when the context consumes the point

Watch out that the context is not used to negate the point. Whenever someone makes a point you want to smooth over and loosen the strength of the argument illustrated by the point, there is one place to go, and that is the context. The context is often used to gloss over the point and redirect it somewhere else other than the point itself. The context harnesses the point to ostensibly highlight the true point that was not evident in the point, but in the context. Any intense emphasis on the context to the lack of emphasis of the point can do all this with impunity for many. However, I am taking the stand that when it comes to Jesus the point is the emphasis to begin with and that the context is designed to either strengthen the point or merely bring pure gingerbread to set off the point. Therefore I would maintain that Jesus' utterance is the point and He is the context out of which the point rises.

Christian atheism, the thorn in the church

Very few believe everything the Holy Spirit recorded in the Bible. This especially relates to faith. Many people seem to live forever in their waking concrete conscious and never seem aware of their unconscious, or their abstract spirit deep within. The former they generally think they control, but the latter is a mystery of the first order and little considered. Count how many times Jesus says over and over, ask and it shall be given. Ask anything of the Father and He will give it you, etc., on and on it seems. Jesus offers no suggestion of limits and in case one were to consider one Jesus cuts it off by saying that if anyone had enough faith they could move a mountain.


On the other hand, once and one time only, Paul, not Jesus, Paul, says God told him His grace was sufficient. Against so many this is very often the belief preferred. And so the power of Jesus, of God, is limited, stopped entirely even. If one cannot shake out entirely the belief in Christ, the next best thing is to cut off the power of Christ. While the lips are very close the heart is far from Jesus, as it is said.


On top of this, look at the last verses in John when Jesus tells Peter to mind his own business. This is when Jesus says that if He told this man (John) what has that to do with you (Peter). Is this not the same with Paul? What God tells Paul, what has that to do with us? The promises of Jesus seem so much greater to be desired, yet unbelief ignores them entirely. The churches are full of those who believe in Jesus but by limiting the power and the promises of God we are left with their unbelief that causes one to wonder if this cannot be called a Christian atheist view?

we all speak for our own benefit

If someone agrees with you there is no incentive to improve and reveal new insights. Always be ready, the Bible tells the Christian, to be able to justify why you believe the way you do. This is for our benefit more so than for the benefit of another. They can take care of their own mote, we got a beam to deal with in our own. Which is why we point this all in the first place. We try to convince someone else more so to convince ourselves.