Jesus said he is the perfect representation of the father, he said, when you have seen him you have seen the Father, I and the Father are one.
Why does Jesus say,”you have heard men of old say. . . this and that, but I say. . . something completely different”. Jesus said “love your enemy”, how is it then that men were being obedient to God by slaughtering men, women and children, then going on to steal their possessions. Did God really kill the first born in Egypt, drown whole people groups?
I can not see God the son killing babies like God the Father did in the OT, they are not one.
Richard there is no evidence for the mass Exodus from Egypt or the Conquest of Canaan. Despite searching for over a century, archaeologists – including some of the most famous Israeli archaeologists, have given up the search as futile. Despite knowing some of the places the Israelites supposedly stayed, they have yet to find a single shard of pottery, an arrow head, a spear, a shield, a wagon wheel or anything else that a group of 2 – 3 million people would have left behind – unless the pillar of smoke and fire that accompanied them was a giant vacuum cleaner sucking up all evidence of their transit.
At the disputed time of the mythical Exodus, the Egyptians had the largest army in western history to that point – about 100,000 fighting men, who were frequently off on various conquests. The Israelites are said to have had 600,000 fighting men – and yet they were held captive by a much smaller army? That strains credibility.
There is no evidence of an Israeli conquest of Canaan in which Yahweh orders the genocide, rape and pillage of those on the land. There is evidence that the Persians invaded, but the Joshua story of murder, rape and mayhem at Yahweh’s command has no evidence to support it.
We know as well that there was no six day creation and no global flood. There is nothing else upon which the foundation for Yahweh rests. There may be a god or gods, but the foundation for Yahweh has been washed out. Jesus did not know this, anymore than he knew about germs and sanitation, which could have saved countless millions from cruel deaths. Paul didn’t know about evolution and that there could not have been a literal Adam and Eve (the DNA evidence does not support a 2-person bottleneck in human history), so there was no original sin, no fall from grace, no need to believe, say or do the right things in order to be saved from one of the Hells the Catholics invented.
Hey Richard,
I too am excited by progressive revelation, but you are absolutely right, it’s not really a limitation on God but more on our ability to understand him.
When we look at the “god” of the old testament, we see a god fashioned in man’s own violent image. And as we continue to look through history, we continue to see that pattern – even to today’s capitalist judge who American Evangelicals call “God”.
I think progressive revelation is more or less the progression of humanity as a whole toward the example of Christ.
I read a few articles on this site that have broadly answered my questions.
I am excited about the idea of a “progressive revelation of God”.
Although I think it would be more correct to say “progressive understanding”.
I don’t imagine Gods’ delivery of information is the limiting factor to greater understanding, but rather our willingness to receive revelation in faith.
Thank you for your articles I’ll read them before asking further questions.