To me it is more than pointing but an active relationship like the apostles had with Jesus or their disciples aka early church fathers.
yeah but how could we ever be disciples unless we followed the teachers words isn’t that how we actually have a relationship with him ? The apostles seemed to follow And actively pursue what he taught is sort of my point . That is what discipleship is and why Jesus is saying “ if you Continue in my words you are
my disciples indeed and will know the truth “
maybe I should say we need to hear and out his teachings into practice in our daily life , does that make more sense ?
I’m pretty sure the only way to be a disciple is to hear and follow the things the teacher teaches
Sort of what James is saying
“Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and
receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. But
be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.”
James 1:21-22 KJV
seems to agree with what Jesus said there when we examine his teachings in the gospel his word , we find he’s teaching us how to live upright lives before God living one another Gods way. That seems to be how to have a relationship with him by walking in the truth we learn from Jesus
Not sure how it would be possible without that part. I know a lot of folks say other things but I’m talking about the Bible
This seems to be how we have a relationship with him
“
He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and
he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.
Jesus answered and said unto him,
If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.
He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me.”
John 14:21, 23-24
if you notice how it always connects to his words ? It’s always. Even this way adam has a relationship with him too but rejected his words and walked in the other words
“And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and
there he put the man whom he had formed .
And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food;
the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.
And the LORD God commanded the man, saying,
Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil,
thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.”
Genesis 2:7-8, 16-17 KJV
instead of believing and walking in that word living in Eden with the lord freely eating from the tree of life , he followed this other word and broke relationship God made him for
“And
the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: ….she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and
gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. ( they’ve now both rejected Gods word and instead accepted satans )
And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? And
he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself. And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked?
Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?
…therefore the LORD
God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.”
Genesis 3:4-6, 9-11, 23-24 KJV
See how if he would have just accepted and walked by Gods word he wouldn’t have been rejected from Eden and the tree of life where God placed and fellowshipped with him ?
it’s all We need to know Gods word is the way truth and life it will never fail to give life and relationship with him. We’re never going to have another way but what God said and letting that become our way it seems