#knowledge of God

[gravity-rainbow]

Self-knowledge is knowledge of God; the self and the divine are identical (Gnostic Gospel of Thomas)

Illustration from Carl Gustav Jung's The Red Book

#gnosticism #gospel of thomas #self-knowledge #knowledge of god #the self #the divine #jung #the red book

[fivepercentgodsandearths]

Classic Reads for Foundation

#nation of gods and earths #supreme mathematics #five percent nation #allah school in mecca #5% nation of gods and earths #hip hop #black women #cheikh anta diop #father allah #black men #afro american #African #knowledge of god #knowledge of self

[tabernacleheart]

Jesus does not content Himself with a place beside other teachers, saying, “I will give you light,” but affirms that the light is inseparable from His own person. “I am the light.” By this He means, as already observed, that it is by receiving Him as our life that we have light. But His words also mean that He imparts this light not by oral teaching, but by being what He is, and living as He does. Teaching by word and precept is well, when nothing better can be had; but it is the Word made flesh that commands the attention of all. This is a language universally intelligible. [Christ's Life,] the highest conceivable, on almost the lowest conceivable stage, and recorded in the simplest form, with indifference to all outward accompaniments attractive whether to the few or to the many, is set before us as the final and unalterable ideal of human life, amid all its continual and astonishing changes. It is by this life led here on earth He becomes our Light. It is by His faith maintained in the utmost of trial; His calmness and hopefulness amidst all that shrouds human life in darkness; His constant persuasion that God is in this world, present, loving, and working. It is by His habitual attitude towards this life, and towards the unseen, that we receive light to guide us. In His calmness we take refuge from our own dismay. In His hopefulness we refresh ourselves in every time of weariness. In His confidence our timorous anxieties are rebuked. Upon the darkest parts of our life there falls from Him some clear ray that brightens and directs. Thousands of His followers, in every age, have verified His words: “I am the light of the world: he that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” And as the Teacher taught by living so must the scholar learn by living. Christ brings light by passing through all human experiences and situations, and “he that followeth” Him, not he that reads about Him, “shall have the light of life.” There are very few men in the world who can think to much purpose on truths so abstruse and complicated as the Divinity of Christ and the Atonement and Miracles; but there is no man so dull as not to see the difference between Christ’s life and His own. Few men may be able to explain satisfactorily the relation Christ holds to God on the one hand and to us on the other; but every man who knows Christ at all even as he knows his friend or his father, is conscious that a new light falls upon sin of all kinds, upon sins of appetite and sins of temper and sins of disposition, since Christ lived. It is in this light Christ would have us walk, and if we follow as He leads on, we shall never lack the light of life. We need not be seriously disturbed about the darkness that hangs round the horizon if light falls on our own path; we need not be disturbed by our ignorance of many Divine and human things, nor by our inability to answer many questions which may be put to us, and which indeed we naturally put to ourselves, so long only as we are sure we are living so as to please and satisfy Christ. If our life runs on the lines His life marked out, we shall certainly arrive where He now is, in the happiest and highest human condition.

William R. Nicoll

#jesus christ #this is beautiful #The imitation of Christ #William R. Nicoll #this is absolutely vital #reflect on this #a humbling truth #this is why i love being catholic #Knowledge of God #follow jesus #Jesus is life #jesus is the light #christian living #This is very relevant to my life lately

[godswordnkjv]

#godsword #bible #bibleverse #verse of the day #bible verse #nkjv #new testament #god's grace #grace #knowledge #knowing god #knowledge of god #jesus chirst #savior #glory

[2sfa]

For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 4:6

#son of god #word of god #knowledge of god #glory of god #character of god

[tom4jc]

April 19, 2023 Promise Of God

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#2 Corinthians 10:3-5 #Arguments #captive thoughts #demolish #divine power #Knowledge of God #Obedient #pretension #Promise Of God #strongholds #wage war #we live in the world #Weapons

[biblebloodhound]

Thanksgiving Day (Psalm 100)

Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise.

By Rochelle Blumenfeld Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth.    Serve the Lord with gladness;    come into his presence with singing. Know that the Lord is God.    It is he who made us, and we are his;    we are his people and the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving    and his courts with praise.    Give thanks to him; bless his name. For the Lord is good;    his…

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#faithfulness #give thanks #god&039;s faithfulness #god&039;s steadfast love #god&039;s love #knowing christ #knowing god #knowledge of god #praise #praise the lord #psalm 100 #psalms #psalms of praise #psalms of thanksgiving #spiritual life #thankful #thankfulness #thanking god #thanksgiving #thanksgiving day #worship

[penmanshipeb]

Those making it into heaven will make that evident in them living differently here while here on earth. And, thhose words have not much to do with attending church but belief in God and in his word.

And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? -1 Peter 4:18

giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: in whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: - Colossians 1:12‭-‬14

#scripture #word of god #knowledge of god #truth #follower of christ #jesus christ #christian motivation #christian blog #christian author #christian living #christian bible #christian faith #thoughts #knowledge #writers on tumblr #christianity #spilled truth #short story #faith in jesus #faith in god #faith #bible teaching #bible lesson #bible truths #biblestudy #bibledaily #bible quote #worship #belief #believe

[officialyourdailyinspiration]

Kolose 1:9 Nítorí ìdí èyí, láti ọjọ́ tí a ti gbọ́ nípa yín, a kò sinmi láti máa gbàdúrà fún yin, tí a sì ń gbàdúrà pé kí Ọlọ́run fi ìmọ̀ ìfẹ́ rẹ̀ kún yín nípasẹ̀ ọgbọ́n àti òye gbogbo tí ń ṣe ti Ẹ̀mí.

(For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives) — Colossians 1:9 | Bíbélì Mímọ́ Yorùbá Òde Òn (BYO) Yoruba Contemporary Bible Copyright © 2009, 2017 by Biblica, Inc.® All rights reserved worldwide. Cross References: 1 Samuel 12:23; Romans 12:2; Ephesians 1:16-17; Ephesians 5:17; Philippians 1:9; Colossians 1:4

#prayer #Colossian Christians #spiritual growth #knowledge of God #God's will #God's wisdom #The Epistle of Colossians #Colossians 1:9 #New Testament #Bíbélì Mímọ́ Yorùbá Òde Òn #BYO #Yoruba Contemporary Bible #Biblica Inc.

[yeslordmyking]

Oh, the depth and riches of the wisdom and the knowledge of God! How unsearchable his... [ Read devo thought and prayer for this Bible verse ]

#God #Jesus #christianity #faith #God's wisdom #God's plan #knowledge of God #study God's word #consumed by God #immersed in God #God's plan for me #follow God's plan #relationship with God #obey God's commands #obedient servant of God #bible verse #heartlight

[maxgicalgirl]

Being a “Fun Fact !” kind of autistic is all fun and games until you get halfway through sharing an interesting tidbit and realize that it probably wasn’t appropriate to share in polite company and now you have to deal with the consequences :(

#autism #neurodivergent #adhd #fun facts #GOD I’m such an idiot #anyways now a 10 year old is out there looking up swear words online and it’s all my fault :( #I got so excited by the fact that I knew a fun fact #that I didn’t stop to think that maybe not everyone knows that fun fact for a reason :( #it’s like explaining how to successfully bury a body at a book club #or explaining the dangers of Scientology to your sister’s boyfriend the first time you meet him #or debating gay sex positions with your best friend in front of your mom #no matter how much I wish to be a beacon of knowledge in this world #sometimes there are things others just don’t want to know #and consciously that’s valid but the autism ? I does not care

[alevelrs]

"Critically discuss the view that Christians can discover truths about God using reason"

36/40, A*

Natural theology is the manner and extent by which God can be known through the natural order. It requires the use of reason, and so is general and inclusive (in that it is accessible to everyone). Many theologians, such as William Paley and Thomas Aquinas argue that God can be known through reason, with Roman Catholicism agreeing and suggesting that God can be known through the 'light of natural theology'. In this essay, I will argue that whilst Christians can discover truths about God using reason, this alone is not sufficient, so revelation is necessary for a full knowledge of God.

William Paley, in his analogy of the watch, proposes a strong argument for God's existence using nature. He argues that if we found a watch on a heath, we could infer that this is not a natural occurrence for it is so different from the naturally occurring components of the health and has intricacy and design, therefore it must have a creator - the watchmaker. In the same way, when we observe the universe, we can see that it's unique and has purpose and regularity, therefore there must be a designer: God. So, by using reason alone, we can deduce that God is the creator of the universe, discovering truths about him.

Paley's argument is an example of a design argument, which Aquinas also proposes in his fifth way. He observes that the universe has a purpose, telos, and agrees that it can only be achieved with a guiding presence: God. Richard Swinburne agrees with this suggestion. He argues that the world shows order, regularity and purpose, and so there must be an intelligent being behind it. Aquinas also has three cosmological arguments in which he argues that everything in the universe has a cause, or a mover, or a necessary being, which is God. He says that a study of natural theology leads to an 'introduction of God's sublime power, and consequently inspires reverence for God in human hearts'. Therefore, he is arguing that truths about God are discoverable through reason. Natural theology is also supported in the Bible where it says 'the Heavens declare the glory of God; the Heavens proclaim the work of God's hands. Here it is argued that by observing the universe, we can conclude that God exists, and He is the one that created the universe.

The problem with natural theology is that although it can argue the existence of God, this is the only truth about God that Christians can discover through it. The study of nature cannot teach us about God's qualities*. God could be evil, hence the flaws in the universe, or there could be more than one God. God could have created the universe years ago and abandoned it, or God could be unintelligent. Roman philosopher Cicero argued that humans have always had a sense of divinity despite what era they lived in, or their culture/traditions. However, this again doesn't reveal anything apart from the fact God exists: the Romans interpreted God much different to Christians.

*teacher comment: can't it?

Calvin agreed with Cicero in that everyone had a subjective 'sensus divinitas' (seed of divinity) which was an innate sense of God which had the potential to grow into informed truth. However there are consequences to this subjective approach, so whilst reason can be used to discover truths about God, revelation is also necessary to have a full knowledge. The first consequence is the universality of religion: religion can degenerate into idolatry without Christianity, which for example, occurred in Roman timed where sacrifices to statues took place. Next is a troubled conscience: whilst we know that God exists, we do not know what is right and wrong and so may make immoral decisions. Finally, we may develop a servile fear of God which is not taught in Christianity, making revelation necessary.

Because natural theology only gives us a limited knowledge of God, it is necessary to take a leap of faith, and gain a revealed knowledge of God. This is specific, doctrinal and exclusive to Christians as it relies on revelation and suggests God can only be known when He lets Himself be known. Many Christians agree that reason can be used to gain some knowledge, but it must be used in conjunction to faith, which is a virtue. Aquinas argued that faith both compliments and differs from other kinds of knowledge, because it doesn't have certainty and so is a choice. The view that faith is necessary alongside reason is supported in the Bible where it says 'we have come to know and come to believe that you are the Holy one of God.'

Within the Bible, God also reveals truths about Himself to His prophets such as when He tells Abraham to sacrifice his son and saves Moses from the burning bush. These are examples of immediate revelation, where God makes Himself directly known. Mediate revelation is when knowledge of God is gained through other people, such as those who trusted Moses to take them to the promised land. These truths cannot be known through reason, thus revelation is necessary.

The most common view is that reason and revelation complement each other: they are both necessary and both reveal truths about God. Faith is not held in a vacuum but builds upon the knowledge we gain through reason: the fact we live, breathe and eat are all evidence of God. Robert Boyle argues that God has two great books: the natural world and the Bible. They have the same author, and both reveal knowledge of God and so are complementary. These views are supported by Polkinghome and Bonaventure, who aregue that we have several eyes or ways of 'seeing' God that need to work together for us to discover truths about Him.

However Karl Barth, who builds upon St Augustine's argument, suggests that truths about God can never be discovered through reason. He argues that our reason is so distorted because of the Fall, we cannot know God through our own human efforts. Natural knowledge is unnecessary because God fully revealed Himself through Christ, which tells us everything we need to know about Him.

This argument is not one supported by the Bible - the Bible doesn't distinguish between natural and revealed theology, suggesting God communicates in many ways. For example, the Bible suggests using reason by traditional wisdom is a means to understanding God, such as where it says 'trust in the Lord with all of your heart [...] and He will make your pain straight'. Of course, the Bible also stresses that revealed theology is important, such as in Genesis when God revealed Jacob in a dream, but the point is, by complementary dismissing natural theology, you are dismissing the words of the Bible.

Also linking back to Aquinas's five ways, God gave us the ability to use our natural knowledge for a reason. Kant's argument is dangerous because it encourages people to be lazy and rely on faith alone, rather than seeking certainty through observation. Richard Dawkins argues that belief in God through faith alone is foolish, similar to belief in the tooth fairy: it cannot be conclusively disproved but there is no reason to support the argument and so there is no reason to commit. David Hume also argued that we shouldn't allow faith or superstition to cloud our judgement; we need to look at empirical evidence to decide what to believe.

In conclusion, whilst I agree that reason can allow us to discover truths about God, this is only to a certain extent. Therefore, the use of revealed theology is necessary, and should be used in conjunction to natural theology for a balanced approach towards leaning about God.

teacher comments: This essay gets better as it progresses! The start is very 'arguments' topic - reduce this part; the end is full of information! You have answered the set question, but I'd like some examples of different 'truths'.

14/16 + 22/24 = 36/40 A*

#bonaventure #polkinghome #robert boyle #a level religious studies #a level revision #a levels #ocr religious studies #ocr rs #religious studies #ocr religious studies essay #ocr rs example essay #karl barth #st augustine #knowledge of god #richard dawkins #david hume

[scripture-pictures]

#how much more #knowledge of god #hosea 6:6 #desires of god #give to god what god wants #give to ceasar what ceasar wants #daily bread #nightly bread #god is love #bible

[tabernacleheart]

Had ye believed in agnosticism ye would have believed in God, and had ye believed in God ye would have believed in agnosticism. Is not that paradoxical? Far from it; it is by keeping close company with Jesus Christ that we begin to know that God is unknowable, that He has kept some things wholly to Himself, that there is no searching of His understanding, and that He can only be knowable by condescension and by revelation. God is unknowable, but God has the power to make Himself known in the degree in which our capacity can receive Him. [Now] keep steadily in mind what the purpose of this meditation is, namely, to show that a right belief at the beginning [allows for such a capacity, and as it grows] compels a man to add to that belief everything that is kindred and cognate to its own quality and its own purpose... one belief necessitates another, [and] faith grows towards more faith in the degree in which it is originally true, intelligent, and sincerely held. [Thus] the great religion of the Bible takes into itself– by an absorption vindicated by fact and by spiritual righteousness– all that is true, beautiful, musical, benevolent, philanthropic; it will not allow one daisy to fall out of its lap, and it has accommodation enough for the planets. Know that your first faith is right, because you are growing in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. [Yet] have we faith? The spirit of faith longs for more worlds for faith to conquer. Lord, increase our faith; give us vision after vision of Thy loveliness and Thy majesty, and give these visions to us, not in response to our vanity, intellectual or moral, but in response to an earnest desire to know somewhat more of the vastness of Thy kingdom, and the beneficence of Thine empire.

Joseph Parker

#Joseph parker #Faith #Agnosticism #reflect on this #Beauty #Truth #Goodness #Christianity #this is why i love being catholic #the kingdom of god #Knowledge of God #Divine mysteries

[melvingaines]

The Church Deals with Mind and Heart - Audio Message - September 3, 2023

https://akronalliance.sermon.net/22169468 Pastor Gus Brown

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#deprave #heart #Jesus #knowledge #knowledge of God #mind

[2sfa]

The Glory Of God In The Face Of Jesus

For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 4:6

https://www.upliftingchrist.net/glory-of-god-in-christ

#son of god #glory of god #knowledge of god