about prophets?

Question

isn't it really hearsay? God speaks to ONE guy in the desert, he then tell a bunch of other people and years after he dies someone writes it all down....and that is the 100% perfect word of god?

why just one guy in one place?

it does not seem like a good way to transmit such an important message. It then comes down, not so much to trusting god, but trusting this guy who may or may not have spoke with god.
It does not seem fair to make humans have to choose which of the people who claim to speak for god is the true one. What if you are just dumb and choose wrong because you don't know any better....?

I would agree with Matt.

Answer 1

You're asking about prophets? Or Scripture?

Assuming you're asking about Scripture in general, despite the subject line. So...going to answer that way. But this will also apply to prophets.

::isn't it really hearsay?::

Not really. It's oral tradition passed down from generation to generation then written down in several different forms and combined. Textual evidence shows that some books likely have one author while other books have several.

::God speaks to ONE guy in the desert, he then tell a bunch of other people and years after he dies someone writes it all down....and that is the 100% perfect word of god?::

I don't interpret it quite that way. Not sure why you think that's how it should be done. Your way of interpreting Scripture does not make much sense to me.

::why just one guy in one place? ::

Several people in several places over more than 1000 years - that's what Scripture is made up of. And it's stories of several people's experiences of God. Not just one person's experience. It seems like you never read anything except part of Exodus, so that may be the difficulty. Moses is not the only character in the Bible. He's not even the only character in Exodus.

::It does not seem like a good way to transmit such an important message. It then comes down, not so much to trusting god, but trusting this guy who may or may not have spoke with god. ::

It has more to do with trusting God and yourself, actually. One has an experience of God. Then that person reflects on the experience. Scripture helps us understand other peoples' experiences with God. When we understand other peoples' experiences, we can understand our own a lot more clearly.

It's like if you were in a situation where you were having trouble with a boyfriend/girlfriend. You would be able to reflect on your own experiences, but you would also be able to learn from another person's experience. It does not mean you will have the exact same experience as that person. In fact, it won't mean that. But you will be able to understand that experience if you reflect your own.

::It does not seem fair to make humans have to choose which of the people who claim to speak for god is the true one. What if you are just dumb and choose wrong because you don't know any better....?::

Then why are you making them chose that? Your concept of religion says "you must chose the right one." I think what you need to do is change your concept of religion then things will be a lot clearer.

Matt

Answer 2

Their are tests of prophecy. The biggest one is that it comes to pass.

For current day prophets the tests are.

1. Does it agree with the Bible?

2. Does it bear good fruit(have a positive effect on the hearers)?

3. Does it come to pass?

4. Is there a witness in the Spirits of other known and tested prophets?(do others have a similar or confirming word)

Answer 3

The word 'mantis' is another word for 'prophet'. Need I say more?
Hos 9:8 ...as for the prophet, a fowler's snare is in all his ways, and enmity in the house of his God.
This is clearly not the image we tend to get today about 'prophets'. It is little wonder they were persecuted if this scripture in Hosea is true.
Watch a praying mantis sometime and see for yourself:
honeybees are their favorite prey. The bees are such easy pickin's! It's so easy for the mantis to lurk beneath a flower...
the bees, being inexperienced and nearsighted, never see it coming.

Answer 4

Matthew 24:23-27 warns about false prophets.

At that time if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Messiah!' or, 'There he is!' do not believe it. For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you ahead of time.
"So if anyone tells you, 'There he is, out in the wilderness,' do not go out; or, 'Here he is, in the inner rooms,' do not believe it. For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.

In James 1:14, it says that epithumia draws people out or drags them away. Epithumia means turning about sudden periods of rage or passion that are maddening like wine. (www.blueletterbible.org) This is the opposite imagery to prophecy, which is fulfilled, carried out or brought to realisation. Epithumia, which we are supposed to crucify with pathema (inner afflictions or sufferings) - Galatians 5:24, is not the stuff of prophecy. Prophets do not address people's epithumia concerns. Jesus already did that. Prophecy concerns big societal issues. Rehabilitation of family is a primary focus of it. See the last words of Malachi. Charity/agape love is also a big one. See John the Baptiser's message to Jews who came to him for baptism and Jesus' words in Matthew 25:35, 36. Beware cults who offer housing, childcare, cuppa chats with widows and start-up for cleaning businesses - everything but advice for how to deal with family concerns.

Here are a couple.
Proverbs 29:20 - don't speak hastily.
1 Timothy 5:22 - don't put hands on people hastily.
Psalms 37:5, 6 - commit your way to the Lord.

Answer 5

Hbr 1:1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,
Hbr 1:2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by [his] Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;

Answer 6

Because it is all BS...Got it? BS, plain and simple! Show me a prophet, preacher, minister, priest, witch doctor or anyone who claims knowledge of God and the hereafter and I will show you a complete Phony!

Answer 7

those times are over perfection is just to down the line it seems that with every decade we have people have just down graded and just don't see that there was a GOD but not to worry prophets are nonexistent these days beware people will disguise themselves as prophets just to get your money

Answer 8

And he seems to always target the illiterates. The Jews just repeated everything to each other, because they couldn't write. Jesus never wrote anything, so he was probably illiterate. Mohamed had to get someone else to write the Quran. Joseph Smith also had to get someone else to write his junk.

Answer 9

Mormons have lots of prophets. I guess anyone can say that God is talking thru them.

Answer 10

god speaks to everybody.