I think most of the people of the world do not have the Bible, most of the people who ever lived never saw one or heard about it in their lives. For those billions of people, perhaps it's not such a foolish question?
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Originally Posted by TroubleMaker
Oops....the perceived foolishness of your question just went right out the window, didn't it? I suppose we should postpone the shopping for new cars, new clothes, and new houses and start getting bibles out there to all the world. Ok God, forget that prayer meeting we had when we prayed for each other's "needs". Crud, I can't go to that hot conference with all those amazing preachers.
Again, the reality is we HAVE the Bible. Christ came and gave the gift of Himself. We have a reliable record of it in the scripture. Supposing there is no Bible is like supposing there is no God - it doesn't change the facts.
The question of someone not having heard the gospel is much different than entertaining thoughts of "what if there were no inspired accounts".
__________________ "It is inhumane, in my opinion, to force people who have a genuine medical need for coffee to wait in line behind people who apparently view it as some kind of recreational activity." Dave Barry 2005
I am a firm believer in the Old Paths
Articles on such subjects as "The New Birth," will be accepted, whether they teach that the new birth takes place before baptism in water and Spirit, or that the new birth consists of baptism of water and Spirit. - THE PENTECOSTAL HERALD Dec. 1945
"It is doubtful if any Trinitarian Pentecostals have ever professed to believe in three gods, and Oneness Pentecostals should not claim that they do." - Daniel Segraves
I'm not sure if Lennon was deceived or fed up. I believe we can learn much about the culture that surrounds us by studying songs like "Imagine". There's much to be learned from it. Lennon was on to something.
He saw religion as a place of agendas and he saw heaven and hell attached to those agendas. And those religious agenda resulted in wars an hunger, in his opinion. Did he have a point? One could argue strongly that he did.
Contrary to what many defensive Christians think, he wasn't taking a shot a Christianity, he was taking a shot a world religion, and hopefully we could all admit that world religion has a history of really messing things up.
If the Christian culture is to reach people who write songs like this, it would do us good to be in touch with the song.
Yeah it's a pretty kewl song - I admit... just a few pesky lines... I am sure "religion" was a target, but it also left no room for God did it?
__________________ "It is inhumane, in my opinion, to force people who have a genuine medical need for coffee to wait in line behind people who apparently view it as some kind of recreational activity." Dave Barry 2005
I am a firm believer in the Old Paths
Articles on such subjects as "The New Birth," will be accepted, whether they teach that the new birth takes place before baptism in water and Spirit, or that the new birth consists of baptism of water and Spirit. - THE PENTECOSTAL HERALD Dec. 1945
"It is doubtful if any Trinitarian Pentecostals have ever professed to believe in three gods, and Oneness Pentecostals should not claim that they do." - Daniel Segraves
Again, the reality is we HAVE the Bible. Christ came and gave the gift of Himself. We have a reliable record of it in the scripture. Supposing there is no Bible is like supposing there is no God - it doesn't change the facts.
The question of someone not having heard the gospel is much different than entertaining thoughts of "what if there were no inspired accounts".
Much different? I don't see any difference at all. There are real people who "don't have the Bible" and never will, there entire lifetimes. And I'm talking about a hypothetical where nobody has it.
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Hebrews 13:23 Know ye that our brother Timothy is set at liberty
Much different? I don't see any difference at all. There are real people who "don't have the Bible" and never will, there entire lifetimes. And I'm talking about a hypothetical where nobody has it.
OK, there's a small difference. The hypothetical is 100% not having the Bible, whereas the reality is more like 95%. (My very rough guess -- probably too low -- based on all people who have ever lived, since the first humans were on the scene -- via whatever method that happened! )
But, for those in reality's "never had it" group, it is exactly the same.
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Hebrews 13:23 Know ye that our brother Timothy is set at liberty
It really matters not that some don't have the document in their possesion... The document is in existence, and has been verfied by many exteral sources.
One's conscience is a good starting place, but it is not a substitute for God's Word.
We share in the responsibility of bringing the Word to those without it.
__________________ "It is inhumane, in my opinion, to force people who have a genuine medical need for coffee to wait in line behind people who apparently view it as some kind of recreational activity." Dave Barry 2005
I am a firm believer in the Old Paths
Articles on such subjects as "The New Birth," will be accepted, whether they teach that the new birth takes place before baptism in water and Spirit, or that the new birth consists of baptism of water and Spirit. - THE PENTECOSTAL HERALD Dec. 1945
"It is doubtful if any Trinitarian Pentecostals have ever professed to believe in three gods, and Oneness Pentecostals should not claim that they do." - Daniel Segraves
It really matters not that some don't have the document in their possesion... The document is in existence, and has been verfied by many exteral sources.
One's conscience is a good starting place, but it is not a substitute for God's Word.
We share in the responsibility of bringing the Word to those without it.
Well, there ya go. Thanks! So your to the question "What if didn't have the Bible" is "It wouldn't matter".
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Hebrews 13:23 Know ye that our brother Timothy is set at liberty
It really matters not that some don't have the document in their possesion... The document is in existence, and has been verfied by many exteral sources.
One's conscience is a good starting place, but it is not a substitute for God's Word.
We share in the responsibility of bringing the Word to those without it.
Some of the historical records have been verified, yes. Other aspects of it have not. Heaven's and hell's existence cannot be verified, for example, but anyone still living.
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Hebrews 13:23 Know ye that our brother Timothy is set at liberty
It really matters not that some don't have the document in their possesion... The document is in existence, and has been verfied by many exteral sources.
One's conscience is a good starting place, but it is not a substitute for God's Word.
We share in the responsibility of bringing the Word to those without it.
Good point!
For example, without the Word, we would not know that God expects us not to work on the Sabbath, even to the point the anyone who does must die. (Until relatively recently, anyway.) Or that women must have long hair and men must not. Or that we might get sick and might die, if we take communion unworthily (let alone that we should take communion at all).
Without the Bible, billions of people are displeasing God without even knowing it.
__________________
Hebrews 13:23 Know ye that our brother Timothy is set at liberty
It really matters not that some don't have the document in their possesion... The document is in existence, and has been verfied by many exteral sources.
One's conscience is a good starting place, but it is not a substitute for God's Word.
We share in the responsibility of bringing the Word to those without it.
And what about the people who died before you could bring it to them? It doesn't really matter?
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Hebrews 13:23 Know ye that our brother Timothy is set at liberty
Timmy, before my husband and I were married, he wrote me long love letters--I have a whole scrapbook of them, saved in my cedar chest. However, if he hadn't written me those letters, he still would have found SOME way to communicate his feelings, because the man wanted a relationship with me!
Asking "What if we didn't have the Bible" is like asking "What if Jeff hadn't written Abi those letters?" It's irrelevant. God wanted a relationship with man and pursued it before there was any written scripture--and the written Word was part of His plan for building that relationship. What if there was no scripture? God would have built a relationship with man regardless--just like He did in the beginning. The fact remains, though--the Word IS there, and it needs to be considered.
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"God, send me anywhere, only go with me. Lay any burden on me, only sustain me. And sever any tie in my heart except the tie that binds my heart to Yours."
--David Livingstone
"To see no being, not God’s or any, but you also go thither,
To see no possession but you may possess it—enjoying all without labor or purchase—
abstracting the feast, yet not abstracting one particle of it;…."
--Walt Whitman, Leaves of Grass, Song of the Open Road
I suppose we should postpone the shopping for new cars, new clothes, and new houses and start getting bibles out there to all the world. Ok God, forget that prayer meeting we had when we prayed for each other's "needs". Crud, I can't go to that hot conference with all those amazing preachers.
The hypothetical is 100% not having the Bible, whereas the reality is more like 95%. (My very rough guess -- probably too low -- based on all people who have ever lived, since the first humans were on the scene -- via whatever method that happened! 
)
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