Why Make Human Assumptions When There Are No Given Biblical Explanations?
Posted: Monday, January 30, 2012
by Joel Hendon
http://hebronics.org/index.html
Many people want various questions, which are found in the Holy Bible, explained in detail even though no such answers are given. Plus, the answers would be of no value even if we did have them. So why bother with them. We can discuss several of them to show what I mean.
There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. (John 3:1-2 KJV)
1. He was a ruler among the Jewish Pharisees and some of the other leaders might not have approved. That might be a reasonable assumption since many of them were opposed to having any dealings with him. But even if it was the actual reason, we have no way of being sure, and you see, it makes no difference anyway.
2. Some seem convinced that he chose to talk to Jesus by night to avoid having to compete with the throng that normally followed him and were constantly competing to speak to the saviour. Sounds quite reasonable to me that it might be the true reason, but we don’t know.
3. His day duties might have been such that he had not the time to come to Jesus before night. Another plausible reason. But think for a moment now, what have we learned? Not much. The question, after nearly 2,000 years remains unanswered and the true answer will not be learned since it was not revealed.
Another situation where there have been a number of questions and assumptions, is that concerning the Apostle Paul. Saul of Tarsus, as he was called prior being taken into the apostleship, gives us record of having been taken up into the “third heaven” where he was honored to see Jesus and to hear things uttered that would be unlawful for a human to speak. This was such a tremendous occurrence that to boast of, would have been a sin in that it would seem to glorify him rather than God. And he then makes this statement:
And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. (2 Corinthian 12:7 KJV)
Paul also explains that he had prayed to God to remove this “thorn in the flesh” but God had replied that “My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.” (v.9) And since the writing men have tried to explain what they think the thorn was. But in reality, no one knows. The most prevalent guess is that he had poor eyesight. That may very well have been the truth. There are indeed, two incidents to give a tiny bit of credibility to it. But do not prove it.
After Christ had ascended into heaven and the church was established, Saul, who was a prominent Jew, had asked for and received permission from the Jewish Sanhedrin to seek and imprison those who were spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ. He stood by and held the coats of those who stoned the evangelist Stephen to death. But when Jesus stopped him on the road to Damascus and spoke directly to him, he was blinded for a short time and after he obeyed the gospel of Christ, this vision returned. Now, that is one of the items which feeds the idea that he may have had a slight visual impairment from this.
Another hint that he may have had this is found in Galatians 4:15 as follows:
Where is then the blessedness ye spake of? for I bear you record, that, if it had been possible, ye would have plucked out your own eyes, and have given them to me.
This latter one could possibly have not been concerning poor vision of Paul, but might have been a symbolic expression only meaning that they would have done anything in their power for him.
Other people have felt that rather, he may have been hunchbacked, and considered that as a thorn in the flesh. I have yet to find anything which might have given rise to that theory.
There are still others who feel, simply because he never married, that he may have had sinful desires as a homosexual. But there is nothing to base that on either. Do the answer is still elusive and really makes no difference since God has not seen fit to reveal it.
One more and perhaps the most asked and guessed about of all, is the time of Jesus return and the end of time. It is specifically stated that he will return to usher in the end and to escort his faithful followers back in to heaven to live forever with him. But it is also just as specifically stated that no man knows when. And there are no hints about it either. Here are a few simple verses that do refer to the end:
But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no not the Angels which are in heauen, neither the Son, but the Father. (Mark 13:32 KJV)
But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night (Paul writing: 1 Thessalonians 5:1-2 KJV)
But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. (2 Peter 3:10 KJV)
Even though the scriptures tell us plainly that no one on earth will ever know just when the end of time and the coming of Christ occur, many keep telling us they have it figured out. If Jesus could not tell us, I feel confident that these predictions are nothing more than uninformed guesses. We must be prepared at all times.
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