(January 16, 2012 at 7:19 pm)DeistPaladin Wrote: Continuing the "Historical Documents! No, Really!" series, we now come to the Book of Acts.
One of the things that lept out at me when I read the Bible cover to cover was how chock full it was of overt supernatural activity, where Yahweh apparently felt neither shyness nor concern for "free will" as he demonstrated his power in ways that could not be confused with natural coincidence. Rivers turned to blood, columns of fire killed blasphemers and Yahweh once gave a speech to the entire nation of Judea (Judges, chapter 1). When I put the Bible down and looked about, the universe couldn't offer a more dramatic contrast with the alternate reality depicted in the Bible. The world we know today is one dominated by natural law, where the most Yahweh can ever seem to accomplish is to appear on a piece of toast.
(Maybe he's just gotten old and feeble or perhaps finally getting laid 2000 years ago caused him to seriously mellow out). Sorry, I digress. Ignore this paragraph.
The Book of Acts takes similar flights of fancy. It goes beyond asserting that Yahweh, Jesus, angels and demons can perform miracles or work magic. Mere mortals can do the same with just enough faith. Such acts of magic include:
1. Speaking in tongues (Acts 2:1-14, 19:6-9)
2. Cause earthquakes (4:31)
3. Cast out demons (5:16, 8:7)
4. See God (7:55)
5. Heal Palsy (9:33-34)
6. Raise the dead (9:36-end)
7. Cause blindness (13:11)
8. Heal a crippled person (14:8-10)
9. Heal the sick (19:11-12. 28:8-9)
10. Survive poisonous snake bite (28:4-5)
You have mistaken freewill for, you can do anything in life that you please, your complete freewill only applies to deciding to accept Christ or not to accept. God will never interfere in that decision. Outside of that decision God may or may not use you to complete His ultimate will. God being creator is not bound to the natural rules of this world, in creating the universe I would think that the supernatural took place then, God put natural forces to work in maintaining the creation. You should read and study the creation account and find out how many times God created in six days.
1. Acts 2:1-14 In this account the Holy Spirit was the person responsible for the disciples to speak in several different languages, they were not speaking some supernatural language.
2. Acts 4:31 In this account the disciples did not cause an earthquake or shaking, the previous verses show that through prayer God did the shaking.
3. Acts 5:16, 8:7 vv.15&16 states the people believed God was doing great things through Peter and the others, if the shadow of Peter touched someone sick they would be healed and demons cast out. v.7 says it was the Word of God that was driving out the unclean spirits, this could every well mean that their evil hearts were being changed by God's Word. This verse is a companion verse to Mk.16:17 where Jesus says these things will be done by my name.
5. Acts 9:33-34 Peter tells Aeneas, Jesus Christ healed him, Peter took no credit.
6. Acts 9:36-42 Peter prayed for her life to be restored and God did just that.
I haven't gotten any further than chapter 12 so I can't as of yet address the other verses but, I do believe I will find them to be the same, that is, that God was doing the work through Peter and the other disciples.
I will have other comments later, it could be Monday or Tuesday, I'm go out of town tomorrow.
God loves those who believe and those who do not and the same goes for me, you have no choice in this matter. That puts the matter of total free will to rest.
