YHWH

[bobjob]

Originally Posted by JnaCK

i meant the way you brush away this scripture by calling it a handbook with posts by social media posters of that time.

I am not challenging what's recorded or how it's been interpreted. Only that all ancient texts are vulnerable to having been misreported, misrecorded, misrepresented and hence misunderstood. I see daily how words are used in ways not intended and can not accept things were better 2000 years ago.

I referred to it as a handbook because I see it as a guide rather than a binding, definitive, authoritative, verbatim record of words spoken two millennia ago. We will each regard it in a personal way. Some in one way, others in another.

I do not seek to imply anyone is wrong in their view about the Bible's accuracy (or lack of it) as an historical record. Just that we should accept only what appeals to our reason, the 'Silver Birch test'.

blessings

[FallingLeaves]

Originally Posted by SilentDrum

Where the hell would that be said?

it is a rather famous passage...

But I've come to hate this social thing we've got going where I have to prove stuff to others over and over and noone will ever look things up for themselves, so, rather than attempt to quote scripture to prove what I just said I'll take the loss and you can assume I don't know what I'm talking about.

[UlfHedinn]

Originally Posted by FallingLeaves

it is a rather famous passage...

This one?

Matthew 7:21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

Matthew 7:22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?

Matthew 7:23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

- from BibleGateway dot com

[SilentDrum]

@UlfHedinn
Thanks for posting Matthew 7:21-23. Those verses are not about Jesus rejecting Christians but about all the self-righteous Christians who are so convinced they have been saved just because they requested to receive a few drops of holy water on the forehead and that's it. Those *Deleted* Christians who only follow Jesus' teachings in their mind -- and who, by the way, misinterpret his teachings -- but do next to nothing when it comes to real spiritual work (which, for 99.99 % humans is necessary to be one with God) have not been saved and Jesus warned them not to think so. He certainly doesn't mean he will reject anyone, he warns them they have never been close to him, hence inviting them -- and all of us -- to do their / our spiritual work.

[UlfHedinn]

Originally Posted by SilentDrum

@UlfHedinn
Thanks for posting Matthew 7:21-23. Those verses are not about Jesus rejecting Christians but about all the self-righteous Christians who are so convinced they have been saved just because they requested to receive a few drops of holy water on the forehead and that's it. Those *Deleted* Christians who only follow Jesus' teachings in their mind -- and who, by the way, misinterpret his teachings -- but do next to nothing when it comes to real spiritual work (which, for 99.99 % humans is necessary to be one with God) have not been saved and Jesus warned them not to think so. He certainly doesn't mean he will reject anyone, he warns them they have never been close to him, hence inviting them -- and all of us -- to do their / our spiritual work.

That's pretty much how I interpret it. One of Jesus's biggest missions was to warn against hypocrisy. To go through mere motions and rote, to think one's soul is saved because they mumbled some formula in front of other humans, or done some sort of magical tricks and felt that doing so was sufficient evidence of transcending the material plane, would fall short of the mark of liberating oneself from material attachment.

[Molearner]

re Matthew 7……Jesus has an ego detector par excellence……:)

Originally Posted by JnaCK

Just to remind ourselves that YHWH can be a brutal god, who directs humans to kill every living being related to a particular tribe.

Thanks for the reminder.
If you focus on the brutality of Life you may miss the Beautiful Light of God.

The Tanakh and Torah have many hidden treasures and purposes.
One purpose is to help man search deep and find the hidden Light of God.
A reminder to you is that in the Torah it states God told Adam not to eat of the
tree of knowledge of good and evil.
So man is still gaining knowledge of good and evil through disobedience.
So is God really brutal or is man still searching
and learning to get back to the hidden Light of God?

[Molearner]

The subtle message of not eating of the tree of Good and evil is to not embrace duality. It invites judgement and stands in opposition to unity.

[FallingLeaves]

Originally Posted by ImthatIm

So is God really brutal or is man still searching
and learning to get back to the hidden Light of God?

if you saw someone who liked eating poison would you let him continue even though hes come to like it? Why or why not?

[Molearner]

Knowledge, by the way, is a process of taking something within yourself….with the potential of being corrupted. If so, it necessitates purification.


Furthermore because the fruit comes from one there is no way to discern between good and evil. A Trojan horse…….:)