Is this blasphemous enough for you?

If you will read Post #133, you will see that I definitely conceded omnipotence to God and agreed that it could be said that only God is omniscient. However, I won't concede that we could be omnipresent. Frankly, if we don't have supernatural powers, Heaven doesn't seem all that attractive. A lot better than Hell but really not much better than we have it here on earth. I will choose to believe that we will have supernatural powers in Heaven because it makes ultimate good sense and the Bible doesn't say we won't. In fact it gives strong hints that we will.

 

When Stephen looked up he saw Jesus "standing" on the right hand of the Father. Otherwise, Jesus sits on the right hand of God. By virtue of Jesus being part of the triune Godhead he is omnipresent. Otherwise he is limited by his body.
We will have a glorified body, in many respects like Jesus's body. But we will be limited. We, unlike Jesus, cannot be everywhere. We can only be one place at one time. Even the angels--ministering spirits without bodies--had to be sent by God to do his bidding. They could not be everywhere. Satan himself is ubiquitous, but not omnipresent. He is a personage, but cannot be omnipresent. That quality belongs only to God.

1 John 3:2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

 

1 John 3:2 supports my point. You're entitled to believe what you want about this because there is no direct scriptural support for or against it. However, as I said, there is a lot of scriptural inference to support the proposition that we will have supernatural powers--such as omnipresence.

 

I don't know about omniscience and omnipresence of the dead and would lean to them not having those qualities. But this verse in hebrews strongly suggests that we are seen by those who are dead.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses ... Heb 12:1a

It is not a stretch to suggest that they can also hear us. I don't claim to know how this is possible.

 

As I said, it strongly suggests they can see us. Maybe it doesn't mean they can. Maybe it does.

 

Those are two differing but possible interpretations of that verse.

Here is the rest of the verse

"let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us."

The race analogy suggests to me that witness here is like an audience sitting in the bleachers in a contest.

 

Yes, that is another possible interpretation.

 

See Post #142.

I think you're ever so slightly twisting what I said, although I will forgive you because I have on occasion done that. You're right, being in the presence of God would be pretty cool but I guarantee it will be a lot more than that. Yes, we will fly around and walk through walls, and do a lot of other cool stuff as well.

 

I know of two prominent Baptists--Albert Mohler and Billy Graham--who believe the saints of Hebrews 12:1 can see us. In fact I believe both of them have used the bleachers analogy, "cheering us on to victory."

 

I think that annsni's interpretation of Heb 12:1 is a valid one but here is what Albert Mohler had to say about the verse at one SBC convention sermon he delivered.

Of course, Albert Mohler could be wrong about his interpretation of this verse but I think it is a valid and common evangelical baptist interpretation.

 

Here is another quote from a sermon by Mohler given November 11, 2008 at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary:

 

He is not giving a theological interpretation. He is preaching, painting a picture--giving an illustration while expounding on Scripture. Do you know the difference?

 

If ones exposition of a passage does not convey their interpretation of it, then they have done a poor job of exposition.

 

Thinking Stuff...

That Catholics regularly engage in goddess worship directed towards the sinner saved by grace Mary.

In all of those situations you brought up people are doing those things in spite of the churches admonition that those things are sin.

The Catholics, on the other hand, are TAUGHT to engage in goddess worship in regards to Mary. (And other people who have died as well)

I'm sorry, but all of that is irrelavent. Whether Catholics understand, or dont understand, what Theotokos means doesnt change the truth that in their "flesh and blood" Catholic experience they ARE engaging...willfully...in goddess worship. And they are doing so because they have been CLEARLY taught to do so by the Hierarchy.