many in here ask why does God allow suffering? By answering the above question I hope it will help those that ask such questions as to Gods real purpose.
2006-12-23 22:49:51 · 18 answers · asked by fire 5 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Tricky guy. Jesus said his kingdom is not of this world, so I guess it's true the devil is in charge here. Explains a lot doesn't it?
2006-12-23 22:53:28 · answer #1 · answered by jackie 6 · 7⤊ 0⤋
Until Jesus return, Satan actually does own all the kingdoms of the world. He can do a great deal to help those he wants in powerful positions get there. Don't take me wrong, all Satan can do is put things in peoples minds and try and make them believe something that isn't necessarily so. He has no power at all over Christians, but unfortunately not all are Christian.
2006-12-24 07:01:39 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
It is true that Jesus created everything (John 1:1-3). Therefore Satan does not own it, but he is in control here for a while, but his end is all planned out and will come soon. However,if Christ had bowed to Satan and taken the world back that way, then Jesus would no longer be able to die as a substitution for our sins. So in rebuking Satan, Christ kept himself sinless and able to pay your debt, enabling a way for you to get into Heaven.
Yeah, I guess it does reveal God's true purpose.
2006-12-24 07:04:48 · answer #3 · answered by Maine-iac 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
In ancient Jewish tradition Satan is simply an angel doing the work that God assigned to Satan to do.
The word Satan means challenger. With the idea of Satan challenging us, or tempting if you will. This description sees Satan as the angel who is the embodiment of man's challenges. This idea of Satan works closely with God as an integral part of Gods plan for us. His job is to make choosing good over evil enough of a challenge so that it becomes clear to us that there can be only one meaningful or logical choice.
Contrast this to Christianity, which sees Satan as God's opponent. In Jewish thought, the idea that there exists anything capable of setting itself up as God's opponent would be considered polytheistic or setting up the devil to be an equally powerful polarity to god or a demigod.
Oddly, proof for The Christian satan/devil mythology is supposedly found in the ancient Jewish texts that were borrowed to create the bible. One can’t help but wonder how Christians came up with such a fantastically different interpretation of Gods assistant Satan in their theology.
Other hints about Satan’s role in human relations can be seen if you look at the name Lucifer. It’s meaning in the original tongue translates as Light bearer or light bringer. Essentially the bringer of enlightenment. The temptations of the Satan idea bring all of us eventually into Gods light. Hardly the Evil entity of Christian mythology.
Love and blessings
don
2006-12-24 23:11:51 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
He couldn't have if they did not belong to him, it would not have been a temptation if it was not his to offer, and if that was wrong and if satan was not the owner of all the kingdoms of the world Jesus would have said so, but he did not dispute the fact, this shows that Satan is the ruler of this world, it means, that the things that are going on in the world are in his charge and he is the one responsible for what is happening in the world today and in the past! 2Corinthians4:4 says that satan is the god of this system of things and that he is blinding the minds of people, and by blinding people with false teachings he misleads them away from God and claims their worship for himself, this is how he gets the worship that he desired in the beginning of his taking action on his desire to be worshiped
2006-12-24 07:00:08 · answer #5 · answered by I speak Truth 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
A very good question and not easy to answer. What he was offering Jesus were HIS (Satan's) kingdoms, ie Satan's followers; sinners.
He was trying to tempt Jesus to avoid his death, what he came to do. This is because he knew that if Jesus surrendered to death on the cross, he would be the perfect sacrifice that would take away the sins of the world. (Of course Satan did not want THAT.)
Jesus was God the Son, and there could not be a more perfect sacrifice than God himself. So all other sacrifices would be done away with. Sinners would be saved without the need for any other sacrifice, like lambs etc. which was the custom in Judaism at that time. From then on, all they would need to do was to believe in Jesus, ie to follow Him. That is why we sometimes call Jesus "the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world."
He was actually saying to Jesus, if you follow my ways, ie glory, power, etc., I will surrender all my followers to you. But that was one of Satan's tricks. He knew that if he persuaded Jesus to use his power to feed all the hungry people, give a great sign, make himself famous, etc., people would follow him and repent because of these signs, but that was only the people of Jesus' time. What about the people of the past and the future whom Jesus also came to save? Only his death would do this, his sacrifice of his body and blood.
As to why God allows suffering, you must remember that much of the suffering in this life is as a result of man's inhumanity to man and this happens because God has given us freedom, the freedom to choose between good and evil.
However, it is true that God actually sends suffering upon us in various forms and and at various times. This is to:
-punish us
-test us
-correct us
-bring us back to Him.
The fourth one may seem rather puzzling, but I am sure that you know from your experience of life that the only times that some people get on their knees to pray to God, or utter a prayer to God is when they encounter problems in their lives. He wants us to be close to him always, to speak to him; so sometimes he sends us some form of encouragement to do so.
2006-12-24 07:32:49 · answer #6 · answered by Palamino 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Adam traded all that he was given by God ... dominion over the earth ... to Satan ... in exchange for the knowledge of good and evil.
It was a fool's bargain.
When Satan arranged for his evil minions to crucify Jesus, he went too far, and all that he had gained from Adam's sin was legitimately taken away from him.
But the effects of that original sin still linger, and will continue to do so, until this age is complete.
2006-12-24 09:30:38 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
For the time being, satan is the prince of this world. However it is his only for a short time. Besides, we are discussing the father of lies, he probaly offered Jesus some ocean front property in Arizona too.
2006-12-24 06:57:45 · answer #8 · answered by mortgagegirl101 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Satan was given dominion over this world, he is referred to in the bible as "the prince of the air", meaning earth, through the atmosphere.
2006-12-24 07:30:41 · answer #9 · answered by lost and found 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
2co 4:4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God should shine unto them.
2006-12-24 07:34:33 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋