I believe that the Flood was the symbollic precursor of baptism. Just as the earth was cleansed from sin by the flood, so by water are we cleansed from Original Sin. So my question is, do you believe in a literal Flood story, or do you believe it to be symbollic?
2006-10-26 11:24:55 · 23 answers · asked by Nowhere Man 6 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
candi, I believe the rainbow to by a symbollic representation of saying "I'm sorry". I believe that God is sorry for holding mankind responsible for Original Sin, but he won't reverse it, because we read in Numbers 23:19 that God doesn't repent, or change his mind.
2006-10-26 11:40:39 · update #1
For those saying baptism doesn't remove sin, the Bible says "Be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission (forgiveness) of sin."
2006-10-26 11:42:16 · update #2
I believe it to be 100% accurate. Partly because other religions have the same story just different characters, and partly because I believe the Bible to be inerrant.
2006-10-26 11:26:42 · answer #1 · answered by Courtney B 2 · 4⤊ 1⤋
I believe that God did flood the earth. A lot of things changed after the flood including the human lifespan. However, I also believe that the waters of the flood symbolize the baptismal waters. In 1 Peter 4:18-21 it states, "For Christ died for sins once and for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit, through whom also He went and preached to spirits in prison who disobeyed long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, and this water symbolizes the baptism that now saves you also--not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a good concience toward God."
2006-10-26 18:54:25 · answer #2 · answered by Blake D 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
The flood happened. It is the Word of God. One of the five books of Moses. Who is a true prophet of God. It is a literal story. That also has symbolic meaning.
Water baptism was done in the Jordon river that led to the dead sea. It is the baptism of repentence to prepare the way of the Lord.
We aren't cleansed from original sin by water. We are cleansed by the Blood of Jesus Christ, who shed His own blood for the remission of our sins. We are water baptised to represent the old man sins is washed away and the new man in Christ is alive forever more. It represents the spiritual rebirth.
We are to wash our minds in the Word of God. Also be renewed in the Spirit from time to time.
2006-10-26 18:34:51 · answer #3 · answered by t_a_m_i_l 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
If you are referring to baptism as the way to salvation, that is not what the bible says. Baptism is our OUTWARD expression of faith to God. But it is believing on the cross that Jesus died for us and rose again that we are saved. We are forgiven through the blood of Christ.
The bible tells us to believe first, then it is obedience to be baptized in water. I believe the flood was LITERAL. Just as the Bible says it is.
Mark 16:16
Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever
Acts 8:12
But when they believed Philip as he preached the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.
Acts 8:13
Simon himself believed and was baptized. And he followed Philip everywhere, astonished by the great signs and miracles he saw.
Acts 8:12-14 (in Context) Acts 8 (Whole Chapter)
--And God sent the flood because of sin in the world- Yes. He destroyed everything in it because of all the sin....There are a lot of cool symbolisms in the Bible, with the Old Testament and New Testament- a lot of ties- I love when I see that!
2006-10-26 18:33:48 · answer #4 · answered by Mandolyn Monkey Munch 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Honestly, I don't think I've decided yet. I do see that same symbolism too, and I've been toying with the posibility that the world was flooded as far as Noah could tell while floating about for as long as he did.
...but I don't know, I'm not entirely convinced either way. Right now, I just try to find the princples (baptism, trust in God, etc), and work on applying those to my life.
2006-10-26 18:32:09 · answer #5 · answered by daisyk 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Oooohhh. this is a tough one. First of all, I would ask yourself if you believe the Bible in general is meant to be taken literally or figuratively as a whole. That might solve your dilemma. I personally do believe in the flood story, perhaps not as a "world wide" flood, but as in the polar ice caps melted, dramatically raising the sea levels, created a situation where most of the land was underwater....this leads however, to the story of the rainbow....which was supposed to be God's covenant with Noah that he would never flood the world again for this purpose in this way.
I've never thought of the flood as being a symbolic precursor of baptism, but it makes total sense. Props to you!
2006-10-26 18:29:03 · answer #6 · answered by alice27 3 · 2⤊ 1⤋
The earth was not cleansed of sin by the flood. The earth cannot sin. Man, because of sin, was removed from the earth by the flood, except for Noah and his family.
It is by the blood of Jesus that we are cleansed of original sin, not water. When we are born again with a new spirit, we are born of the incorruptible seed of Jesus. This does away with the corruptible seed of Adam and death caused by sin. This is the reason we are "out with the old and in with the new". As a new creation we are no longer under the curse of Adam. Jesus has truly done it all for us. This is why we can be overcomers in all things, He who is in us is greater than he who is in the world.
Yes, I beleive in the literal flood story.
2006-10-26 18:45:44 · answer #7 · answered by David R 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I don't believe the biblical account of the flood was symbolic. For one, unless the bible leaves no other option than to be credited as allegorical, one should take it at face value and trust what is being stated is indeed the truth. Secondly there are many accounts of a worldwide flood in other cultures that line up with the biblical account.
2006-10-26 18:32:49 · answer #8 · answered by jeramie1980_80223 1 · 1⤊ 1⤋
BOTH.
Your theory is impressive, and I can go for that. But, I know when the Bible says God told Noah to build an Ark...and God even went to the extent to put
God Bless
2006-10-26 18:31:38 · answer #9 · answered by candi k 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
The literal flood story is impossible to believe. But if you believed it, I guess you would also have to believe in evolution as well.
There is no possible way that Noah could have got all of the world's animals (in pairs) onto a large wooden boat.
The animal kingdom is too diverse.
I bring up the evolution reference because think about it...how many species of snake are there on this planet? you think Noah went out and got cobras, pythons, anacondas, western diamond back rattlesnakes. There is NO WAY he could have gathered that many species of snakes (let alone other animals). So if the 'Flood' wiped out all life on earth, those animals would have to have 'evolved' to the diverse animal population that we have today.
2006-10-26 18:43:48 · answer #10 · answered by mesquitemachine 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
We are cleansed from sin by trusting in the Lord Jesus and what He did on Calvary's cross.....WATER cannot erase sin!
Read Ephesians 2:8-9
P.S. The flood was NOT symbolic!
2006-10-26 18:28:34 · answer #11 · answered by lookn2cjc 6 · 4⤊ 1⤋