Yet another question about taking the bible literally...?

Question

Christians, and again I'll say, I'm only interested in serious mature responses, please don't waste you time leaving hateful or smart as$ remarks , no one is going to be impressed.

I wanted to know if any christians believe the miracles of the bible happened word for word the way the bible describes them and why?

Also if you believe in them, why don't we see things like that today?

Here are some examples....
Burning of Sodom And Gomorrah
Moses recieving the Ten Commandments
Satan Shows Jesus all the kingdoms of the world from a mountain (the earth is round, which would make this impossible.)
Immaculate Conception
Parting of the Red Sea
The Great Flood.

Please, MATURE ANSWERS ONLY

Answer 1

I take the Bible literally. If you do not believe part of it, then it becomes possible to not believe any of it. God is the author and I don't doubt anything He said.

Answer 2

Miracles do still happen! People are given blessings and healed all the time and there are others that are just not made public because they are sacred and do not need to be ridiculed. The great flood will not happen again because God promised Noah that he would never flood the earth again. The parting of the Red Sea was a one time thing as they were fleeing Egypt but God will once again save the Jews from there enemies at His second coming. The immaculate conception can only happen once because there's only one Begotten Son. Obviously, Satan showing Jesus all the Kingdoms was with the Savior and the adversary and do you really believe that Satan's power is so limited that he can only show what would be visible from his current position. Modern revelation does still happen and God has given more commandments than just ten. There are over 300 alone in the Old Testament. He always lets his people know what His will is. The Buring of Sodom and Gomarrah hasn't happened but who's to say that a city won't become so wicked that it could happen again. It's a good question and my response would be miracles do still happen. Modern revelation is still on the earth and God does still love and help His people.

Answer 3

Are you sure God has not shown us such great things?
1)The burning of Sodom and Gomorrah. How about the fall of the twin towers on 9/11?
2) Moses receiving the ten commandments. Joseph Smith receiving the Book of Mormon.
3) Satan showing Jesus the earth was round: We can see it every day on TV or the Internet isn't that truly a miracle too?
4) Immaculate Conception: Every day Artificial Insemination takes place in the world today with out any fuss why would it be so strange if God used that means?
5) Parting of the red sea: The water leaving its bounds and killing thousands just happened a few years ago now, Yes that was something that has been predicted in the bible also.
6) Well as far as the Great Flood we will have to wait for the return of Jesus before something of such magnitude is accomplished. But we already know it will be by fire and we know we as humans already have the capability of doing it. which is Something that would never even been dreamed of 100 years ago.

Answer 4

I'm a christian, and I'm proud of it. Sure, I was raised believing the things I do, but as a teenager, I rebelled. I asked, I researched other religions and I came to my own opinion of the things I read. I take this same opinion of everything. I believe the bible was written by men that were influenced by GOD. There are some who don't believe any of it (Bible). Some that think only portions are true. Some just gave up and made their own book. Do, I take the bible, literal? Yes, to a point. Like the examples, you gave. Most of those have been scientifically explained and historically acknowledged. The burning of Sodom and Gomorrah has been solved and found. The Immaculate Conception can now be done. Hello!! In Vitro Fertilization. They did not have that, then. But, it is possible. Think logically, when you read the Bible. It was written long ago. Their concept of reality was completely different than ours. So, if you have a problem with some of the miracles in My Holy Bible, than you are the one missing the point.

Answer 5

Well I know that I'm no Christian but I'm sure I could explain some of those 'miracles' to you...one, the "Red Sea" first off, we don't know if it said "Red Sea" or the "Reeds Sea" Well anyway, it could have been any number of things, from an underwater earthquake that made a tsunami (and if people don't understand the nature of tsunami's, think of a tidal wave, the water recedes, then crashes down back on the beach) so when the "Red" Sea was "parted" it was really a tsunami about to hit, and when the Pharaohs army was crossing, boom big water crushes them...second, Sodom and Gomorrah could have just been a big fire? The Satan showing Jesus thing could have been a hallucination, and the Great Flood was either of the following, one, a very good bed time story told around the word, or two, when the Neolithic peoples were camped around the Dead Sea, the Mediterranean burst in and then drowned the whole of the camp, (we have some proof of that as there ARE settlements down there that was actually dated back to the Neolithic time period) and so when the survivors spread throughout the world, they brought the stories of that flood.

Answer 6

Yes, but as to Satan showing Jesus all the kingdoms of the world, this was not a miracle (a miracle is a thing that can only be accomplished by God, or through His intermediary through His power). However, as Jesus was led into the wilderness by the Spirit in order to be tempted, it is possible that all the kingdoms of the world (the known world of the time or even the entire world) were shown to Him.

As to why, simply because since I wasn't there, I must accept the testimony of those who were. We have courts to determine the truth of events which took place that we did not witness. We rely on the testimony of dependable witnesses to ascertain the truth of events that we, ourselves, did not witness. We do this with history books in school every day and no one bats an eye. Why, then, does everyone get all up in arms with the events of the Bible? The Bible is not the only book that proclaims wonders and miracles performed, but it comes under more fire more than any other book in the history of mankind. If it's so untrue, and so unbelievable, why is it so feared?

Answer 7

Yup.
Because.
You're not seeing.

You don't want much for two points.

It would be necessary to teach you how to read Scripture. Then you would need the revelaton of a prophet and the presence of the Holy Spirit. Then you could see for yourself but would still need to study.

Your literal, my literal and the next persons literal are never the same. Words carry emotional charges and do not strike readers the same way. Scripture means what it says and says what it means. Still, it came by revelation and can't be understood (seen) without revelation. Even physical reality cannot be seen for what it is without spiritual understanding.

Let me touch on the first three things you mention.

As to Sodom and Gomorrah there is no physical evidence that I know of. I believe it took place because the same events are repeating in the spiritual realm today. Because of what I see in the spirit today, based on prophetic word, I know that what took place in Abraham's day is true and about to repeat.

In the case of the Ten Commandments the Lord has given me my own personal copy. They were given to me exactly as they were given to Moses; again according to prophecy. It is because of this experience in present time that I know the events surrounding Moses are true.

I will cover one more. This may be a little easier to see. The world and the earth in Scripture are not always the same. In this case, as in others, the world spoken of is in the heart. What is taking place here is a vision.

The human body is meant to be the temple of the Holy Spirit. The body of Jesus was the first such temple and it was from the pinnacle of that temple that the devil showed him the kingdoms of this world.

The kingdoms of this world have never been matters of geography. Don't think geography think powers. Have you never heard of the world of fashion and entertainmnet, the world of commerce, of government, of sports, the world's great religions? These are some of the kingdoms and those who walk in the spirit see the kingdoms of this day.

Answer 8

1) I believe them because I believe the bible is true.
2) "We" don't see such things today because such things are generally dismissed by the media and the general public. Miracles do happen - including several medically-verifiable healings at Lourdes. Of course, all of the things you mention specifically are not necessary today.
..a) Sodom and Gomorrah - there are no cities that *I* know of where a traveler is homosexually raped by the (nearly) entire male population
..b) 10 commandments - God already gave those. Weren't you listening the first time?
..c) Satan shows - Satan did that once, and he only made that offer to the son of God. Who else rates that much temptation?
..d) Immaculate Conception - again, that was only required once. It will not be required again.
..e) Parting the Red Sea - the next time all of God's people are in serious trouble for 400 years straight, I have no doubt that God will raise up a prophet who will perform whatever miracle is necessary for their salvation, even if it requires one more magnificent than this.
..f) The flood - God promised he would never do this one again. He's kept His promise, hasn't He?

I hope this helps.

Jim, http://www.jimpettis.com/wheel/

Answer 9

Yes, I believe all the miracles in the Bible happened as it states and they are true. Jesus could perform miracles and so could the apostles in order show that they were given these gifts from Jesus. We don't need miracles today because Jesus' teaching and miracles were all recorded for us in the Bible and that's all we need.

And regarding Satan showing Jesus all the kingdoms of the word, Jesus was able to bring the dead back to life and feed 5,000 people with a few fish and loaves of bread. Rest assured, He didn't have any problem seeing the whole world from the mountain top either.

Answer 10

Come on ... Do you really think Christians take everything literally in the Bible? If so, expect dragons with many heads and horns coming out of the sea soon. The Bible needs interpretation.

Some of the stories are literal (burning of Sodom and Gomorrah, ten commandments, immaculate conception, the Flood). Most of what you stated is to be taken literally... they are just reporting stories of actual events.

Other things have to be interpreted (The book of revelations for example).

Answer 11

If God is all powerfull, than all items on the list are possible. The Biblical God tells this over and over. Sodom and Gomorrah was said to be in the middle east. It's location wasn't well described. Any combination of natural disasters could have happened, like meteorite or vulcano or such. Among miracles is rather small.
Now if you were to mention the story of Joshua doing battle, and God stoping the sun so that Joshua could finish the battle. Now there is a miracle. Even slowing the rate of the earths turning would do all kinds of funky things to the magnetism of the earth. And yes as impossible as it may seem to a rational person, who hasn't experienced that kind of event, why shouldn't something like that be impossible for an all powerfull God.
Even though I have an Engineering degree, I believe. I have had a few brushes with the supernatural, enough to know that there is something that we can't see yet.
What makes the Bible believable to me is that except for God and his son Jesus, even the most notable heroes like Moses, David, Abraham, St. Paul were flawed and far from perfect. God doesn't demand perfection from us. He knows we aren't. He wants us to admit to him and ourselves that we aren't perfect, and that we need his saving grace as given to us by Jesus' perfect sacrifice of himself.