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NO.I used the words that ICANT presented in another thread to show that his statement saying he DOES NOT DOUBT all those things means that he has faith.
The common meaning to the mustard seed analogy that I have heard,in my experience with christians, is that it means just a little faith. This is in keeping with the example of the disciples and the demons .
No, it just means he doesn't doubt those things. Yes, that is what the verse is implying, but do you understand what the faith is supposed to be in?
The list you presented in
Message 11 of what ICANT doesn't doubt has nothing to do with this verse.
When people have difficulty doing something and someone tells them to have a little faith, do you really think they are talking about any of the things on ICANT's list?
Look at Mark 11 (Complete Jewish Bible):
22 He responded, "Have the kind of trust that comes from God! 23 Yes! I tell you that whoever does not doubt in his heart but trusts that what he says will happen can say to this mountain, `Go and throw yourself into the sea!' and it will be done for him. 24 Therefore, I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, trust that you are receiving it, and it will be yours.
IOW, you cannot doubt what you say will happen. The catch is that God has to give you that kind of trust. Again, if one is unable to perform the attempted feat, then God hasn't given them that kind of trust.
If you look at the two verses in Matthew, we see that that author plays both sides of the fence.
Matthew 17
He said to them, "Because you have such little trust! Yes! I tell you that if you 20 have trust as tiny as a mustard seed, you will be able to say to this mountain, `Move from here to there!' and it will move; indeed, nothing will be impossible for you!" 21 Some manuscripts include verse 21: But this kind does not go out except through prayer and fasting."
Matthew 21
21 Yeshua answered them, "Yes! I tell you, if you have trust and don't doubt, you will not only do what was done to this fig tree; but even if you say to this mountain, `Go and throw yourself into the sea!' it will be done. 22 In other words, you will receive everything you ask for in prayer, no matter what it is, provided you have trust."
In Matthew 17 all you need is a tiny bit of faith, but in Matthew 21 you're not allowed any doubt.
So when it comes to regrowing a limb, you gotta believe it will happen with no doubt that it will happen.
And the likely scenario would be because it cannot be done.
Yes dear, that is why we can usually assume there is a bit of doubt for those types of things. The mountain is an exaggeration. In reality, think of the implications of throwing a mountain into the sea.
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Let us get to the crux of things even deeper. Why demons as an example when, in fact, demons do not exist? Why not a concrete example relating to the disciples actual lives?
You're asking the wrong person since I feel that Matthew is written as a satire.
If you notice the authors of Mark and Luke don't use demons in that analogy because they had already had Jesus give the disciples authority to cast out demons.
Mark 3
14 He appointed twelve to be with him, to be sent out to preach 15 and to have authority to expel demons:
Luke 9
1 Calling together the Twelve, Yeshua gave them power and authority to expel all the demons and to cure diseases;
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And you claim not to be wiggling? It is Christians that make the claims for magic and supernatural and faith and the one true god yet when pressed on the issue that they are adamant about they crumple and claim things are actually metaphorical. When the difficulty presents itself they "wiggle" and to say otherwise is to blatantly excuse themselves of claiming miracles and such on one hand and mere philosophical pandering on the other.
It doesn't matter which way you take the verse. The author has provided the loop hole or wiggle room if you wish. If the feat cannot be done, then the person does not have enough faith or has doubt. That way what the author says cannot be deemed false.
Authors usually have a reason for writing what they do. Whether to inform, entertain, inspire, etc. Even within a writing, the characters have a reason for what they say.
If you look at the situation presented in the story, Jesus was trying to encourage his disciples. When a coach gives his team a pep talk does a good coach tell his team they have no chance of winning?
The problem I have with your statements is that you seem to be saying Christians can do the feats according to the verse, but refuse to do so and are bashing them for not using their powers. You seem to be holding them to a standard you've created.
"Peshat is what I say and derash is what you say." --Nehama Leibowitz
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