a lot of people in the world that do not agree with that statement", and left it at that. xD
  • jorangreef 10y ago
    "The Bible predicted the end of the world in the first century." The Bible explicitly refuses to give a date for the end of the world, and proactively voids the claims of any who would. If anything the Bible anticipates a long patient delay with a purpose: "They will say, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.” ... But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance."
    • olavk 10y ago
      Paul predicted the end the world to arrive in his lifetime. He was wrong. See: 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17
      • jorangreef 10y ago
        No, Paul is addressing the church, then and now. His use of the word "we" in the passage you quote has that sense. It's characteristic of Paul, see Ephesians 2 for another example. To come back to your point, if you read the rest of Paul's letter to the Thessalonians, you will find Paul's position (which is in fact Jesus' position) on the matter: "Now, brothers and sisters, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night" You can't slip a piece of paper between Paul and Jesus. Jesus himself authenticates Paul as one of his apostles.
        • olavk 10y ago
          > You can't slip a piece of paper between Paul and Jesus. Jesus himself authenticates Paul as one of his apostles. What does this even mean? Jesus never mentioned Paul, and Jesus and Paul never even met.
          • jorangreef 10y ago
            "Jesus never mentioned Paul" According to Luke, in Acts 9:15 he did: "But the Lord said to him [Ananias], “Go, for he [Paul] is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel." Apart from that, Peter also understood that Paul had been authenticated by Jesus as his apostle, see 2 Peter 3: "Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction." Being an apostle meant that Paul was expressly authorized and enabled to represent the Lord. Hence the saying, "you can't slip a piece of paper..." meaning that one can't try and play one off against the other, as if they hold opposing views. Paul represents Jesus, nothing more, nothing less. Paul is merely a servant, the words are those of Jesus.
• argonaut 10y ago
  Except even most modern theologians do not take the Bible literally.
• t3soro 10y ago
  You could also take some acid and have your own trip about the end of the world. John had a DMT trip in a dream and wrote it down.