Bible verses often ignored by Christians (2 Viewers)

[Salima]

For those ppl who say the Bible's the most read book in the world should also consider that it's the most revised and republished book in the world.

This is why I use the Qur'an because it hasn't been revised adn rewritten since it was made 1426yrs ago.

 

[Generator]

i dont care about which religion's right or which one's wrong but what makes me laugh my head off (not literally, obviously..just for those ...those..way out there..) is when christians say "that was the Old Testament ..no one listens to THAT anymore"...
i mean, not respecting your history or changing *publications* when the need arises sure smells fishy to me.. HOW ABOUT YOU???

As any somewhat intelligent Christian would be able to tell you, the New Testament supersedes the Old Testament as a document that provides the guiding framework along which one may live their life.

The above is rather basic and probably not as correct as it should be, but I'm sure that someone (or just Lexicographer) will soon be able to provide a somewhat more credible and expansive response.

 

[withoutaface]

This is why I use the Qur'an because it hasn't been revised adn rewritten since it was made 1426yrs ago.

But that doesn't mean it hasn't been reinterpreted a billion times.

 

[volition]

Let us not forget the "build your own bible brigade" the Mormons here

 

[Lexicographer]

Sorry Justin I've been busy preparing for my week in Perth (flying tomorrow) and can't answer you just now.

For those posts since though:

1. "The bible is the most revised text in history". Nope, wrong. The composition of the Bible was settled at one of the earliest ecumenical councils (can't remember which off the top of my head) and in the 1600 years since the contents have not changed. However, in finding excuses to break away from the Catholic Church, the Protestant reformers claimed that the Catholic Church did not have the authority to determine which books would be in the Bible. This was the claim made by Martin Luther to justify the removal of certain sections of the old testament which did not comply with his personal theological teachings (such as sola fide).

Justin has a much better grasp of things when he says that the Quran has been just as constantly reinterpreted - though the actual text of the Bible has never changed (translations notwithstanding - there will always be a better way to translate something) various interpretations have over time given way to deeper ones. However, according to the Catholic Church, once an infallible teaching is decreed (either by the Petrine authority or the by the authority of an ecumenical council) it can never be revised. This is due to the understanding that the dogmatic teaching (as opposed to simple disciplines) of the Church are divinely protected from error and thus infallible. Teachings may be and often are built upon at a later time, by further councils, discussions and pronouncements, but they have never been and never can be repealed.

2. "Nobody listens to the Old Testament anymore". This is also a gross misunderstanding. The Old Testament is included in the entire Bible because it always was and always will be Sacred Scripture. However, it is not the "rule of life" that the New Testament has become because it was only the first act in a two-part play. The Old Testament is all about the Covenant between God and Man, and how He sets us up for salvation. Part II of the story, the New Testament, shows us just how He pulled it off, and rather than replacing the old beliefs fulfils them. We can also see a progression in humanity's understanding of God, first as simply the jealous, all-powerful ruler of the cosmos, later to the just master who generously rewards fidelity, to the mighty saviour of his chosen people (the Hebrews, with whom he made his Covenant) and finally the supreme revelation, that God is in fact merciful and loving, and desires redemption for us His children. It is for this reason (that the New Testament gives us a more total revelation of God and His desire for humanity) that the Christian no longer observes the Mosaic law (which was established as a compromise, a simplification of the divine Will) and instead attempts to live according to the teaching and example of Jesus, the Christ.

 

[MoonlightSonata]

We can also see a progression in humanity's understanding of God [...]

Something I don't understand, not having the religious background. What will stop a progression in humanity's understanding of God from the New Testament to something else? Is there a reason that makes one text right and not the other?

 

[funnybunny]

hmm...mayb u could care to explain it 2 sum1 who isnt christian?...no offense lexi, but everythin u've said seems verbose and pontificating..... 2 me , it isnt that convincing...mayb 2 others it is?
however, the reason y many ppl r choosing islam or buddhism than christianity is that it is based on a single "book" not revised editions of the same book....
"first act in a two-part play."...was that intended initially, or only after many inaccuracies were detected?
also, contents may hav not changed..but things hav been added..
"the New Testament supersedes the Old Testament as a document that provides the guiding framework along which one may live their life.":
HAHA..who do u think ur jokin?....wat ur saying is EXACTLY my point

 

[malkin86]

Something I don't understand, not having the religious background. What will stop a progression in humanity's understanding of God from the New Testament to something else? Is there a reason that makes one text right and not the other?

I gather that part of it is how you apply Revelations 22:18-19: to paraphrase - this book (Revelations) is a book of prophecies, don't add to them or take away from them. Some people apply this concept to the whole Bible. Oh, and some churches have added extra bits - Jehovah's Witnesses, and the Church of Latter Day Saints (Mormons). They're just quite frowned upon.
Also, there is the idea (correct me if I'm wrong, someone!!) that Jesus's coming completes the promises between God and humans. If something is complete, then no additions are needed - some paring was done but that could be attributed to wanting 'to keep the message pure'. Obviously, Islam would contradict this idea, that as of the NT, things are complete.
I think though, that if they'd kept the Book of Susannah in the bible it might have helped. The reason I was given as to why it was taken out was because King David was mentioned in it, but he was elsewhere at the time.

 

[Generator]

"the New Testament supersedes the Old Testament as a document that provides the guiding framework along which one may live their life.":
HAHA..who do u think ur jokin?....wat ur saying is EXACTLY my point

No, it isn't. As I said, Lexicographer would provide a more expansive and theologically correct response, and that he did, even though you do not consider it to be a reasonable explanation.

 

[gerhard]

also people at university interested in the bible (for religious/historical/whatever) reasons, should look for the New Revised Standard Version - Oxford Annotated version.

Its much harder to read, but it attempts to be as exact as possible in translation.

 

[erin_tonkin]

Why do athiests ignore some parts of the bible???

Mark 12 : 30-31

Jesus the son of God says that the most important commandment is to

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength The second is this love your neighbour as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these"

Go figure

 

[Pubert]

LOL, you cant exactly use the bible to prove your point to people who don't believe in the bible in the first place...

Just to let you know i believe in god, but am not Christian.

 

[transcendent]

Mark 12 : 30-31
Jesus the son of God says that the most important commandment is to
"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength The second is this love your neighbour as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these"
Go figure

This this ain't no happyland where everyone gets along. It's called reality, and in this reality there are people to hate, people to envy. These are power emotions from which arises both destruction and creativity. If we followed the bible to a fault the Earth would still be flat and there'd be no such thing as sanitation.

 

[davin]

holy shit this looks like the lamest thing in the entire world. seriously, every single detail is the same as da vinci code.

creativity is dead.

how do you criticise something for not being original because it seems too similar to the da vinci code when, theres at least the implication that there its an original theory? the da vinci code, while i think it was a very well written book, wasn't what i'd call an original concept, per se, because it was an existing theory.

 

[erin_tonkin]

This this ain't no happyland where everyone gets along. It's called reality, and in this reality there are people to hate, people to envy. These are power emotions from which arises both destruction and creativity. If we followed the bible to a fault the Earth would still be flat and there'd be no such thing as sanitation.

Firstly your point about the world being flat and all that is way weird and shows you are not taking this seriously at all

secondly this was Jesus commandment. Thats the point of this post. people are bringing attention to other rules in order to pick christianity apart but are missing the point altogether

thirdly the point. it is not by works (the things we do) that God/Jesus loves us anyway. It is because of a thing called grace which God gave in sending his son to die to take the penalty for all our transgressions.

and finaly yes there are so many bad things in our world. I agree. So thank God for Jesus

 

[davin]

Firstly your point about the world being flat and all that is way weird and shows you are not taking this seriously at all

secondly this was Jesus commandment. Thats the point of this post. people are bringing attention to other rules in order to pick christianity apart but are missing the point altogether

thirdly the point. it is not by works (the things we do) that God/Jesus loves us anyway. It is because of a thing called grace which God gave in sending his son to die to take the penalty for all our transgressions.

and finaly yes there are so many bad things in our world. I agree. So thank God for Jesus

i believe the motivation is that for a book that is supposedly all the word of god....many of "god's words", so to speak, are ignored.

 

[gerhard]

the da vinci code, while i think it was a very well written book,

theres your problem
shit was terrible

 

[+Po1ntDeXt3r+]

This was the claim made by Martin Luther to justify the removal of certain sections of the old testament which did not comply with his personal theological teachings

So the Catholic says .. it was not just his.. he was not just some layperson.. he was a scholar .
those books are regarded by protestant's not as devine but possibly not directly the influence of God.. not to say, that they arent moralistically sound or creation of the devil.. but rather to the protestants there is questionable authority in these books

it is rarely a point of theological difference anymore .. also recall that between the orthodox and the ethiopian churches vary in text choices too

the biblical texts have been scrutinized by many canonical councils with learned ppl and insure a level of appropriateness/accuracy..

otherwise there was nothing wrong with his explanation of the new testament..

i believe the motivation is that for a book that is supposedly all the word of god....many of "god's words", so to speak, are ignored.

i think u miss the point... they werent ignored they get superceded..
like some fundamentalist.. they choose to use the 1st point and ignore the later changes..

1) rule 1#
2) As some things are ...... , rule 1# isnt true anymore.

gerhard: lolz..

 

[Wilmo]

This ain't no happyland where everyone gets along. It's called reality, and in this reality there are people to hate, people to envy. These are power emotions from which arises both destruction and creativity.

That's the whole point. It is only natural for people to hate other people. It is only natural for us to want what we do not have. Our natural state is in rebellion of God's will which shows we are not how we are intended to be.

The commandment to love is completly against our nature. It says "Why not rather be wronged? Why not be content with what you have been given? Why not trust God?". And about that I'm sure everybody can atest that it is not how we naturally want to be. Therefore we CANT do it.

The message Jesus wants to get across is that it is humanly impossible to love as wholly and as completely as we are called to love. But with God all things are possible. So rather than trying to "get along with someone" the best you can. Recieve a new nature from God. Be made new so you are capable of doing it.

Yes we are capable of doing creative things... but our problem is we use our creativity in ways that do not glorify God. God is a jealous God, but his jealousy is not like ours. He wants his own glory and is rightly jealous when he doesnt get it. We are jealous when we do not get what we want.

God, in his jealousy, created people who would glorify him. We, in our jealousy, create things to prove that we are superior to everyone else... and in turn that we are superior to God. Our jealousy turns the glory from God to ourselves and it becomes a case of the created worshiping the created rather than the Creator.

The bible does not deny the place for "power emotions". The problem is that most of our emotions are not motivated by righteous causes. When this is the case, our emotions fall short of the reason for having them. But we need to be made righteous in order to have righteous emotions. And that can only happen if it is not in our nature to glorify ourselves.

If we followed the bible to a fault the Earth would still be flat and there'd be no such thing as sanitation.

I'm sorry, but there's not much I can say to this. I just dont understand how people can expect others to take them seriously (even when they have valid arguments) if they throw in a blanket statement that has no truth at all in it. That goes for me too, but hopefully I wont ever do that.

 

[MoonlightSonata]

I'm sorry, you're saying God is jealous? Don't Christians believe that God is perfect? Wouldn't perfection entail not having such flaws as jealousy?