Mathew 22:37 Love God with your whole heart, your whole mind, and your whole soul

Hi Theo...if I may shorten your name this way...thank you for joining the converstaion. I am open for it as long as you respect that I too have an opinion and it is valid.

I would prefer to tackle one statement at a time as something may get lost in the cut and paste process.

Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit.
(Matthew 1:18 ESV)

That certainly sounds to me as if he was born without any human father.

What is the Holy Spirit? In the divine trinity of God there is the son, the father and the holy spirit. The Father is the creator, the son the created and the Holy Spirit must be what connects both or completes both. The Holy Spirit could be the experience of love. Every child born into this world is the son or daughter of the father (the creator) and comes from Love.

It does not state he had no father. If Joesph was not the physical father then it must have been someone else. What purpose would it serve to put a baby into Mary's stomach? Why would God do that if God could just put Jesus here as an adult and without a Mother?

[Uma]

Hi Theo please take your off topic comments and put them in another thread as they have no place in this one.

Originally Posted by theophilus

I assume that this is what you are referring to.

It appears to me that the purpose of his first response was to test her faith and that he intended all along to heal her daughter. He never actually changed his mind at all.

I actually found humor in this Scripture, found it demeaning to Gentiles. Remembered that Jesus was not sent but to the lost sheep. He had done this repeatedly, instructing not to go to the Gentiles. Personally, I found her to be quick, but not so quick as to walk away after hearing that remark, and liked the way she humbled herself, found a key quality while in approach.

Canaanite --dog -- tee hee

Thanks Theo!

[Lightspirit]

The second commandment love your neighbour as you love yourself is the only commandment where you are told to love yourself.

If you hate yourself how can you love others as you love yourself?

As god loves you and yo love others you must also care about yourself.

This concept creates an equality with others and leaves no room for superiority.

You love God first and formost with others and yourself equally next.

Originally Posted by lightworkerAu

The second commandment love your neighbour as you love yourself is the only commandment where you are told to love yourself.

if you hate yourself how can you love others as you love yourself?

As god loves you and yo love others you must also care about yourself.

i think this concept creates an equality with others and not a superiority.

You love god first and formost with others and yourself equally next.

The Bible presupposes that we already know how to love ourselves. In the commandment to love others as yourself, the Bible is touching on loving others more than we already love ourselves. For example, many love themselves to point of self preservation. Soldiers know this too well.

"If you love me, you will obey what I command." If we love another to the point of laying our own lives down, well, we can put this in an application from a soldier's life to living a life free from self to worldly interests, desires, and ambitions.

Nice post, L.Worker

[Lightspirit]

Originally Posted by TeeHee

The Bible presupposes that we already know how to love ourselves. In the commandment to love others as yourself, the Bible is touching on loving others more than we already love ourselves. For example, many love themselves to point of self preservation. Soldiers know this too well.

"If you love me, you will obey what I command." If we love another to the point of laying our own lives down, well, we can put this in an application from a soldier's life to living a life free from self to worldly interests, desires, and ambitions.

Nice post, L.Worker

i think for some who come to faith in christianity there is a temptation to be guilt ridden on account of a realisation of sin.

I have heard many newer Christians almost hating themeless for their sinful nature and their sinning despite best efforts not to.

thats what I was also refering to as well.

[theophilus]

Originally Posted by Shabby

It does not state he had no father. If Joesph was not the physical father then it must have been someone else. What purpose would it serve to put a baby into Mary's stomach? Why would God do that if God could just put Jesus here as an adult and without a Mother?

God was the father of Jesus.

And this was why the Jews were persecuting Jesus, because he was doing these things on the Sabbath. But Jesus answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I am working.”
This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.
(John 5:16-18 ESV)

Jesus was born of a woman because that was the only way he could become a human and carry out all the work he came to do.

Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham. Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.
(Hebrews 2:14-18 ESV)