Origen wrote:Origen is useful in that he brought together verses from throughout the Bible to establish clear ideas about the nature of Christian faith. He relied on the Holy Spirit for an understanding of what the Bible had to say, rather than a simple, surface reading of the text - that the Holy Spirit held for us a deeper meaning in Scripture than what any person (dull or a genius) could derive just from the simple act of reading with one's eyes. That we have to rely on the Holy Spirit to give us a true understanding of the Bible's deepest meaning - not our human senses. His pointing me to that course of understanding has given my faith great strength. An understanding that physicl things pass away, but the spiritual things last forever - that our immirtal souls are what's meant to spend eternity with God, not these frail bodies with all their dependencies on food and impulses and needs.
On the other hand Origen, like all false teachers, pulled various Bible verses totally out of context to establish a personal theology that is the foundation for many false doctrines adopted by the Roman Catholic Church. Gay theology advocates use the same tactic so they can profess a faith in God and Jesus as their Savior while at the same time denying His revealed truth.
To sum up my response to any criticisms you have of Origen: I take him as he comes, I make use of his thoughts and ideas as far as they're edifying to my faith, and when it stops being that, he'd be the first to tell me to walk away. I dont need to find all the answers there. Nothing but Christ mediates my relationship with God.
And what does Christ use to mediate between God and man?
As for the verse in Revelations: I'm a sinner; as such, I believe that my soul will experience a kind of spiritual fire as a result of the imperfections in my life, not one of physical pain and discomfort, but of spiritual regret for the empty things in my life; I know I'm forgiven for those sins through Christ, and that he bore the full pain and punishment for that for me, and that the thing I will experience will be different than that, as a sort of guilt that the human mind cant comprehend; I do not believe that verse, or any other, indicates that my sexual orientation will be the subject of emptiness or guilt, when my life is assesed in the end. On the contrary, my sexual orientation has been more than an academic matter, or a mere abstract - I fell in love with a man that strengthened my faith. My relationship witht he Holy Spirit (something your opinion can never replace or usurp) confirms this, in my soul of souls, to be true.
Your life will be assessed based on your decisions, not on what you personally believe to be true. The Holy Spirit will not contradict or nullify what the Holy Spirit inspired as God’s truth. However, men will attempt to rationalize what they want to believe by appealing to their own emotions and needs.
In 1 Corinthians Paul writes about a man who “fell in love” with a woman and married her. However, Paul wrote to the Corinthians that this man should be expelled from the church.
1 Corinthians 5
5:1 It is actually reported that there is immorality among you, and immorality of such a kind as does not exist even among the Gentiles, that someone has his father's wife. 2 And you have become arrogant, and have not mourned instead, in order that the one who had done this deed might be removed from your midst. 3 For I, on my part, though absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged him who has so committed this, as though I were present. 4 In the name of our Lord Jesus, when you are assembled, and I with you in spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus, 5 I have decided to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. 6 Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough? 7 Clean out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened. For Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed. 8 Let us therefore celebrate the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
9 I wrote you in my letter not to associate with immoral people; 10 I did not at all mean with the immoral people of this world, or with the covetous and swindlers, or with idolaters; for then you would have to go out of the world. 11 But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he should be an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler-- not even to eat with such a one. 12 For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Do you not judge those who are within the church? 13 But those who are outside, God judges. Remove the wicked man from among yourselves. NAS
What is Paul’s basis for “judging” the man who had his father’s wife?
Leviticus 18:7-8
7'You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father, that is, the nakedness of your mother. She is your mother; you are not to uncover her nakedness. 8'You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father's wife; it is your father's nakedness. NAS
What does God say about a man who thinks his way are right?
Proverbs 12:15-17
5 The way of a fool is right in his own eyes,
But a wise man is he who listens to counsel.
16 A fool's vexation is known at once,
But a prudent man conceals dishonor.
17 He who speaks truth tells what is right,
But a false witness, deceit.
NAS
Proverbs 14:12-16
12 There is a way which seems right to a man,
But its end is the way of death.
13 Even in laughter the heart may be in pain,
And the end of joy may be grief.
14 The backslider in heart will have his fill of his own ways,
But a good man will be satisfied with his.
15 The naive believes everything,
But the prudent man considers his steps.
16 A wise man is cautious and turns away from evil,
But a fool is arrogant and careless.
NAS
In Revelation John through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit tells us who will be judged to the lake of fire and to ignore this warning is to elevate one’s own “way” above the righteousness of God’s way.