Is Satan as all powerful as we claim?

Have you considered that the folks who translated the bible let their personal prejudices and biases unduly influence their work? While Jesus did not choose a woman as an apostle he appeared to not hold the biases towards women we know existed in the world at the time as it does today. It appears to me the New Testament is similar to CNN in that on CNN the president says something and then “experts” tell us what he meant. In the bible we have Matthew Mark, Luke, and John telling us what Jesus said and we have Paul’s and Peter’s letters telling us what he meant.

 

I have to wonder if our understanding of what Jesus said is correct.

 

Did God create Satan as evil or is he a fellow-sinner like the rest of us? If he dropped dead would sin continue to exist? James says “each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.” He does not say Satan tempts or causes us to sin.

 

Genesis says “the serpent was craftier than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman…” but we say Satan tempted Eve.

 

The author of Genesis tells us “the Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock and all wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life.”

 

The author fails to differentiate that God is next speaking to Satan: “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.”

He then speaks to Eve.

If God is speaking only to Satan, Satan is cursed above all livestock and wild animals and is crawling on his belly eating dust. If he is speaking only to the Serpent we have God putting enmity between the Serpent and Eve and between the Serpent’s offspring and Eve’s offspring and Eve’s offspring will crush the Serpents head and the serpent will strike Eve’s offspring’s heel.

If he is first speaking to the Serpent and then speaks to Satan we have something that makes sense.

Folks are not comfortable considering ideas other than those they have heard their entire lives isn’t it more important to know truth. Youth are not accepting our explanations. As one fellow wrote the youth are spiritual but it not the spiritual of their fathers.