What would have been Jesus's and the devil's knowledge of the geography of the planet earth? I say, pretty NIL.


You remember the bit where the devil is supposed to have taken Jesus up a mountain and "showed Jesus the whole world". Ignoring the sheer absurdity of a devil taking a god ( possibly hand-in-hand), let's just dwell on the physicality of the narrative.

Why did the devil not show Jesus the entire world from their initial standing position? Presumably, these beings have supernatural powers, so they should have been able to see the whole world from a plain, or a boat/ship on the sea of Galilee, or from a synagogue, or an inn.

Now, because they could not see the entire world from these low-lying locations, the devil had to take Jesus up a mountain to show him the whole world. But is it possible to see the whole world, even from the top of the highest mountain if the world is spherical? I submit, absolutely NO.

These supernatural beings thought not only that the earth was flat, but also that the Middle East/Near East constituted the entire world. There would have had no idea about Nigeria and the Igbo, Yorubas - no idea about Japan, Mongolia, Australia, Alaska, the native South Americans, etc, etc.

You see, this narrative only makes sense in a relatively small and flat world.

Anyone to score this exercise?

Of course i would be glad to rate this thread

Science, history, geography, archeology and physics = 10/10

Devil and Jesus = -10/10

Authors of the biblicial fabrication or fable, sorry bible, oops ma bad, lol =10/10 (For producing such a fantabulous piece of fiction that xtian apolgists could so gullibly fall for, lol

Just thinking of it makes me want to die of laughter.

How did devil carry jesus?

Which mountain is the top of the pinnacle where you can see the whole world?

If the devil actually offered jesus the whole world as a bribe, then that means jesus never was the king of the world or owned anything contrary to what pastors would tell us

Zino Ben:

Of course i would be glad to rate this thread

Science, history, geography, archeology and physics = 10/10

Devil and Jesus = -10/10

Authors of the biblicial fabrication or fable, sorry bible, oops ma bad, lol =10/10 (For producing such a fantabulous piece of fiction that Christian apolgists could so gullibly fall for, lol

Just thinking of it makes me want to die of laughter.

How did devil carry jesus?

Which mountain is the top of the pinnacle where you can see the whole world?

If the devil actually offered jesus the whole world as a bribe, then that means jesus never was the king of the world or owned anything contrary to what pastors would tell us

No be small thing. how can the devil bribe god? jesus died on the cross to defeat sin and the devil, he even went ahead and said it is finished, yet non of them have been defeated (both sin and the devil)uptil date 2000 years after his death/resurrection(lies)

zino ben are u reverend. if not, what was ur original name

My friends don't you understand SpaceTime continuum. When Jesus shall come the whole world will see him. Like the lightning that flashes in the east and even people in the west will see it, so will australians, Greenlanders, central americans and africans see the coming of the son in glory from the heavens.

Please if you don't understand just go and sitdown.

Has this account got a ring of truth about it?

Just from a purely scientific viewpoint, educated people living in Jesus' time would have a pretty wide view of the world.
The Roman Empire took in much of Africa, nearly all of Europe and a lot of Asia. Archeology also shows people have been travelling to and fro between Europe/Asia and the Americas since long before the birth of Christ.

Although the Biblical passage in question is not pertinent to my statement, give credit where credit is due. The geographical knowledge of the people back then wasn't confined to a narrow strip of land.

To concentrate on the passage itself, it's not meant to be taken literally. It merely shows how Christ could not be tempted even when offered the greatest physical thing of all.

Bastage:

Just from a purely scientific viewpoint, educated people living in Jesus' time would have a pretty wide view of the world.
The Roman Empire took in much of Africa, nearly all of Europe and a lot of Asia. Archeology also shows people have been travelling to and fro between Europe/Asia and the Americas since long before the birth of Christ.

Although the Biblical passage in question is not pertinent to my statement, give credit where credit is due. The geographical knowledge of the people back then wasn't confined to a narrow strip of land.

To concentrate on the passage itself, it's not meant to be taken literally. It merely shows how Christ could not be tempted even when offered the greatest physical thing of all.

Are you then saying that this event did not physically happened?  How do you think early bible reader would have understood this narrative - metaphorically or literally?

Further,  what is the criterion for judging events in the bible as to whether they should be understood literally or not?

Let me hazard an attempt:

A narrative in the bible should have a strong sense of scientific plausibility.  If it is not, then the narrative should be treated as metaphoric or allegorical.

What do you make of this criterion?   Is it necessary and sufficient for assessing biblical narratives?

Does your interpretation of the Satan-Jesus narrative meet this criterion?

Would the virgin birth narrative meet this criterion?

How about the Genesis narratives, the Jonah narratives,  the resurrection narratives, etc, etc?

How about the Genesis narratives, the Jonah narratives,  the resurrection narratives, etc, etc?

Lets not confuse the Old Testament with the New Testament. Both were written by different people in different times. Their use of metaphors are different.

A lot of the Bible has to be read metaphorically as it was no doubt originally intended.

The Old Testament examples you've given up there have their roots in even older Babylonian religions. Take Genesis for example - the Garden of Eden story is almost a direct copy of the older Enuma Elish. The story of Noah is a copy of the older Epic of Gilgamesh. It's almost certain that the Old Testament copies were created when the Hebrew scholars who composed them were in exile in Babylon - the home of the originals. They took those stories and gave them the moral twist that we see in the Bible.

The New Testament is blatant in it's use of metaphors. What else is a parable?

It's probable that early Christians saw a lot of metaphors in Biblical literature and very, very doubtful that they were literalists. One has to realise that much of early Christianity was composed of Gnosticism - a line of religious thought that thrives on symbolism and metaphors. It was not until the Catholic Church stamped out these other sections of Christianity that literalism became main-stream. Again, there are aspects of Christianity in the New Testament that are present in older religions - the Virgin Birth being one of them, the Resurrection another.

Literalism is (in my opinion) the refuge of the brain-washed. Not to question is not to understand.

Bastage:

Lets not confuse the Old Testament with the New Testament. Both were written by different people in different times. Their use of metaphors are different.

A lot of the Bible has to be read metaphorically as it was no doubt originally intended.

The Old Testament examples you've given up there have their roots in even older Babylonian religions. Take Genesis for example - the Garden of Eden story is almost a direct copy of the older Enuma Elish. The story of Noah is a copy of the older Epic of Gilgamesh. It's almost certain that the Old Testament copies were created when the Hebrew scholars who composed them were in exile in Babylon - the home of the originals. They took those stories and gave them the moral twist that we see in the Bible.

The New Testament is blatant in it's use of metaphors. What else is a parable?

It's probable that early Christians saw a lot of metaphors in Biblical literature and very, very doubtful that they were literalists. One has to realise that much of early Christianity was composed of Gnosticism - a line of religious thought that thrives on symbolism and metaphors. It was not until the Catholic Church stamped out these other sections of Christianity that literalism became main-stream. Again, there are aspects of Christianity in the New Testament that are present in older religions - the Virgin Birth being one of them, the Resurrection another.

Literalism is (in my opinion) the refuge of the brain-washed. Not to question is not to understand.

I could not disagree with any of your comments above. Christianity essentially evolved from the pagan cults of the period. Pagan cults where rich in symbolism and allegory and none (few) of their tenets were meant to be taken literally. Hence, the similarity of Christianity with the pagan cults of the day.

The Apostle Paul, was mostly likely a Gnostic and would never have understood the life & death of Jesus in a literal sense. In fact, that is why in all his works, there is no mention of any of the earthly aspects of Jesus's life.

huxley:

What would have been Jesus's and the devil's knowledge of the geography of the planet earth? I say, pretty NIL.


You remember the bit where the devil is supposed to have taken Jesus up a mountain and "showed Jesus the whole world". Ignoring the sheer absurdity of a devil taking a god ( possibly hand-in-hand), let's just dwell on the physicality of the narrative.

Why did the devil not show Jesus the entire world from their initial standing position? Presumably, these beings have supernatural powers, so they should have been able to see the whole world from a plain, or a boat/ship on the sea of Galilee, or from a synagogue, or an inn.

Now, because they could not see the entire world from these low-lying locations, the devil had to take Jesus up a mountain to show him the whole world. But is it possible to see the whole world, even from the top of the highest mountain if the world is spherical? I submit, absolutely NO.

These supernatural beings thought not only that the earth was flat, but also that the Middle East/Near East constituted the entire world. There would have had no idea about Nigeria and the Igbo, Yorubas - no idea about Japan, Mongolia, Australia, Alaska, the native South Americans, etc, etc.

You see, this narrative only makes sense in a relatively small and flat world.

2 Corinthians 6:14

Deut 7:3; Josh 23:12; Ezra 9:2; Neh 13:25; 1 Cor 7:39

Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers.

[Eph 5:7, 11; 1 John 1:6 ]
For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or

Acts 26:18]
what fellowship has light with darkness?

Lol lol lol lol
Olodo lol
I give them all the marks abeg lol
Una no go kill me.

Chrisbenogor:

Lol lol lol lol
Olodo lol
I give them all the marks abeg lol
Una no go kill me.

Na wah oh. Wetin you mean? na wrong I dey do by asking them tis questions?

Huxley, warri man say when handshake don reach elbow e don turn fight oh.
So e get as pikin go fail reach you go know say dem send am to come collect your work, eh in that case dash am all the marks lol.

Huxley, warri man say when handshake don reach elbow e don turn fight oh.
So e get as pikin go fail reach you go know say dem send am to come collect your work, eh in that case dash am all the marks lol.

Huxley, warri man say when handshake don reach elbow e don turn fight oh.
So e get as pikin go fail reach you go know say dem send am to come collect your work, eh in that case dash am all the marks lol.

Huxley, warri man say when handshake don reach elbow e don turn fight oh.
So e get as pikin go fail reach you go know say dem send am to come collect your work, eh in that case dash am all the marks lol.

Huxley, warri man say when handshake don reach elbow e don turn fight oh.
So e get as pikin go fail reach you go know say dem send am to come collect your work, eh in that case dash am all the marks lol.

Huxley, warri man say when handshake don reach elbow e don turn fight oh.
So e get as pikin go fail reach you go know say dem send am to come collect your work, eh in that case dash am all the marks lol.

Huxley, warri man say when handshake don reach elbow e don turn fight oh.
So e get as pikin go fail reach you go know say dem send am to come collect your work, eh in that case dash am all the marks lol.