What is your opinion of the Bible?

[~Lioness~]

Thats cool ��

[Redchic12]

Ok Miss H go on then, give us one of your gems cos Im sure it will be an interesting topic.

I personally find too many contradictions in the bible and for other reasons which I’ve written about before so I don’t ever refer to it. Well very occasionally if something calls for it.

Looking forward to your gem Miss H.

[~Lioness~]

Originally Posted by Redchic12

Ok Miss H go on then, give us one of your gems cos Im sure it will be an interesting topic.

I personally find too many contradictions in the bible and for other reasons which I’ve written about before so I don’t ever refer to it. Well very occasionally if something calls for it.

Looking forward to your gem Miss H.

Same!! I'm wanting to hear them too

[Miss Hepburn]

Ok. The many gems of teaching, advice, instructions, suggestions, guidance
and CLUES found in the Bible, that if you do them or ONE ---that's it!
That is all you need to do to have a fabulous carefree life!
Now, do more than one...and SHAZAM!

Take them one at a time ...do one for 2 weeks like a focused homework ...a mission ...as if the therapist you're paying $200 to
has given it to you to simply DO! I mean you have to...cuz you have to report back next Session! LOL Or
you are writing your Doctoral Thesis on this subject.
Because that is what it takes...concentration, focus, resolve and discipline;
Steadfastness, determination and desire.
I could talk about TWO out of a dozen, say...First the New Testament then the Old.

*Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and all else will follow.*
Contemplate that first. What does it mean to seek?
First? First?
What or where IS the Kingdom of God or Heaven?
What would that mean all else would come?

Take your time to ponder all this, digest the meaning, See?
Then, do it. Are you watching TV or seeking the Kingdom of God?
Are you on the phone or seeking ... are you worrying about money?

2 weeks of this...just see what happens.
..................
*Delight in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart*. Psalm 37
Delight? How do I delight in a sunset, in my doggy, in my partner, in anything?
The Lord? How do I do that.(Take it from where you are in your knowledge of God.)
The desires of my heart? You will soon find ...your desires are not about material things at all....but a feeling,
a state of mind..love, confidence, peace.
................
This is a *start*.
No discussion here is needed, really.
I can place other 'gems' here later.
Just those 2 would change your life 180 degrees. From my exp.
Lay aside contradictions, focus on the gems ---as you would looking
for the tomato among the weeds.

[inavalan]

I think that the Bible should be approached the same way as everything that we experience, awake or dreaming, everyone intuitively interpreting each instance, on his own.

This may result in different interpretations as we grow, and as our needs and beliefs vary, and different interpretations for different people.

These interpretations shouldn't be intellectual interpretations, rationalizations, but intuitive, meaning using our individual inner source of guidance.

For example ... You read the news and learn about an event that impresses you somewhat. Intuitively interpret it: What is the lesson for you? What is the guidance for you? Same with events and situations from your life, what you read in a book, or watch on a screen.

The Bible can be used as helper for your intuitive interpretation. You can search in it for a concept, idea, word that interests you, then intuitively interpret the passages you find.

You can also just randomly open the Bible and read a passage or two, and think about it intuitively: What is the lesson for you? What is the guidance for you?

The more you do it, the better interpretations you get.

Don't compare your interpretation with others', as theirs are appropriate for them only. Besides, most people don't interpret intuitively, but just through the filters of their beliefs, expectations, rationalizations, so what they get is a reflection of what they are, and not of what they need to learn, nor what they need to do; even less what you need to learn and do.

If you follow somebody's teachings, dead or alive, you can use their books and teachings in the same way as a Bible, just keep in mind that it doesn't matter what the author intended to say, but what you understand from it.

When you interpret intuitively you don't learn from the book or the teacher, but you directly tap your inner source of knowledge and guidance. The book and the teacher is just a conduit, which inherently introduces distortions.

[Redchic12]

I totally agree with Hazada and Native.

Anything that was transcribed by the church in those days has to be suspect.imo

Sorry about these comments. I was answering the wrong question. Please ignore.

[Redchic12]

Inavalan: …..”you follow somebody's teachings, dead or alive, you can use their books and teachings in the same way as a Bible, just keep in mind that it doesn't matter what the author intended to say, but what you understand from it”.

Would agree with that.

Originally Posted by inavalan

I think that the Bible should be approached the same way as everything that we experience, awake or dreaming, everyone intuitively interpreting each instance, on his own.

This may result in different interpretations as we grow, and as our needs and beliefs vary, and different interpretations for different people.

Inavalan,

These are words of wisdom, thanks. Jesus was asked…”Why do you speak in parables ?”…..Matthew 13:10-12….contemplate the answer….’ Because it was given to you to know the mysteries etc’….why them we ask….perhaps…”God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble”….these are the ones who humbled themselves by acknowledging God…..making themselves targets for the grace(gifts) of God. In the cited verses we are told that those who have will be given more but the others will lose even what they have. These answers come from the Spirit or intuition if one prefers.

“Seek and ye shall find”. We should read this with parenthetical insertions in mind…..” Seek(God) and ye shall find(knowledge)”. Psalm 1…paraphrased…”Blessed is the man whose delight is in the word of the Lord which he meditates on day and night”……we are called on to go deep within ourselves…as you have implied…..to enable our own individual interpretations. These become our personal truths…our own epiphanies. One should look up ‘why’ in a concordance and see how many times it appears. Without reading the answer we should contemplate an answer…..this is learning….bringing our spirit and intuition into play.

I am a huge skeptic of AI….at least it is well named…artificial. Like taking a test and being informed that the answers appear in the back of the book. Whenever I hear people wondering if the scribes of the Bible got it right, I am reminded of the philosopher Martin Buber, author of _I and Thou_,…..he remarked that on reading his own works that he realized inherent deeper meanings than he had in mind when he wrote the book. That is accessing your hidden depth. As a music fan I have favorite songs….sometimes the explanation of the lyrisist differs from my interpretation……who is right ? Maybe I got a free gift.? Enough for now…..😊😊😊

[saurab]

It is an inspired book with many good ideas and many false ideas also (most of the false ideas come from the Book of Revelation). BUt what Moses wrote is good. Also the New Testament except for the Book of Revelation is good.

[SmallVoice]

Originally Posted by traceyacey12

What is your opinion of the Bible? Is it really the final authority on life? Can we trust it?

There is some great spiritual wisdom in it and even some mystical properties to it (especially the Torah written in its original Hebrew), but it has been misused, misinterpreted, and mistranslated to such a degree that so much of what made it valuable has been lost. It also needs to be read within its historical/cultural context to be properly understood. For example, if you take into consideration that most prostitutes in Roman society were women taken from other lands and forced into sexual slavery, Christ's ministry to them reads less like an attempt at moral reform and more as compassion for those suffering from trauma. Likewise, one must take into consideration that the book we call "the Bible" is actually many books that were compiled under the guidance of a political council who may or may not have been sincere in their desire to convey God's truth. There were a lot of books in circulation among the early Christians that were left out. There is some source material for the Gospels that we know existed, but can't be found and didn't make it in. There are some books that made it in (namely the Gospel of John) that were almost left out. There were some books that made it in that we know are unlikely to be written by the apostle they're ascribed to, particularly a good number of Paul's letters.

So to answer your question, the Bible (particularly the Gospels) does have some deep spiritual significance, but it should not be taken at its word as the ultimate authority on everything and it needs to be read on the spiritual level rather than a literal or human level. It definitely shouldn't be read as a science textbook or an objective history of the world.