Are modern Christians more spiritually advanced than Christians of yesteryear?

Question

Do modern Chrisitans better understand the Bible than Christians of the 1600s?

Answer 1

In the 1600's the majority of the people could not read, they had to have it read to them. In fact, in order to maintain control over the people, the Vatican made it illegal for the ordinary man to even own a bible because they wrongfully assumed that the ordinary man did not have the authority from god to interpret the scriptures for themselves. Even today, there is an office in the vatican whose sole responsibility is to interpret and set doctrine for the church, and it can not be questioned.
I myself am a christian, but I know one thing. Knowledge of the bible does not make you spiritually advanced. It is how you live your life according to scriptures (in all it entails) that makes you a mature and spiritual christian. And as we all know, there are way to many of us out there who claim to be christians but who do not live up to the name.

Answer 2

The bible says that the "bright light that is getting lighter" and that we are fed "food at the proper time". We now understand prophecies and/or have seen their fulfillment.

So I would say yes, plus in the 1600, most people did not own a bible or were not allowed to own a bible. Dark Ages. Those who tried to study the scriptures and did not agree with the Catholic Church were usually hunted down and killed.

Even the bible writers did not know or understand what they were writing. Daniel was told "Go, Daniel, because the words are made secret and sealed up until the time of the end."

Answer 3

Yes and no. The Bible is easier to believe today due to the advance of science. Ex: virgin birth is possible today; a great flood has been prouven to have happened;etc. In 1600s people had to accept these on faith alone.
But modern Christians know little of persecution, sacrifice,and hardship. This makes some "soft Christians" who have never experienced the struggles early Christians did. Thus many give lip service to the Bible but are content to lead mediocre lives.

Answer 4

Its a good question and a difficult one to answer too. I personally think the answer to ur question is a 'Yes' . Back in the yester years, a completely different trend/ approach to religion/God was made which was entirely different from the present century. More of a passivity or blind obedience characterized till the turn of the 19th century. They had their advantages/ disadvantages in their own way. 20th century witnessed the rise of anti establishment movements and more and more people dared to question what they had been taught. And the results were extremes too. Spiritual people became more spiritual and the rest walked towards more decadence. So the result are confusing . Its kind of jumbled up. But I personally feel that a group of people who are more spiritually advanced/conscious is on the rise.

Answer 5

Yay and Nay

Yay, because WE NOW HAVE ACCESS to the Scripture, and can read it for ourselves and have the Holy Spirit guide us in our understanding.

and

Nay, perhaps the understanding is dulled due to rising false gods and religions, and thus the giving way to place immense theories to doubt the Inerrant Word of GOD. Until folks understand that the personal and corporate revelation of the SCRIPTURE can only come about by FIRST accepting Jesus as Lord, because the word is "foolishness to them who are perishing"~~~

Idk......I guess, overall....YAY. Because we have the history behind us, the archaeological findings, the sciences, the bible scholars, and the whole world stage of the past--to see that all that HE said would come to pass....HAS, and the very few prophecies yet to be fulfilled are very near to their fulfillment. We do have the advantage versus the 1600's I believe.

Answer 6

Some do. Some do not. In the 1600's, few actually owned a Bible. But I'd say that there are a lot of 'modern Christians' who at best are lazy and at worst are frauds. The faith of some in the past was so great that they followed Jesus unto death. And while there are some still today that are relentless in their love of Jesus, there are a lot who would not even get out of their easy chair to go to church.

Answer 7

Oh God! Absolutely not. I have never seen so much Biblical illiteracy in my entire life as you see today.
Why? Because people go to churches that either do not teach Scriptures at all, or else they listen to some pastor/priest/teacher who doesn't have knowledge in the manuscripts, and/or is unlearned in the Biblical languages, both of which are absolutely essential.
And, people would rather just listen to the pastor than to take the time to study the Word. The result of this, according to Scripture, is that in the end, the mass majority of church going christians will be deceived thinking that the one who has come is Jesus Christ, come to rapture them away and out of danger.
Actually, that one will be Satan come disguised as Christ - and God says if you want to believe that garbage, he will even allow you to be even more deluded so you will believe that lie. Sounds mean, but hey - if someone chooses to listen to man instead of God, they deserve being deceived. Millions will be. Thats written.
So as time goes on, you will find that less and less people will understand the Bible, not more. Thats prophetic, and its happening right before our eyes. Those with eyes that see and ears that hear the truth, will not need to escape anything, because its just lies that need escaping from.
The short answer to your question: No.

Answer 8

Maybe in some things and perhaps not in others. True understanding does not come apart from knowing God. I am not terribly familiar with Christian belief circa 1600 to give a truly insightful answer.

Answer 9

I, regrettably, agree. i detect that pagans, shamans or different people who've a miles less socially common relgious concept are many times so lots greater adherend to their faith and greater powerful knowledgeable and greater spiritually progressed. If the have been purely sheep they could have muddled by like something of religously common society. yet you will discover that working example Christians in non-christian international locations are so lots greater knowledgeable and progressed than their non-christian opposite numbers. hence i could state that there are people who're no longer non secular, purely pretending to be by ability of following their community mainstream and masking up their lack of understanding by ability of blaming others and being very loud. There additionally are people who do opt to enhance themselves and discover ways to understand the universe, the writer and their function in existence. As a collection and as persons they're going to opt to loose themselves from the hypocrit mainstream and hence are attracted to much less mainstream and much less corrupted religious practices.

Answer 10

Percentage wise of the population, I would guess that they were.
Reason being, although there were obviously the off-the-wall groups even then, there was less of a diversity, and less philosophical head games than there are now.
I hate to say it, but even a random reading of some of the things different professing Christians have written on this site proves there is an insanely huge difference among us.