Because those are the facts. We are human. The Creator is a spirit. Spirits can see other spirits and humans. Humans cannot see spirits unless the spirits take on the form of humans. It is not possible to believe in the Gen. account of the creation of man and believe that man either is or has a spirit.

Simply saying that those are the facts isn't good enough for me, as I could also say the same thing about anything I post.

When it comes to spiritual things, we can't simply say this is a fact or that is a fact without having some authority.

Christ spoke with authority, and, seeing who He is, I accept His authority.

I also accept the fact that He passed His knowledge or facts on to His disciples, who, in turn, passed it on to others.

So, I ask again, by what authority, Darius, to you claim what you posted as fact about humans not being spirit beings and God and angels, both the unfallen and unfallen angels I might add, being spirit beings?

Daryl, there are some obvious things I refuse to argue. If you think you are a spirit or have a spirit then that is up to you. The only authority I recognize is the Creator of the universe and the hidden things about Him are clearly seen in the things that He made.

When you say that He passed the word to His disciples it is amazing how that title is restrict to a few men living two thousand years ago. Somehow it is forgotten that He has disciples on earth today.

I'm not understanding the authority line here. It's interesting. I'm trying to get my head around this.

Is the thought that truth cannot be accepted unless some authority says it? What if God reveals something to you directly. Then the authority would be God, right?

Since all truth comes from God, if we hold to anything true, God must have been the source, and hence the authority. So Darius' authority for anything true he holds would be God, just as for any of the rest of us.

If God tells me something it is of course true, and if I tell you about it would still be true but how would you know it was true? You didnt hear God tell me and only have my word for it. Obviously there are many who claim to talk for God to whom God has not spoken. Many of the prophets tell about such things.

/Thomas

How do you know anything is true? You evaluate it according to what you already believe to be true. You can't base anything solely on the basis of authority unless you don't think.

An accepted basis of truth helps to communicate. But one should be able to recognize truth regardless of the source. For example, here's a cool quote:

When a man takes one step toward God, God takes more steps toward that man than there are sands in the worlds of time.

I love this! This is from Jewish mysticism I think. But I don't care what the source is. The first time I heard it, to use John B. speak, my spirit bore witness that it was true. I don't need authority to know it's true. The fact that this is from a source I do not recognize as authoritative makes no difference to me. I still know it's true.

A better question, IMO, would be "Darius, what's your evidence for what you believe?" *That's* what's importance. Not authority, but evidence.

Yes, evidence is probably a better word, however, authority is also relevant in spiritual things.

In spiritual things, in the things of God, the Bible is the authority I go by, for the Bible came from God to man. The Bible is God's method of communication to man.

What the Bible says about the spirit of a man is an authorative source, whereas what you or I say is to be examined by that authorative source. Paul commended the Bereans for examining the authoritative source, the Scriptures, to see if what Paul said was so.

Tom, you hit the nail on the head. Christians have been trained not to think but to follow their chosen authorities. A radio preacher said it well, On any topic Christians are more interested in the heroes than in examining the issues. If their hero believes it then they believe it as well.

It must sadden the Creator to hear his creatures say that the Bible is His method of communication to man.

I am not going to say anything further here as it is causing us to go