Why is communication with God one way?

[marco]

Communication with the Christian deity seems one directional. If we try many times to contact someone and get no answer what should we assume?
The person is annoyed with us? The person has gone or is dead? Our method of contact is faulty - maybe a wrong number?

In the case of God what is the explanation for communication being only one way?

[1213]

even Christ reaffirms that you can't find your way into the afterlife without the faith of a child.
...

Please show the scripture that tells so? Otherwise this becomes like believing in Santa Claus.

You will find plenty right here and some that pertain to exactly my point.
https://www.openbible.info/topics/faith_of_a_child

There is 29 times the word faith, but no instance that says faith of a child.

[1213]

It seems not all Christians fully agree with your interpretation. Heres an example of someone attempting to explain the two accounts, and he clearly identifies them both as creation accounts.

I dont have interpretation, just told what it directly says, without any interpretations. And I dont really see why should anyone make interpretation and explain that it actually means something else than what it says. Or what do you think, should I also interpret that you actually mean something else than what you say?

have borrowed elements from each other.

Again, I dont see any good reason to believe that.

If you want to accuse me of being bitter or shameless ...

I dont want to do that, and sorry, if it sounded like that.

[marco]

I dont have interpretation, just told what it directly says, without any interpretations.

You are completely wrong in saying this, as I pointed out already. When we read a sentence we extract a meaning but very often there are several meanings to be extracted. Do you think that you unerringly hit on the right meaning? By what power?

I wonder how you cope with this: "et super hanc petram aedificabo ecclesiam meam". You read it and you get the meaning, as you say. I wonder what meaning you get, without interpreting.


Matthew tells us: Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. "

What does "become like little children" mean? Why does Paul seem to contradict this when he says:

"When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me."

Perhaps you have no idea how to reconcile these contradictory statements - but in any event you cannot approach them without interpreting. So you are wrong in what you say. Interpretation is essential.

[Diagoras]

If you want to accuse me of being bitter or shameless ...

I dont want to do that, and sorry, if it sounded like that.

Thank you, and I believe you.

[1213]

You are completely wrong in saying this, as I pointed out already. When we read a sentence we extract a meaning but very often there are several meanings to be extracted. Do you think that you unerringly hit on the right meaning? By what power?

I wonder how you cope with this: "et super hanc petram aedificabo ecclesiam meam". You read it and you get the meaning, as you say. I wonder what meaning you get, without interpreting.

The meaning Bible gives. But, if you think I made interpretation, please explain where, when I only showed directly what the Bible tells. Lets look at it again. Bible says these following things:

In the beginning God [elohiym] created [bara' baw-raw'] the heavens and the earth.
Genesis 1:1

Yahweh God formed [yatsar yaw-tsar'] man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. Yahweh God planted [nata naw-tah'] a garden eastward, in Eden, and there he put the man whom he had formed
Genesis 2:7-8

I dont add anything own to that. Those are what is written. Now, do you have some reason to think create doesnt mean create? Or is there some good reason to say, form doesnt really mean form? If we could begin to arbitrarily give new own meanings to those words, I think the whole book becomes meaningless, we could as well write a new book by our own desires, if we dont like the Bible anyway.

And also, it could be that we would have given new meaning for the word create. I think that is not a problem, because Bible explains what it means with the word.

Matthew tells us: Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. "

What does "become like little children" mean? Why does Paul seem to contradict this when he says:

"When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me." you cannot approach them without interpreting.

Childlike can have many meanings. It could mean a person who doesnt know much, silly, immature, a person who is not biased, a person who is imaginative, a person who able to hear and understand new things (which usually means person must be humble).

Children have many good qualities. But it is true also that children dont know much. One way to understand those two parts without contradiction is to understand that to receive the kingdom, one should be like children in that he must be ready to think new things, be humble. In the second part the meaning is, person should grow in knowledge. But obviously, this is some kind of interpretation. And we could perhaps invent over 1000 interpretations. For me the crucial thing is to understand what the one who told those things, wanted us to understand. I think the scriptures itself gives the proper meaning for the words. For example:

and said, "Most assuredly I tell you, unless you turn, and become as little children, you will in no way enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. Whoever therefore humbles himself as this little child, the same is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.
Matt. 18:3-4

In that the meaning is to be humble like a child. What do you think, is there some better meaning, do you think it means something else than what is written?

For we know in part, and we prophesy in part; but when that which is complete has come, then that which is partial will be done away with. When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I felt as a child, I thought as a child. Now that I have become a man, I have put away childish things.
1 Cor. 13:9-11

I think it is good to understand first, that doesnt speak one must become like a man to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. So, these two are not in any way contradictory. That only tells about how Paul felt. But perhaps it is little unclear what Paul means with childish things. I understand that childish things are things that person has not yet understood well. And I think the goal is that children grow in knowledge. Unfortunate thing is that often when people get more knowledge, they lose many good qualities that children have. In conclusion, Matthew seems to be speaking of the humility of a child and Paul is speaking of growing in knowledge. And I think growing in knowledge is actually typical for children. But when person has learned all, he doesnt grow anymore. And adult describes well person who doesnt grow anymore. Becoming like a child is the beginning. But Jesus is not saying that we should not grow. I think growing is one of the childs attributes and so it is actually in line with Pauls sayings.

If you think what I say is not what the Bible tells, I recommend to remain in the words Bible gives. I think people should rather believe what the Bible tells than my interpretations.

[marco]

But, if you think I made interpretation, please explain where, when I only showed directly what the Bible tells. Lets look at it again. Bible says these following things:

In the beginning God [elohiym] created [bara' baw-raw'] the heavens and the earth. Genesis 1:1

Are you serious? You offer a few words of description and you ask where interpretation comes in. It doesn't come into simplistic description, though we could take the entire Genesis story as a metaphor for creation, for the start of life. There are thousands of passages in the Bible that require interpretation because they are not of the form: "This is a house. God made this house." So please don't present some simplistic passage and invite us to accept there is no interpretation needed in the entire Bible.

Christ speaks in parables and these require interpretation. When he says that a man must be born again, that requires interpretation. When we must lose our life to find it, that requires interpretation. In fact it is said that only SOME people will interpret properly; some sheep have the appropriate ears to hear. Are you claiming you have acquired such a pair of ears?

Childlike can have many meanings.

Exactly and we must interpret; we must make decisions on which meaning to take. And if you take a different meaning from mine do we simply accept yours because you've studied more or have the right ears?


It could mean a person who doesnt know much, silly, immature, a person who is not biased, a person who is imaginative, a person who able to hear and understand new things (which usually means person must be humble).

But obviously, this is some kind of interpretation. And we could perhaps invent over 1000 interpretations. For me the crucial thing is to understand what the one who told those things, wanted us to understand. I think the scriptures itself gives the proper meaning for the words. For example:

and said, "Most assuredly I tell you, unless you turn, and become as little children, you will in no way enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. Whoever therefore humbles himself as this little child, the same is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.
Matt. 18:3-4

In that the meaning is to be humble like a child. What do you think, is there some better meaning, do you think it means something else than what is written?

I think you are giving us an example of interpreting the phrase, "like children". You think children are "humble". Are they? They may be innocent and innocence might be the quality commended. They are simple and artless, so perhaps Jesus is suggesting that a person rich in knowledge will not pass through the narrow gate: a child's way of seeing things is best. As you say, there are thousands of interpretations, so at least you concede we have to choose one interpretation. I can see a few perfectly plausible ones. I can also see that Paul is saying: "Do not be like a child!"

But perhaps it is little unclear what Paul means with childish things.

Exactly. So you need to interpret something that is unclear. I wonder why we have wasted time discussing when it is obvious we NEED interpretations, especially if a passage is unclear or if there are many meanings that can be taken.

If you think what I say is not what the Bible tells, I recommend to remain in the words Bible gives. I think people should rather believe what the Bible tells than my interpretations.

Very good - but you have said you do not have "interpretations." We shall quietly forget it then and wish you a Merry Christmas, 1213.

[1213]

When he says that a man must be born again, that requires interpretation

I dont think we have to make own interpretations, because Bible explains what it says.

Exactly and we must interpret; we must make decisions on which meaning to take. And if you take a different meaning from mine do we simply accept yours because you've studied more or have the right ears?

I recommend to take the meaning Bible gives.

Merry Christmas!

[marco]

I dont think we have to make own interpretations, because Bible explains what it says.

It doesn't. There are no footnotes. There are a million controversies over what is meant, what is the correct translation, who wrote what....

I recommend to take the meaning Bible gives.

Excellent, then join the Catholic Church. "Thou art Peter and upon this rock I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."

We have word play on Peter's name, a rock. The church that rose after Christ departed was the Church of Rome.

"This is my body." Simple words. Which one of these words indicates imitation. If we take the words to be what they say, we are in RC Church territory and the communion wafer, once consecrated, does what Christ says: It IS his body. Have you got a different interpretation - ah, sorry, you don't do interpretations. You accept what the words say. Then the Catholic Church awaits.

And I wish you a splendid Christmas which no doubt will see more snow than we do in Scotland.

[1213]

Excellent, then join the Catholic Church. "Thou art Peter and upon this rock I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."

But no word Catholic in the Bible. I personally want to be a disciple of Jesus.

And I wish you a splendid Christmas which no doubt will see more snow than we do in Scotland.

Thank you hopefully you too have very good Christmas. Surprisingly we dont have snow at the moment in southern Finland. Often snow comes after Christmas. Without snow the landscape is quite dark here. So, probably you have at least little lighter view. Here the day length is less than 6 hours and it is cloudy most of the time.

[Danmark]

Excellent, then join the Catholic Church. "Thou art Peter and upon this rock I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."

But no word Catholic in the Bible. I personally want to be a disciple of Jesus.

And I wish you a splendid Christmas which no doubt will see more snow than we do in Scotland.

Thank you hopefully you too have very good Christmas. Surprisingly we dont have snow at the moment in southern Finland. Often snow comes after Christmas. Without snow the landscape is quite dark here. So, probably you have at least little lighter view. Here the day length is less than 6 hours and it is cloudy most of the time.

Interesting. I'm at about 46.2 degrees, N Latitude. We have about 8 and a third hours between sunrise and sunset today.
Curious as to which cities in Scotland and Finland for you two. At any rate, as the Brits say, 'Happy Christmas!'
Sorry, off topic, so I grudgingly add will respond to the OP,

In the case of God what is the explanation for communication being only one way?

Since evangelicals in particular believe in a personal relationship with Jesus, it does seem odd that a living God/man would not be in contact with us privately, individually.
When I was a 'belief in the supernatural' type of Christian, I prayed long and hard to hear the voice of God. I received silence. As have many devout Christians. It is a troubling issue. But, in the spirit of the season, I can honestly say I still love the Jesus I got to know in my youth.

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!