Revelation 22:18, 19 plus my beliefs on what Christianity has turned into.

[GreenGazer]

"22:18 I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to that person the plagues described in this scroll. 22:19 And if anyone takes words away from this scroll of prophecy, God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life and in the Holy City, which are described in this scroll."

Any translation will do I just happened to pick this one. What really is the meaning of this? It is a warning? Is it a prophecy? Is it both? One? Or none?

I think its both. I think the bible has been tampered with a bit. But I think God's message is clear and I believe the bible teaches us basic ways of life that may benefit mankind and every individual the most.

I consider myself a Christian, though I truly dislike the stigma attached to that in my country. Maybe I just think we have no true unity as Christians because it seems all the different denominations endlessly nitpick and judge each other as well as within the congregations of those denominations. I fear that many may not truly love one another. And I probably think that what Christ encompasses is larger than what the vast majority of Christians may feel but I am not saying I am right. In fact I guess what I am saying is I believe the vast majority of Christians think they are right and it has divided us beyond recognition in many cases. I think we don't fully understand the depths of God's mercy and we quickly condemn many other religions and ways of life. Perhaps I think every person in the world is a lost sheep in a sense and that everyone, including myself, may be really surprised what the world will look like when God reveals his true magnitude and when every soul realizes how close we all truly are.


On a side note I think Christians as a whole have an irrational fear of what our minds are truly capable of. I think what Christ tried to explain about our potential was way over the heads of what people of that time could fathom and still continues to be so today, again myself included.

[Clear Blue Sky]

Originally Posted by GreenGazer

"22:18 I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to that person the plagues described in this scroll. 22:19 And if anyone takes words away from this scroll of prophecy, God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life and in the Holy City, which are described in this scroll."

Any translation will do I just happened to pick this one. What really is the meaning of this? It is a warning? Is it a prophecy? Is it both? One? Or none?

I think its both. I think the bible has been tampered with a bit. But I think God's message is clear and I believe the bible teaches us basic ways of life that may benefit mankind and every individual the most.

I consider myself a Christian, though I truly dislike the stigma attached to that in my country. Maybe I just think we have no true unity as Christians because it seems all the different denominations endlessly nitpick and judge each other as well as within the congregations of those denominations. I fear that many may not truly love one another. And I probably think that what Christ encompasses is larger than what the vast majority of Christians may feel but I am not saying I am right. In fact I guess what I am saying is I believe the vast majority of Christians think they are right and it has divided us beyond recognition in many cases. I think we don't fully understand the depths of God's mercy and we quickly condemn many other religions and ways of life. Perhaps I think every person in the world is a lost sheep in a sense and that everyone, including myself, may be really surprised what the world will look like when God reveals his true magnitude and when every soul realizes how close we all truly are.


On a side note I think Christians as a whole have an irrational fear of what our minds are truly capable of. I think what Christ tried to explain about our potential was way over the heads of what people of that time could fathom and still continues to be so today, again myself included.

What does it mean? At the time it was written, the author was well aware of diverging writings, and editing out and in of scrolls and tampering with texts after they had been written by their original authors. The author wrote that from a very real concern -- probably based on personal experience -- that what the author wrote would be tampered with by others.

Another witness is the gospel of Luke, who talks about all sorts of things being said, heaps of writings, and the needs to 'carefully investigate and create a well ordered account'.

In the midst of this all, the Jews thankfully have kept vigil over the Old Testament so that could not get distorted over time too much. And once you get the printing press and the protestants, then any further distortions of New Testatment texts since the 1660's would be called out by the different denominations. Wonder how different things would look in this day and age if it had not been otherwise?

[Morpheus]

Originally Posted by Clear Blue Sky

What does it mean? At the time it was written, the author was well aware of diverging writings, and editing out and in of scrolls and tampering with texts after they had been written by their original authors. The author wrote that from a very real concern -- probably based on personal experience -- that what the author wrote would be tampered with by others.

Another witness is the gospel of Luke, who talks about all sorts of things being said, heaps of writings, and the needs to 'carefully investigate and create a well ordered account'.

In the midst of this all, the Jews thankfully have kept vigil over the Old Testament so that could not get distorted over time too much. And once you get the printing press and the protestants, then any further distortions of New Testatment texts since the 1660's would be called out by the different denominations. Wonder how different things would look in this day and age if it had not been otherwise?

Yes, spurious writings which include the " Gnostic" writings.