Michelle, I wonder if you realize just how close your 'theology' is to the wts. Only the founding fathers had the Holy Spirit. Christ is THEIR mediator. Everyone else has to listen to them, follow them and their rules. Christ was only speaking to THEM in the NT, not anyone who might follow Him after them. Even though He did say to go and make disciples, those disciples, according to you, could not then receive the promised gift of the Holy Spirit for themselves and be taught by that Spirit. They could only trust in men, and be taught by men.
NONE of these people were wanting and listening for a voice to respond...they were CONFRONTED with a voice and a vision. There are even others besides these people who were confronted and heard a voice accompanied with seeing something: mary M(angels at the tomb), ananias(re:paul acts 9:10) the transfiguration on the mt., JtB(the dove)...there is one example of saul using a witch as a mediator(spiritism)...and he didn't see anything, he just heard a voice.
So what?
Anyone who receives the Spirit can and will be taught by the spirit.
(You're wrong though in your examples... when Peter had his vision about unclean food, he asked questions (and so wanted to and listened for a response), and heard a response.)
but that fact aside...there is collaboration between every one of these people, there is internal consistancy in the message they teach AND they are the "fathers" of the faith!!!!
They argued some, and did not accept Paul for some time either.
In any case, there is inconsistency between what men teach now... (such as yours and other churches)... and what men taught then. How do you know what is being taught now (or by which group) is truth, unless you know and look to the Truth: Christ.
you said: "Weighing what anyone states against Christ... sure. Because Christ is the TRUTH, the anchor if you will, to test all else."...but you are weighing what you hear other people say against what you hear your lord say...so if you are listening to a deceiving spirit to begin with then obviously the scales will fall heaviest on the side of what you are hearing. in the bible there is collaboration and internal consistancy on the matters of hell, salvaton in Jesus Christ alone and by extention what/Who we will be judged by. we can see (and hear) this internal consistancy in the scriptures and we can weigh whatever any living person says by what we can see (and hear) written...that is the standard of truth not a voice that has NO collaborating evidence.
Don't be silly. There is inconsistency in the bible; there is even inconsistency between what paul at first taught (regarding 'disfellowshippin/ex-communication) and what Christ taught. So even in the bible, everything should be tested against Christ and His teachings. Nothing will contradict him. But if you are figuring out what he meant, by testing his words against, say, Pauls'... then that is just a bit backward.
in luke14:23 the servant is told to *compel people to come to the Masters house...where is it stated that they will be brought into the house by the Master because of your "law of love" in their hearts?...and is your "law of love" consistant with the rest of the scriptures that collaborate the words of Jesus Christ in john 8:24?
Well, look at Cornelius... a gentile.
"Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a remembrance before God."
I suspect you will think that this is only because he believed IN God to begin with. But even Paul says that when gentiles do the things required of the law by nature, then they are a law unto themselves. That it was not even his business to attempt to judge them.
And your church, Michelle, has not been internally consistent. It has not always followed Christ at all; but in fact has done things AGAINST Christ's teachings. So if that is who you want to follow, then that is of course your choice. But don't be blind about it. Terrible atrocities have been committed by the 'church', in the supposed name of Christ. Which just makes the atrocity that much worse, because it brings reproach upon Him, and is in part responsible for turning people away from Him, because they believe the lies told about Him.
Blind guides, leading the blind, into the pit.
Peace,
tammy
