Using the word of God August 6, 2010
Posted by matthew5sixteen in Christianity.Tags: Bible, Christianity
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In an August 4, 2010 post, Laura Grace Robins of Full of Grace, Seasoned with Salt wrote about an article by Jana Chapman Gates on Christianity Today concerning the possibility that the Bible is right when it states that some women can be foolish. Gates’ article provides scripture that suggests that some women can be foolish.
I would recommend that you read the post by Robins and the article by Gates. They are both very interesting pieces of writing. But what I would like to focus on is the use of verses in the Bible to prove a point.
I would like to ask, what is the purpose of the word of God? I believe that this is an important question. And I doubt that I am alone in this belief. Christian apologists, atheists and non-Christians have been arguing for centuries on the veracity of the word of God and its usefulness.
For Christians, the power and usefulness of God’s word is a belief that is held with conviction. For non-Christians, however, the word of God is at best a set of wise teachings. At worst, for non-Christians, the word of God is utter foolishness. I would like to state that, personally, I view God’s word as basically the meaning of life. It’s a status that I’ve given it in my personal life after I accepted Jesus into my life. I don’t think that it is the meaning of life for everyone. It can only be meaningful if someone believes in it, which some people don’t.
Let’s take a look at the Bible from a secular viewpoint for a moment. What do secularists view the Bible as? Is the Bible a book of science? Is the Bible a book of that teaches good governance? Is it a book that teaches us how to structure our society? Or is it a book that deals only with our spiritual aspect?
For some Christians, the Bible is a book that talks about everything. I believe that they hold this view because of the fact that the Bible talks about many of the more important aspects of human life. But I don’t believe that the Bible was meant to cover every subject under the sun. When Jesus was asked what was the most important commandment, he responded, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” (Matthew 22:37-38.)
Jesus didn’t go through a carefully prepared list covering everything that humanity would ever experience after his death and resurrection. From Jesus’ response, I would like to state that the Bible was meant for us to love God and love others. When we use the Bible to try to prove a point about science or society, I believe we go beyond the focus of the Bible.
“All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:40.) There are a lot of laws in the Old Testament that cover numerous areas of daily life. And the prophets spoke many things concerning how we should live our lives. Yet Jesus suggested that they all pointed to the two things mentioned above. I view this as meaning that the Bible has a focus. And we should keep this focus in mind when we try to use its verses to prove a point, in case we go outside that focus.
I leave you with this verse: “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness…” (2 Timothy 3:16.)
Matthew5sixteen.
Hi Matt,
I hope I will be able to make more robust your assertions by debate.
Let’s take a look at the Bible from a secular viewpoint for a moment. What do secularists view the Bible as? Is the Bible a book of science? Is the Bible a book of that teaches good governance? Is it a book that teaches us how to structure our society? Or is it a book that deals only with our spiritual aspect?
No, it is the hijacking and replacing of Jesus’ teachings by homosexuals like St Paul who, rather than facing themselves and their thorns in their side, produced the grand opera version of “The Saving of Mankind”. The first of many antichrists to turn Jesus’ teaching for themselves via claims that they knew God and all should come to unto them. Mohammed did likewise.
It was Gay to circumcise Timothy so he can witness the Good News to Jews. It is like cicumcising women today so they can preach to certain tribes in Africa. Jesus did not have a sex-change so he could speak to solitary women about the consciousness of a child seeing the kingdom of god.
Homosexuals teach you to put on the breatplate of righteousness because you are not righteous, and teach you what love is because you no longer know how to love and correct even your own children.
Jesus revealed by realization and birthed freedom; St Paul concealed by faith and birthed guilt. Demoralized people are then enabled to love and kill at the whim of despots, for they take their instructions from without and not from the authority within.
The Statement: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” (Matthew 22:37-38.) was spoken for people who claimed they knew Allah (when they do not) and so Jesus added for them (because it was not implied in the first statement)‘Love your neighbor as yourself’.
Who is this neighbour? – well for the Allahist it is the Jew, and the Jehovahists the Goyem, and the ChristAllahists the secularists – it is those people you do not like for thinking and acting in ways self-destructive and will poison your well. You rebuke but you do not curse. You turn the other cheek but do not give them your ass to kick too.
You remember all human beings have the chance to become fully conscious even though they cannot see it for themselves and dance in the reflected glory of others.
@Kinderling,
I see that your views on Christianity are different from what I’m accustomed to seeing. I don’t believe that the thorn that Paul talked about was necessarily homosexuality.
I was wondering, what part of the world are you from? And what branch of Christianity do you consider yourself to be a part of?
Hi Matt,
There is no salvation thu St Paul’s way, that of changing yourself into a new person by putting the past beind you and the letting a JesusGod give you a get-out-of-jail-free card. This is the painless way, whereas Jesus said he came with a sword.
St Pauls way has every jumped up fraud from Emperor to African celebrating a faith of cosmetic consumerism demanding ‘You give to God and God gives to you’ and ‘no man can judge’ so the powers that be get stronger and more corrupt.
Rather, it is to call no man teacher, and test what anyone says.
Jesus’ teachings go to the heart of the matter:
the Beattiudes in Luke 6:
“Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God”
Is it:
1. Poor people are blessed people, much better than anyone else?
2. Poor people get everything they ask for, if they pray sincerely for it?
3. Poor people deserve what other people have got?
4. Poor people are those without vanity?
“Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied”.
1. Hungry people will have their day when the tables are turned?
2. Hungry people will cry out to The Lord and be filled with Manna from Heaven?
3. Hungry people just have to sponge off the rich?
4. If you hunger for truth you will find it?
Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.
1. When you put your enemies under your feet you will celebrate?
2. When you make yourself suffer and be lower than your enemies you are free to judge them?
3. When you steal and distribute wealth from the rich you will then have utopia?
4. When you find the truth about yourself you will cry and then be released from your burdens?
This is the way Jesus took, going up the mountain for forty days and nights, because when he came down he was no longer a Jew but returned to the child before he was helplessly indoctrinated into their creed, culture, color. He was born again. What happened on that mountain was what Jesus described above: 1. he gave up vanity of the world, 2. he looked for the truth about himself, 3. he repented and forgave. “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are like these children.” If he had been called St Paul he would have come back to being Saul.
You cannot run from your problems and bury them at the back of your mind. Homosexuals become priests to escape their addiction to father-sex and for years do good work for Church, Mary and Jesus, but some little boy calling them ‘daddy’ one day, while they are alone, is going to make them do it again, and this time the priests find they can. Call no man father.
So don’t look away, see for yourself, the truth will set you free, not your faith. Your faith makes you blind to believe that other too have faiths just as equal as yours, when they are really all just as stupid.
The Gospel of Mary Magdalen:
“10) I said to Him, Lord, how does he who sees the vision see it, through the soul or through the spirit?
11) The Savior answered and said, He does not see through the soul nor through the spirit, but the mind that is between the two…”
Gospel St Thomas:
Jesus said, “From Adam to John the Baptist, among those born of women, no one is so much greater than John the Baptist that his eyes should not be averted. But I have said that whoever among you becomes a child will recognize the (Father’s) kingdom and will become greater than John.”
This is the order of things: to find the truth so that love has a home. If you seek love, truth does not belong in that house of pride.
Now Matt, I hope you now know where I am coming from.
@Kinderling,
I’m sorry, but I’m having difficulty understanding your point of view. I think that Paul should not be disregarded simply because Paul isn’t Jesus. Paul’s writings were inspired by the Holy Spirit, so that makes Paul’s teachings good and valid.
If you could tell me where you’re from and what branch of Christianity you are a part of, perhaps I would be able to understand where your viewpoint originates.
Paul did not follow The Way.
If you could tell me where you’re from and what branch of Christianity you are a part of, perhaps I would be able to understand where your viewpoint originates.
I am who I am.
Can you not see or hear these things?
What in his postings makes you think he is any kind of Christian?
@Anonymous age 68,
I try to give people the benefit of the doubt. Kinderling is saying a lot of strange things, but I don’t think he came to hold his beliefs on his own. It is likely that either someone taught him these beliefs or drove him to these beliefs by their behavior.
@Kinderling,
I want to be gentle, but you make it difficult for me to be so. If you believe that Paul did not follow the way then you’re following a branch of Christianity that would be considered an apostasy.
This is a mainstream Christian blog. Please understand that we hold to mainstream views and not to the views that you are presenting. Please read the policy on the main page. You are asked to make sure that your comments are beneficial to those who read this blog. If the comments are not beneficial but lead to meaningless discussion, your comments will be removed. I apologize that it has to go this far, but your beliefs are not very beneficial to others.
Hi Matt,
68 year old: What in his postings makes you think he is any kind of Christian for explaining what Jesus was teaching?
Matt, Jesus taught repentence and forgiveness and you will see the kingdom of god. I see it. Saul taught salvation was to submit and you will be able to go to The Afterlife. I follow Jesus’ Way for the living, you are concerned with what happens to the dead.
You call yourself a Believer based on faith you don’t know, I base my understanding on the truth shall set you free. .
Who is Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you on account of the Son of Man for you show people up as defiled living temples, and who is praised on the account of the Man-God because you let them hide within the stone temples as priests?