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Pagan words
Roy Martin:
Hello everyone,
I've been reading LOF again as I always do, but this time I can't get away from the section on hell;starting with XVI part C.
The history of paganism is mind boggling, and absolutely overwhelming that has stirred a hunger in me to do further studies of which I started last night.
Hades and Sheol being pagan to the core has me confused as to why Jesus used these words, or did He? What word was used back in that time for grave, or where they put their dead? I know tomb is one of them, but Hades and Sheol are a pagan god or pagan place.
I'm missing something here, but can't quite put my finger on it.
Even the word amen was a pagan god during the 400 years of the Jews in slavery to Egypt. The meaning has been changed by the Jews to what we believe it to be what it is today, but Its in the scriptures many times.
I can't keep from being suspicious about these words being used in scriptures. Is this a mystery, or could it be another one of those things that doesn't belong in the bible?
Too many thoughts coming at me right now with this so I'll try to stay focused at first on just hades and sheol. Why are these words capitalized, and why did Jesus use pagan words to describe the grave?
Thanks in advance. In the mean time I'll continue to study and research.
Roy
Deborah-Leigh:
Hi Roy
Jesus spoke in parables. Even though the term Hades refered in that time to the Pagan god, WE know what Jesus meant. He certainly did not mean to elevate the Pagan god Hades to any status whatsoever. The terms He used would again disguise the meaning that is spiritually discerned.
One could just as well ask why Jesus refered to wheat and tares or any other reference He used to describe the Kingdom of God.
I would not worry too much about his use of the words Hades that is the Greek word for the Hebrew word Sheol.
Arc
F@lgn0n:
Thanks for ur reply, Arc, but I have wondered the same thing.
The word 'hades' would, to Greek speaking people of the time, carry the connotation of the pagan underworld where souls were kept in torment (much like 'hell' is today).
*We* , of course, analyse the literal TRANSLATION of the word, but the people in Jesus' time did not . . .
So, are we saying that He used that word for the express purpose of misleading those who are/were not 'the elect' (in the same way He used the parables)?
Somehow, I'm just not seeing that . . .
I remain convinced that we're missing something here.
Peace.
Deborah-Leigh:
--- Quote ---So, are we saying that He used that word for the express purpose of misleading those who are/were not 'the elect'
--- End quote ---
This is a profound insight into how God works. It is not revealed, known or taught by the Church.
Re: DOES A SOVEREIGN GOD EVER CHANGE? . . . May 2008 Bible Study
July 18, 2008, 06:58:05 PM »
DOES GOD HIMSELF DECEIVE?
One other thought in relation to this, doesn’t God sometimes use trickery or deceit? Doesn’t He sometimes blind people so that they can’t see the truth? All the time. Things that aren’t true, it seems that the church wants to believe. But the things that are absolutely true, they don’t want to believe. They say, ‘God would never deceive people on purpose.’ Of course He does.
Arc
Roy Martin:
Hi Arc,
I know that Jesus spoke in parables, and recognize that He used these words as a parable, and not to elevate the pagan belief. Being that it has a spiritual explanation is the cause for my hunger to know why these words were used, rather than correcting, but obviously these words were what even the disciples believed in, though they were pagan.
The ones in Babylon cling to these pagan words as their defense in hell teaching and believing, so it seems obvious that its a big part of how God hides His word from these people.
As Ray says,(Egypt is mentioned from Genesis to Revelation--558 times (more than any other nation excepting Israel). This statistic alone should speak volumes to us regarding the importance of Egypt in God’s plan for humankind. It behooves us to learn more about the nation of Egypt, its history, its culture, and its religion. It has everything to do with understanding the many unscriptural doctrines of the Christian Church.
Well after reading Rays studies of paganism, it struck a nerve that this is something I need to understand. I know the answers won't come easy, but persistence will prevail. Just be patient and hang in there with me, okay?
Roy
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