I don't think God cares one way or another who reads period.
I think God gave us a mind that can reason. I think if we do the best with that tool, we may just make it out of here without having to worry what Ezekiel thought 2,000 years ago.
If the Abrahamic God exists and caused it to be written, it would be unwise to not read it. And perhaps our reason was intended---among other things---to introduce Himself to us.
And of course, whether or not He exists is not contingent upon our conclusions about His existence.
Depends on who you ask. Some people will tell you you need to take it all literally, some will tell you some parts are literal and some are not, some will tell you some parts are old and irrelevant, some will tell you that the Bible is the only source of theological truth, some will tell you that it is one of several sources...
In general, however, most religious people who rely on the Bible as a source of theological truth are not okay with "picking and choosing". That said, they probably pick and choose themselves to some degree. The parts of Paul's letters against women speaking in church are mostly ignored. The fastidious laws of Leviticus are mostly written off as "no longer applicable".
If people believe that the Bible was inspired by God then they would believe the whole thing. But if people believe that it was just a bunch of guys writing a book to fit their agenda, then they would take it with a grain of salt.
"Take it with a grain of salt" means not to take it literally.
I use anecdotes, metaphors, similes, and stories (parables) to get my points across and have always done so. I expect the human writers of the bible also retained their own individuality and idiosyncrasies in their writings.
If the Bible was indeed inspired by God and written by His human instruments (unlike the commandments which He apparently wrote personally in stone), then I think the one absolute conclusion I can draw from the Bible is that it is designed to make me think.
When I was a child the parable of the workers in the field upset me whenever I heard it. To my young mind, it was patently unfair---people only worked 2 hours when others worked 12 hours and yet they got the same pay for less work.
It took me until I was well into adulthood to realize that parable was not about justice and "fairness"---rather, it was all about the generosity and mercy of a God that wanted all of his children to have "everything."
And being slapped "70 times 7" (also very hard to go with as a 12 year old) is probably an insight into the true nature of forgiveness itself than about the amount of face pain incurred.
So I believe everything in the Bible contains nothing but truth; but like all prose ,understanding what it is actually saying beyond the limitations of the words used by the individuals who composed requires additional thought and investigation.
I find that praying for the guidance of the Holy Spirit to understand what you are reading is quite efficacious as an individual.
It is not reliable to let people tell you what the bible says. Many people will make up stuff because they don't know what it says, and many will make up stuff because they wish it would not say what it says. You just have to read it for yourself. Read a chapter of Proverbs every day. Proverbs has 31 chapters so you can keep your place by just looking at a calendar. There is no religion or nothing in Proverbs and you don't have to believe anything. Just read to find wisdom. When you are comfortable with that, then read the bible from Romans to 2 Thessalonians over and over until you start to remember what it says. That is the part that applies to Christians. Here is a book to help you to understand the bible. It's a free download and you can get a hard copy at any bible book store. https://www.philologos.org/__eb-htetb/ "How To Enjoy The Bible"
To understand the bible, the first thing you must get straight is to whom it is addressed. Just like a letter to your uncle, you can read it and learn from it, but when it commands something you are not bound by that command because it was not addressed to you. Portions of the bible are addressed to Jews, gentiles, or the church of God. Most of the law of Moses was addressed to the tribes of Judah, Benjamin, and Levi, the people we now call Jews. The other tribes of the Israelites were not bound by the law, neither were gentiles, and neither are Christians.
but Jesus, who will return to judge the twelve tribes of Jacob [later called Israel] warned all his followers not to break even the least of God's laws for if they did and taught others to do so then they will be considered least in the kingdom of heaven - Matthew 5:19
Matthew 5:19Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
Does not say what you said. Maybe some other verse?
CLURT is often trying to use Matthew 5 to show that the Mosaic law was not only to the Jews as well as never end. As Christians know, the Jews themselves broke the Covenant and it was by Jehovah's mercy that it was extended a while longer for the Jews.
(Jeremiah 31:31, 32) “Look! The days are coming,” declares Jehovah, “when I will make with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah a new covenant. 32 It will not be like the covenant that I made with their forefathers on the day I took hold of their hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, ‘my covenant that they broke, although I was their true master,’ declares Jehovah.” (Daniel 9:24-27) “There are 70 weeks that have been determined for your people and your holy city, in order to terminate the transgression, to finish off sin, to make atonement for error, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up the vision and the prophecy, and to anoint the Holy of Holies. 25 You should know and understand that from the issuing of the word to restore and to rebuild Jerusalem until Mes·siʹah the Leader, there will be 7 weeks, also 62 weeks. She will be restored and rebuilt, with a public square and moat, but in times of distress. 26 “And after the 62 weeks, Mes·siʹah will be cut off, with nothing for himself. “And the people of a leader who is coming will destroy the city and the holy place. And its end will be by the flood. And until the end there will be war; what is decided upon is desolations. 27 “And he will keep the covenant in force for the many for one week; and at the half of the week, he will cause sacrifice and gift offering to cease. “And on the wing of disgusting things there will be the one causing desolation; and until an extermination, what was decided on will be poured out also on the one lying desolate.”
Matthew 5:17Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them, but to fulfill them. 18 for I tell you truly, until heaven and earth pass away, not a single jot, not a stroke of a pen, will disappear from the law until everything is accomplished.
(John 19:30) When he had received the sour wine, Jesus said: “It has beenaccomplished!” and bowing his head, he gave up his spirit. (Romans 10:4) For Christ is the end of the Law, so that everyone exercising faith may have righteousness. (Ephesians 2:15) By means of his flesh he abolished the enmity, the Law of commandments consisting in decrees, in order to make the two groups in union with himself into one new man and to make peace, (Colossians 2:13, 14) Furthermore, though you were dead in your trespasses and in the uncircumcised state of your flesh, God made you alive together with him. He kindly forgave us all our trespasses 14 and erased the handwritten document that consisted of decrees and was in opposition to us. He has taken it out of the way by nailing it to the torture stake.
TY JV. Yours looks like a word for word quote. You didn't say which version you were quoting from, but it doesn't matter because it agrees with what I said - We can see from your post as well as mine that Jesus warned his followers about not breaking any of God's laws or telling others that it's okay to disregard any of them, even the least of them.
So you have just confirmed that in Matthew 5:19 Jesus DID gave that warning to all his followers "WHOSOEVER therefore shall break...."
Isn't there some things that you have said that Muhammad changed in relation to sacrifices or something? Didn't Muhammad change the law in relation to how many strokes a man can be struck with as he didn't feel 40 was enough? I don't remember, did he change it to 100?
A few more like eating camels here: https://www.answering-islam.org/Shamoun/mosaic_law.htm
Jesus was a Jew speaking to Jews. He had no clue about Christians.
Ephesians 3:5 Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; 6 That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:
We live and learn. By talking to them I have learned quite a bit about the beliefs of Catholics, Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses etc.
1. Your statements that "Jesus was a Jew speaking to Jews. He had no clue about Christians." are very true and I am aware of them but I think it's the first time I have read them from a Christian. I don't know if those are truths you have come to by your own study (as I have) or whether they are the beliefs of your (Protestant?) sect, which I don't know about.
2. So your explanation for why only Christians believe that the law is not binding is that when Jesus taught that not even the least of the law should be broken "Jesus was a Jew speaking to Jews. He had no clue about Christians."
3. Is that also the reason why it's only Christians who believe that
a- Jesus was a literal son of God (Jews don't regard that as unique, neither did Jesus as a Jew)
b- God is a trinity and that Jesus is one person in that trinity and somehow fully God (Jews don't believe that and Jesus never taught it)
c- Every baby carries the sin of Adam (Jews don't believe that and Jesus never taught it)
d- The only way God could forgive sin is if a perfect (sinless) man was sacrificed anf Jesus was that man (Jews don't believe that and Jesus never taught it)
e- Even so God will still not forgive your sins until you accept that Jesus died for your sins. (Jews don't believe that and Jesus never taught it)
Unless, of course, the earth existed and then people and civilizations came along, followed by religions, which invented God and the creation myth to explain how all that stuff happened. It's more logical and physically possible that it happened that way, and no amount of bible thumping can prove otherwise.
It might interest you to know that there were eye witnesses to what we mistakenly call creation. They recorded their observations as best they could, carving some records into stones and passing verbal accounts from one generation to the next. It has taken a very long time to interpret these records because they don't describe anything we have seen. For example the legend of the dragon is carved into rocks all over the world, but it is only recently that anybody has noticed a natural effect that fits that description. This is a long book because it tries to cover everything completely. https://www.saturniancosmology.org/
Q "Is it ok to believe in some parts of the bible and not others or is it all or nothing?"
1. Believing in ALL is problematic because it has bits in it, like the bitter water test to determine if a woman has committed adultery [Numbers 5:11 to 31], that we now know to be clearly not correct and no reasonable person would regard them as correct and use them. So that has to be out for all reasonable people.
2. To believe in none is to disbelieve in all that is good in it, and no reasonable person would do that. So that too has to be out for all reasonable people.
3. The only reasonable option left therefore is "to believe in some parts of the bible and not others"
"indeed, that is why we also thank God unceasingly, because when you received God's word, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but, just as it truthfully is, as the word of God, which is also at work in you believers." (1Thessalonians 2:13)
This post was edited by Autumnleaves at November 22, 2017 12:45 AM MST
WM BARR . =ABSOLUTE TRASH 