Why can't it be both? Ever see a Venn diagram?
Good question. It’s the flesh that says it can’t be both. I do see the literal. I’ve lived the literal long enough to know it like the back of my hand. I’ve heard what you are telling me about literal. If you would pay attention, you are the one saying it can’t be both….that it can only be figurative which strangely gives the literal perspective of men and women, yet calls figurative language the same as Spirit. I’m not asking you to drop the literal perspective, or figurative language but I am asking you to at least consider another perspective, without calling it a tortured perspective. You ask why can’t it be both. Both means two perspectives. You keep telling me there is only one perspective, excluding the other. I get your arguments now so before you say there is only one perspective and it’s God’s. You have repeatedly said there are two sometimes it’s literal and sometimes it’s Spiritual, and discernment is knowing the difference.
You asked ‘Not sure why you ask this question but it really is besides the point I made about inequality, i.e., no parallel verse for husbands.’
It’s not beside the point. You brought up Jesus Christ drinking of the cup of bitterness. Is He a man drinking of the cup of bitterness? Is He …the model of: Ephesians 5:25-28 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; [26] That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, [27] That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. [28] So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loves his wife loves himself.
Or Hebrews 10:10
By the which will we are sanctified through the
offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
You can’t deny Romans 7 speaks to men too being
made free by the body of Christ, to be married to another,
even to Him who raised from the dead,
to bring forth fruit unto God.
Why does figurative language have to have the keys to life and death?
I never said figurative language has to hold the keys to life and death. Unless I misunderstood you are saying figurative language is the same as Spirit. But it’s not. When Jesus Christ said “My Words are Spirit, they are Life” that goes beyond figurative language. Instead 1 Corinthians 2:13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teaches, but which the Holy Spirit teaches; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
BTW, words do not have the keys to life and death. Perhaps you don't even realize you are using figurative language here. People hold keys, not words.
Psalm 10:7 His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and fraud: under his tongue is mischief and vanity.
Psalm 12:3-4 The LORD shall cut off all flattering lips, and the tongue that speak proud things: [4] Who have said, With our tongue will we prevail; our lips are our own: who is lord over us?
James 3:8-10
But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. [9] Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God. [10] Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.
Proverbs 18:21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.
I already suspect you’ll say that the above just proves people hold the keys, not words. His words are different though: They are Spirit.
Huh? God made sex. The Hindu's have a health relationship between sex and the divine. Many Christians still embrace a puritanical view. There is no "transcending" sexual intimacy for intimacy with God for sex is mean to glorify God, acting in obedience to the command to "be fruitful and multiply."
I made a mistake in saying there is no sex in the Bible. I knew that would not go over well. What I meant is if the Song of Songs is only viewed as highly sexual, then even the world says it’s such an erotic book to be found in the Bible. See…the world agrees. It’s sexually erotic. Even …I can’t remember where but they say two men long sexually for each other in the songs of songs.
you said “There is no "transcending" sexual intimacy for intimacy with God for sex is meant to glorify God, acting in obedience to the command to "be fruitful and multiply." “
There are two types of flesh…terrestrial (earthly) which has glory.
But there is also the celestial (heavenly) which is a different kind of Glory.
Take your comments that acting in obedience to the command to “be fruitful and multiply” which I assume you mean where a man and woman have intercourse and a baby is conceived, and then born.
But there is another …obedience to the command to “be fruitful and multiply” it is not sexual. Because Paul spoke to them as children, Timothy as a son. There is “to be fruitFul” and to “multiply” where God gives the increase. That is the bearing fruit in Numbers Five Numbers 5:28 KJV - 28 And if the woman be not defiled, but be clean; then she shall be free, and shall conceive seed. (Be fruitful and multiply)
Romans 7:4 Wherefore,
my brethren,
you also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ;
that you should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that
we should bring forth fruit unto God. (Be fruitful and multiply)
Both of the above is bearing children unto God. To bear fruit of the Spirit of God. It is this “bear fruit” and “multiply” that Glorifies God. He even gives a parable of the different kinds of ground where the seed is sown and what ground increases in Fruit. I have two daughters and five grandchildren. Im not disputing the literal. But I also see there is a birth of Spiritual children. Why do you only think sex and making babies glorifies God? What of that Bourne of the Spirit of God? For that born of flesh is flesh. That born of Spirit is Spirit.
Satan perverts the good that God created to make it NOT glorify God, i.e., transcend this form of obedience to God in exchange for giving into list apart from glorifying God.
It only has to be sex. Why a virgin then?