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a person can choose not to believe something in the Bible, yes.

absolutely! the Jews as a group do not believe Moses, and they do not believe Jesus. it does not follow that therefore they cannot have a zeal for God.

I don't think that follows. it's true that if a person is blinded, then they cannot worship in spirit and in truth. but it is possible to worship imperfectly. well, then, I believe your dispute is with Paul, not with me. if we check the original language...

no, I believe your interpretation is incorrect because it is contradicted by a statement in the verse. it's like this John 12:39 For this cause they couldn't believe, for Isaiah said again, 40 "He has blinded their eyes and he hardened their heart, lest they should see with their eyes, and...

I think you will find the answer to that when (and I mean this as gently as possible) you are willing to deal honestly with Romans 10:2.

not at all! but that help may be in the form of the peace that is beyond understanding. it might not be in the form of physical healing, or a miraculous end to an evil person. consider the wonderful miraculous things that David praises God for in the Psalms. then fast forward to the days of...

it's possible! there's always going to be some amount of latitude in understanding any human language. did you check out the Thayer definition?

I don't think that necessarily follows. John could be describing events from the 90s, but in such a way that we read them and think they are to happen in the future.

yes, some people say that, and it is the traditional view. it may have been written well after the book of Revelation. "Alternatively, the letter's acknowledgment and rejection of gnostic theology may reveal a later date of authorship than orthodox Christianity claims. This can not be assured...

sure! again, tradition for the Epistles and a kind of process of elimination for the gospel book.

I disagree that it's apples and oranges, but it doesn't sound like a way of looking at things that's going to resonate with your soul. as I see it, God very rarely intervenes in the flow of cause and effect that started when he set the universe in motion. God created humans with free will, so...

I hear what you're saying! I was presenting a thought experiment. would I like to live in a world where as soon as someone harmed someone else, God killed them? no, I wouldn't want to live in that world, I would be long dead. so, I can't be upset at God that he doesn't kill other people when...

I don't think the common usage of the word for people speaking Greek back then was "speedily, but indefinitely". of course, God is allowed to attach a special meaning to the word soon if he so chooses. the issue I see with saying that the events described in Revelation haven't happened yet is...

that's definitely a possible approach. is this the page you were looking at? https://biblehub.com/greek/5035.htm if so, if you look down below the Strong's definition you can see see Thayer one. Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 5035: ταχύ ταχύ (neuter of the adjective ταχύς), adverb (from...

I hear what you're saying, though it looks to me that that is essentially changing the meaning of the word soon. I think prophecy can be difficult to understand sometimes. here's an example Daniel 2:37 You, O king, are king of kings, to whom the God of heaven has given the kingdom, the power...

as you probably already know, John the apostle is the traditional author of the book of Revelation. I believe the book itself just says it was written by someone named John. of course, anyone is welcome to use tradition, or the idea that it had to be John the apostle because that was the only...

an excellent point. taking this passage just as an example Exodus 33:10 All the people saw the pillar of cloud stand at the door of the Tent, and all the people rose up and worshiped, everyone at their tent door. the people are worshipping the true God, who is a trinity. but they don't know...

sure! would you agree that if in the end a person's interpretation is contradicted by what is stated in the passage, then the interpretation cannot be correct? because worshipping God is not the same as believing in Jesus. Peter and Paul and all the other apostles and Christians at the time...

I hear what you're saying, at the same time at the end of The book of Revelation Jesus says he is coming soon. https://biblehub.com/revelation/22-12.htm do we change the meaning of the word soon? or its Greek equivalent? if words in prophecy aren't used according to their standard usage, then...

I think that a person is saved by believing. then once they are saved, they desire to do good works. a person who doesn't desire to do good works, probably isn't saved. so if a person is trying to work it out mathematically, it would be that yes, a person is saved just by believing. but in...