Ending the confusion........

Read Genesis 1:1-5*, John 1:1-5, 1 John 1:1-4, Hebrews 1:1-4. You can do that now.

What did the Pope say?

The Pope, in context, said that God is not a magician. A magician is anti-God. To compare and contrast God with magic is the depth of evil.

The "big bang" did not contradict God as THE Divine Creator. The Pope could have added that creating something out of nothing does nothing to contradict God as THE Divine Creator.

Quoting the Pope: “When we read about Creation in Genesis, we run the risk of imagining God was a magician, with a magic wand able to do everything. But that is not so.” In other words, God did not use "magic" in the act of creation. He did not reject God as being Divine.

Quoting the Pope: “He created human beings and let them develop according to the internal laws that he gave to each one so they would reach their fulfillment.”

No, He created humans with a Divine, Spiritual Nature. They decided that they could do something better. That was sin. They got evicted. Now their nature was one of sin. God appointed Abram (Abraham) to lead a chosen group (Hebrews) back to Eden, the Promised Land. That Promised Land is identified as the earthly Kingdom of Heaven in Matthew, and the earthly Kingdom of God in Mark and Luke. They are identical; ONE earthly Kingdom, not here yet. (The political guru's around the world today are intent upon destroying Israel, ripping it apart, including Jerusalem, the home of the earthly, Messianic Kingdom, for 1,000 years, with Jesus on the Throne of David.)

Earth's original occupants were sanctified, but they were able to choose otherwise. The Hebrew folk, lead by Abraham, were chosen, sanctified, as a group, but they chose otherwise. Their final offer of redemption (restoration) was rejected when they turned up their noses at Jesus, their Messiah.

Today, Catholics, many denominations, and cults, continue to insist upon a "formula," or "works" in order to be "saved." Those who reject the formula / works are lost, according to the Pope et al. Those who espouse "election" are convinced that, as in the "Old Testament", a group of folks is chosen in advance. That's "Old Testament," folks.

Formula? Works? Election? No. God chose Saul, through Jesus, to take His message of salvation by Grace through Faith to everyone. He did that, from Acts 9 to Acts 13, in the latter scripture "turning to the Gentiles." Now it was not a message of redemption or restoration of a created, chosen people group, or "salvation in advance," but a message of salvation for all who would believe. They didn't have to "return" to creation or Hebrewism; they didn't have to immerse themselves in the "Old Testament." The new Christian Covenant did not choose its members; it invited everyone to receive Jesus as Savior, entering in to NEWNESS Jesus.

How did they comprehend how to do that? John 14:6, John 3:16-17, John 3:3, John 5:24, Romans 10:8-13 are the foundation, not the Hebrew Bible. Nothing in their surrender implied that folks were "chosen" as a "people group" as folks once had been. Now it was the RESPONSE of EACH individual as they came under the conviction by the Holy Spirit that those scriptures were their introduction and assurance: salvation, one-by-one.

Election is "Old Testament" theology. Grace through Faith is the Christian Covenant.

*Contextually, BEFORE the beginning of space and time, God created.......

 

"The Vatican bought in Evolution as being true long time ago, and have the Bible taking second fiddle to the traditions and doctrines of the Roman Church, so no wonder the popes always speak wrongly on many issues!"

Amen!