Although what you have said is well written and you are obviously an intelligent, spiritual man, I’d tend to disagree with the statement below.

‘While the Bible is not a science textbook, and is not meant to be, the science in the Bible is accurate. The geology, anthropology, geography…all of it is true and verifiable.’

I’d ask you where it’s verifiable that the heavens and the earth were created in 6 days as was Adam and Eve through science.

I enjoyed reading what you wrote very much but would find this to be a point of contention.

Carter

Yes, I consider myself a good person. I think for some people submitting to a higher authority does allow them to squelch certain bad behavior by being held accountable by God and by their church community. I don’t think that being a good person requires religion - though it may help.

As for death, no one knows what happens after death. It’s the great unknown. Religion exists, to a great extent, to help answer this question. In the end, it is a matter of faith.

Not only that, but during his conversion, it was Christ who called out “Saul, Saul. It is I whom you persecute.”

John 1 tells us that in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God. Then it says that the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. What most non-Christians don’t understand is that Jesus Christ is the Word. In fact, the whole Bible, from Genesis to Revelation is about the glory of Christ. The Old Testament points to Christ. The gospels speak of the incarnate Christ, and the rest of the New Testament shines the light back upon Christ and toward His second coming.

2 Tim 3:16-17 states that all Scripture is given by inspiration of God. In fact, the Greek word used there is “theopneustos” (theo s meaning God, pnestos referring to “breath”), so literally it means God-breathed. So, every piece of Scripture is breathed directly out of God.

So, Paul’s words have just as much authority as the letters typed in red in many Bibles, because they are not simply Paul’s words.

The thing is, will a man submit to that authority?

Usually, and you can say I’m wrong, but usually there are three reasons a man won’t come to God or submit to His authority.

1. He refuses to submit to anyone’s authority. He decides that he would rather live an autonomous lifestyle, submitting to no one but himself. His pride will not allow him to bow before a holy and righteous God.

2. He thinks that he’s done too much wrong for God to forgive him, or that someone else has done something so horrible to him that there’s no way God would accept him as he is.

3. He loves his sin and refuses to give up the things he enjoys. Coming to the holy God would mean turning away from such living.

Matthew, what do you think happens after someone dies? Also, would you consider yourself to be a good person?

Sounds like you have been studying this for a while, so thanks for your response. The short answer to your question, do I think that Paul “meant this literally or figuratively?” is of course, yes. I think Paul meant this literally. Paul is without a doubt one of the most influential people in the history of civilization. And though he is referred to as an apostle, he never met or knew Jesus as the 12 did. So, even though Paul is speaking literally, his words are not those of Jesus and for me don’t carry the same weight or importance.

Honestly, I have never really understood the use of the Bible to defend a particular position on morality. In fact, the whole subject of morality seems entirely too human centered. So, it’s no surprise that Romans 6:23 is just as baffling to me. There is an enormous emphasis on morality in western civilization in contrast to the east but I don’t see how this emphasis has really helped us though.

Though you and I don’t see the world exactly the same, we both seem to agree on the central topic - that “the Father’s kingdom is spread out upon the earth, and people don’t see it.”

I understand why you might be concerned with the differing in translations. Some of the scribal differences depend on which manuscripts were used in the translation from the Greek to English.

The King James translators, used the Textus Receptus, while most all others do not. The NIV is a thought for thought translation and not word for word, therefore it’s open to misinterpretation by the translator if they have missed the intent of the original thought. The Message is not a literal translation at all. It’s one man’s, Eugene Peterson (who is a mystic), opinion of the Bible. I’d stay away from any translation authored by one person.

We could go through every version, but time and space won’t allow for that. Either way, none of the versions here change any vital Christian doctrine.

In truth, the kingdom of God has no boundaries, artificial or real. God is completely sovereign over the entire universe. Nothing is beyond His power and/or control. He is the “Master of the Universe”

Sometimes I believe some in the visible church have failed in NOT believing in the literal interpretation of the Bible enough. While the Bible is not a science textbook, and is not meant to be, the science in the Bible is accurate. The geology, anthropology, geography…all of it is true and verifiable. Yet, many in the church don’t recognize that and accept the world’s version of science, while trying to hold to the moral issues in the Bible. However, if you don’t hold that the anthropology, geology, etc, in the Bible is true, how do you convince a godless culture that there are also moral absolutes?

For that failure, I apologize to you.

But, I want to challenge you to take a look at one verse in different translations and tell me how you would interpret it if you had to:

Romans 6:23

For the wages of sin [is] death; but the gift of God [is] eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. KJV

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. NKJV

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord. NLT

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. NIV

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. ESV

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. NASB

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. RSV

For the wages of sin is death; but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. ASV

For the wages of sin [is] death; but the act of favour of God, eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. J.N. Darby

For the wages of sin [is] death: but the gift of God [is] eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Noah Webster Version

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Messiah Yeshua our Lord. Hebrew Names Version

stipendia enim peccati mors gratia autem Dei vita aeterna in Christo Iesu Domino nostro (Just in case you know how to translate the Latin Vulgate)

It’s pretty clear that the translators all agree here. This is a vital piece of Christian theology. Do you think the author (the Apostle Paul) meant this literally or figuratively?

Thanks for your time,
Michael