[JohnSwede]

Hello everyone!

My name is John and i am originally from Sweden, though I live in Ireland, Dublin to work.

I currently go to the Christs Church in Dublin from time to time.

However, I am a little bit confused about certain things written in the Bible, such as my favorite verse seen bellow. It's my favorite because i find it a bit humorous(don't get me wrong) yet makes you think a lot about what God is really capable of etc.
But I hope to find some answers on this forum.

The verse is
Jonah 1:17
"Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights."



Jesus first touched me when I was after I was diagnosed with leukemia when I was 11. The doctors wanted to use Chemotherapy as an attempt to get me cured, but me and my parents decided not to go through it, and instead Pray and spend time in the church instead and hope God would forgive me for what I might have done to deserve the sickness, and here I am 10 years later asking myself why God chose to first make me sick and then give me this second chance and how to make it up for him.
The Bible is huge and dont know if it is practically possible to follow everything that is said in the Bible in today's society and therefore asking myself how many actually makes it to Heaven.

Do God read between the lines sometimes, if you really try to follow His words but failed while trying?

Anyway, thank you for your time and see you around!

[Alphonse Alban]

Originally Posted by JohnSwede

yet makes you think a lot about what God is really capable of etc.

What does that make you think then?

[Deaner]

Originally Posted by JohnSwede

Hello everyone!

My name is John and i am originally from Sweden, though I live in Ireland, Dublin to work.

Come back when you're sober mick.

[JohnSwede]

Originally Posted by Alphonse Alban

What does that make you think then?

It makes me think that you should never give up. I mean, normally if yo would be swallowed by a giant fish, you would die, but praying for a miracle to happen hard enough could make you go through the most "impossible" things. Like me and my leukemia. But still I am confused about the verse, like personally it sounds humorous, maybe it was God's intent? Maybe its just a humorous metaphor for something complete different than what was literally written in the Bible?
Like with the cancer I had. Lets say the Giant fish, was a giant Cancer associated to the sickness which Jonah suffered from for 3 days and 3 nights before God forgave?

I dont know, I find it hard to interpret the bible literary considering it was not originally written in Swedish nor English but a complete different language containing a different "philosophy" within its language.

[JohnSwede]

Originally Posted by Deaner

Come back when you're sober mick.

I don't like prejudices.

[Deaner]

Originally Posted by JohnSwede

I don't like prejudices.

I don't like drunks.

[James Hutchins]

Originally Posted by JohnSwede

I don't like prejudices.

'Prejudices', is that some sort of a irish juice you mix with your potato whiskey?
Are you a protestant or a catlick?

[JohnSwede]

Originally Posted by James Hutchins

'Prejudices', is that some sort of a irish juice you mix with your potato whiskey?
Are you a protestant or a catlick?

Oh don't start me on prejudices and stereotyping about Americans

I am a Lutheran, so Protestant.

[fentaness]

What does that make you think then?

[JohnSwede]

Originally Posted by fentaness

What does that make you think then?

That you shouldn't take the words in the bible 100% literary because a literal translation from Hebrew and Greek would be completely different than it is now.

[Steve]

Originally Posted by JohnSwede

That you shouldn't take the words in the bible 100% literary because a literal translation from Hebrew and Greek would be completely different than it is now.

If we don't take the Bible literally, what then do we do? Make up meanings we're comfortable with? Change the words, or their meaning, to suit our own views and our own sense of morality? We get to make the Bible whatever we want it to be rather than what it is?

That's a dangerous path that leads to such abominations as Catholicism, Lutheranism and Furryism, among others. No thanks, I think I'll just stick with the Bible as it is: God's perfect Word.

[JohnSwede]

Originally Posted by Destiny's Blunder

If we don't take the Bible literally, what then do we do? Make up meanings we're comfortable with? Change the words, or their meaning, to suit our own views and our own sense of morality? We get to make the Bible whatever we want it to be rather than what it is?

That's a dangerous path that leads to such abominations as Catholicism, Lutheranism and Furryism, among others. No thanks, I think I'll just stick with the Bible as it is: God's perfect Word.

Then I assume that you are reading the bible on it's original language, right?

[Alphonse Alban]

Originally Posted by JohnSwede

Then I assume that you are reading the bible on it's original language, right?

Of course we are reading KJV bible on it's original language.

[JohnSwede]

Originally Posted by Alphonse Alban

Of course we are reading KJV bible on it's original language.

King James of England translated the original Bible into English. you don't believe there were any mistakes in the translation? I mean, first of all you are reading something that was translated by a Protestant Englishman and second of all Hebrew and Greek among other languages are pretty difficult to translate literary into English.

[Nobar King]

Originally Posted by JohnSwede

first of all you are reading something that was translated by a Protestant Englishman and second of all Hebrew and Greek among other languages are pretty difficult to translate literary into English.

Maybe that's why you need to be a literary scholar to be able to do it? Are you saying that it is impossible to translate a book from one language to another?

[JohnSwede]

Originally Posted by Nobar King

Maybe that's why you need to be a literary scholar to be able to do it? Are you saying that it is impossible to translate a book from one language to another?

Definitely not impossible. But it's such a complex book, translated from languages that are extremely different from ours? You never fear that there might be mistakes? Maybe not a huge amount, but just a "minor" mistake and we all will burn in hell.

That is why I think God might read between the lines a little bit for us who follow KJV.

[Alphonse Alban]

Originally Posted by JohnSwede

Definitely not impossible

There you go, definitely not impossible is in other words very possible. I'm not a scholar and I can speak and translate accurately languages that are extremely different. It still does not matter, as it was God Himself who supervised the translation of the only true bible. KJV.

2nd Timothy 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:.

[JohnSwede]

Originally Posted by Alphonse Alban

There you go, definitely not impossible is in other words very possible. I'm not a scholar and I can speak and translate accurately languages that are extremely different. It still does not matter, as it was God Himself who supervised the translation of the only true bible. KJV.

2nd Timothy 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:.

We will just have to take King James for his words then, but I am skeptic, as God is Divine but man is just a man with "free will". King James could have made up a whole lot of things when he translated it, not that I think so, but at least formalize certain things differently.


I just dont think that God will send around 6 billion people currently living on earth to hell. Last time I read the new testament, He was pretty forgiving.

[Redeemed Papist]

Originally Posted by JohnSwede

We will just have to take King James for his words then, but I am skeptic, as God is Divine but man is just a man with "free will". King James could have made up a whole lot of things when he translated it, not that I think so, but at least formalize certain things differently.


I just dont think that God will send around 6 billion people currently living on earth to hell. Last time I read the new testament, He was pretty forgiving.

John 3:18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

[Jedediah]

Originally Posted by JohnSwede

man is just a man with "free will".

Free will is a non-Biblical myth.

John 15:16
Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.

Romans 9:15-16
For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.
So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.

Originally Posted by JohnSwede

I just dont think that God will send around 6 billion people currently living on earth to hell. Last time I read the new testament, He was pretty forgiving.

Next time you read it, you might try pulling your head out of your ass first.

Matthew 7:13-14
Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.