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Re: Hello to everyone
Your confusion stems from your ignorance, dear. You can't hope to read the Holy Bible in some casual regard. This love letter from the Creator of the Universe to the simple human is the very Word of God, not some simple Heaving Bosom Romance like Outlander. The love letter isn't meant to be read superficially, or in a dirty way, or as an exercise in egomasturbation, it's meant to be spiritually absorbed, as a catalyst for Real Change. You can't do that by just... reading it. You have to read it with an open heart and with a prayerful resolve to listen to the prompting of the Holy Ghost, whom you can imagine is sitting over your shoulder reading with you.
When one reads the Holy Bible as a whole, as a kind of Spiritual Opus to man, he will no doubt recognize the reference to Psalm 82:6 when Jesus quotes it (John 10:34). The Hebrew word translated "gods" in Psalm 82 is Elohim. It usually refers to the One True God, but it does have other uses. The Psalmist tells us that God presides in the great assembly; he renders judgment among the "gods" (Psalm 82:1). It is clear from the next three verses (Psalm 82:1-8) that the word "gods" refers to magistrates, judges, and other people who hold positions of authority and rule, not a false deity like Thor or Zeus. That would be silly. The Righteous Believer recognizes the purpose of using this particular verbiage. Firstly, God's appointed authority has authority over other human beings. Secondly, the power he wields as a civil authority is to be respected. Thirdly, he derives his power and authority from God Himself, who is pictured as judging the whole earth in verse 8.
The Thoughtful Reader will not be alarmed at this, for he will have come across this expression elsewhere in the Old Testament. For example, when God sent Moses to Pharaoh, He encourage him by saying he had made you Moses like God to Pharaoh, and his brother Aaron will be like his own personal prophet. (Exodus 7:1). And again, the Hebrew word Elohim is translated as "judges" in Exodus 21:6 and 22:8, 9, and 28. You see? Not literal "gods," but figurative "gods." This is an important distinction dear, and one a True Christian™ would not mistake.
The whole point of Psalm 82 is to express the fact that God has appointed men to positions of authority in which they are considered as gods among the people.
If you know this, which you would if you read the Holy Bible as a whole, and understood when Jesus is speaking in context, you'd know that Jesus had just claimed to be the Son of God (John 10:25-30). Jews respond in typical paranoid fashion by charging Jesus with blasphemy. Jesus then quotes Psalm 82:6, reminding them that God is Lord over them in the same way magistrates are lords over their earthly charge. But He goes one further by illustrating the point of difference in this analogy. You see, if those who hold a divinely appointed office can be considered "gods" over others, how much more important and Holy is Jesus (verses 34-36)? The Jews still don't understand, and sadly, it appears you don't either.
Perhaps you've made the mistake Mormons have. Mormons, being nearly as thoughtless and short-sighted as Jews, decided that prayerfully reading the Holy Bible was too hard, so they decided that when the Bible says the word "gods," they might as well read it as "deities." And so they argue they are reading the Holy Bible literally when they say the Bible supports their foolish theology (that men will become gods of their own outer space planets).
I hope that helps, dear, and I hope you open your heart to Christ.
Originally posted by Dorkfeather21
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When one reads the Holy Bible as a whole, as a kind of Spiritual Opus to man, he will no doubt recognize the reference to Psalm 82:6 when Jesus quotes it (John 10:34). The Hebrew word translated "gods" in Psalm 82 is Elohim. It usually refers to the One True God, but it does have other uses. The Psalmist tells us that God presides in the great assembly; he renders judgment among the "gods" (Psalm 82:1). It is clear from the next three verses (Psalm 82:1-8) that the word "gods" refers to magistrates, judges, and other people who hold positions of authority and rule, not a false deity like Thor or Zeus. That would be silly. The Righteous Believer recognizes the purpose of using this particular verbiage. Firstly, God's appointed authority has authority over other human beings. Secondly, the power he wields as a civil authority is to be respected. Thirdly, he derives his power and authority from God Himself, who is pictured as judging the whole earth in verse 8.
The Thoughtful Reader will not be alarmed at this, for he will have come across this expression elsewhere in the Old Testament. For example, when God sent Moses to Pharaoh, He encourage him by saying he had made you Moses like God to Pharaoh, and his brother Aaron will be like his own personal prophet. (Exodus 7:1). And again, the Hebrew word Elohim is translated as "judges" in Exodus 21:6 and 22:8, 9, and 28. You see? Not literal "gods," but figurative "gods." This is an important distinction dear, and one a True Christian™ would not mistake.
The whole point of Psalm 82 is to express the fact that God has appointed men to positions of authority in which they are considered as gods among the people.
If you know this, which you would if you read the Holy Bible as a whole, and understood when Jesus is speaking in context, you'd know that Jesus had just claimed to be the Son of God (John 10:25-30). Jews respond in typical paranoid fashion by charging Jesus with blasphemy. Jesus then quotes Psalm 82:6, reminding them that God is Lord over them in the same way magistrates are lords over their earthly charge. But He goes one further by illustrating the point of difference in this analogy. You see, if those who hold a divinely appointed office can be considered "gods" over others, how much more important and Holy is Jesus (verses 34-36)? The Jews still don't understand, and sadly, it appears you don't either.
Perhaps you've made the mistake Mormons have. Mormons, being nearly as thoughtless and short-sighted as Jews, decided that prayerfully reading the Holy Bible was too hard, so they decided that when the Bible says the word "gods," they might as well read it as "deities." And so they argue they are reading the Holy Bible literally when they say the Bible supports their foolish theology (that men will become gods of their own outer space planets).
I hope that helps, dear, and I hope you open your heart to Christ.
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