The Knowing of God.

[Benson]

Let's discuss and explore the idea of actually knowing God.

Within Modern Evangelicalism, the Knowing of God takes place through knowing Jesus, the exact representation of God the Father. So, is there anything to knowing Jesus other than:

1.) Having the Scriptural facts of His Identity, Earth history, and Words?

2.) Having the accurate testimony of other true Christians?

3.) Having Godly feelings?

4.) Conducting satisfactory worship and koinonia?

5.) Experiencing personal answers to prayer, and personally seeing God's Hand administrate life?

If these five aspects of Life in Christ are present, why would anything else be needed? Possibly:

6.) A near death experience of Heaven/Hell/Jesus Himself?

7.) Seeing a hugely visible miracle of raising the dead, or angelic activity?

8.) Hearing the babble of a "heavenly tongue?"

9.) Sensing an audible voice of God?

10.) Being physically preserved in a deadly situation or illness?

11.) Meeting people who have every aspect of Spiritual Rebirth in Christ after their being a heathen?

12.) Listening to someone convincingly explain The Bible?

13.) Having a strange and deep and insatiable desire to find God?

14.) Finding in The Bible it in religious teaching exceptional answers to difficult questions?

15.) Being loved and valued by a Christian or Church more than can be naturally explained?

16.) Being at one's complete end of personal resources for life and success, and being ready for anything from "A God if He Exists?"

17.) Being at death's door, ready to breathe the last time?

18.) Conducting an esthetic life, emptied of all common pursuits in order to make room for the presence of God?

19.) Becoming so simple minded as a small child, that one need not have any questions upon the unknown, no concerns for a future, and no distractions beyond the moment?

20.) "Hoping and Believing All Things," such that one is fulfilled to just live from nice thing to nice thing?

21.) Accepting and enduring pain and rejection from bad people?

22.) Being scourged and disciplined as a son of God according to Hebrews 12:6?

23.) Having someone "Prophecy" over you, and then at some later time watch it happen?

24.) Speaking a "Prayer To Receive Jesus Into Your Heart?"

25.) Living for a long time doing nominally positive things in life, being faithful to God on lots of little things, eventually realizing that a habit of morality helps you appreciate God's goodness?

26.) Seeing yourself at selected times saying or doing exceptionally spiritual things which cannot be accounted for by your usual skills and endeavors?

27.) Seeing a huge sign in the heavens, or the image of Jesus on something?

28.) Touring Israel and seeing the artifacts to confirm Scripture?

29.) Experiencing and understanding Jewish celebrations specified in the Jewish Torah?

30.) Identifying Biblical Prophecy in World events?

31.) Becoming skilled at speaking a new language of Churchy sounding Bible talk?

32.) Experiencing crazy-real answers to prayer?

33.) Understanding the Biblical Prophecies about Jesus which were fulfilled?

34.) Watching Christian Media and Christian Youtube?

35.) Discussing or arguing with some other Christian such that your thinking is changed?

36.) Believing other people can know Jesus, and seeing their Faith?

37.) Discovering credibility with God's People described in Scripture, and identifying with their experiences?

38.) Having a clever and interesting personal imagination?

39.) Having a vivid dream or vision?

40.) Hearing someone Prophecy about very interesting and new things?

42.) Sensing rational thought about Jesus and God?

42.) Attending Bible School or a Christian College?

43.) Memorizing Scripture?

44.) Ministering to people?

45.) Believing the Holy Spirit will teach you all things and lead you in the Light of Jesus?

46.) Asking God for knowledge of Jesus and of Him?

So, which of these events actually contribute to "Knowing Jesus?"

[Miles]

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Really need a good definition of "knowing" here. What do you have?


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[Benson]

Yes, A well positioned question. This thread itself was given to answer that.

For the living righteous to know God the Father has been deferred until we enter Eternity. The dead today are "asleep," and Scripture states for the time being they "know nothing."

Knowing Jesus today is based upon the four sources:

1.) The prophecies about Jesus in Scripture.
2.) The patterns and symbology of The Mosaic Law.
3.) The preserved Words of Jesus in Scripture.
4.) The Holy Spirit revealing real time Truth of Jesus in concert with Scripture.

None of the 50 things listed in the original post here will add information beyond these four sources.

[Miles]

Yes, A well positioned question. This thread itself was given to answer that.

For the living righteous to know God the Father has been deferred until we enter Eternity. The dead today are "asleep," and Scripture states for the time being they "know nothing."

Knowing Jesus today is based upon the four sources:

1.) The prophecies about Jesus in Scripture.
2.) The patterns and symbology of The Mosaic Law.
3.) The preserved Words of Jesus in Scripture.
4.) The Holy Spirit revealing real time Truth of Jesus in concert with Scripture.

None of the 50 things listed in the original post here will add information beyond these four sources.

Yet in this context we still have no any idea of what this "knowing," or "to know" consists of. As you've implied, the term "know" is just an empty place marker for some kind present unspecified, meaningless comprehension, and as such turns out to be inconsequential to understanding god or Jesus. One may as well say "Within Modern Evangelicalism, the suppernic of God takes place through suppernicing Jesus, the exact representation of God the Father."

Why should anyone care about knowing (suppernicing) god when we have no idea what it means?


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[nobspeople]

[Replying to Miles in post #4]

Why should anyone care about knowing (suppernicing) god when we have no idea what it means?

I think we should care more if we don't know what it means! We'd want to make sure we're doing it right, I'd think
Just my 2¢ anyway