Results 1 - 4 of 4
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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Ordered by Verse | ||||||
Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1 | I just started reading the Bible and.... | Deut 24:1 | petedavis6263 | 211226 | ||
Dear Cheri, Hank, Brad, WOS, and others, This is a question for you since you were some of the ones who strongly advised me to read the New Testament first before trying to understand the Old Testament. Well, after stopping at the end of Deuteronomy, I went to Matthew which you recommended as a great start. Okay, now that I am finished reading Matthew I want to ask you some questions before continuing. My very first concern is with Matthew 5:17-18, where Jesus basically says he did not come to destroy the law or the prophets but to fulfill, for until heaven and earth pass away not one jot or tittle shall pass from the law until all is fulfilled. An obvious and logical assumption to make is that since heaven and earth have not passed and all has not been fulfilled yet, every jot and tittle of the law are still valid. Not any part of the law has been deleted. It's as clear as a bright sunny day. Yet many of God's commands are no longer viewed as relevent. God's commands of death to a homosexual, death to a man who commits adultery, death to a man who breaks the sabbath and death to man who rapes should all be still be valid, shouldn't they? We still uphold the ban on homosexuality, the sin of adultery and the evil of rape, but we disregard God's command of death to those sinners. Confusing? To me it is very confusing. One of the recent posts on this forum mentioned Psalm 119, so I read that chapter, all 176 verses. In no uncertain terms God declares all of His words, commandments, precepts, statutes, judgments, testimonies and laws are perfect, righteous, faithful, truthful, good and pure and they endure forever to all generations. How much clearer must it get that no part of God's law could ever be abolished? They should be as God declares, perfect, and as Jesus declares, as eternal as heaven and earth. Why with such overwhelming evidence of God's eternal nature, have we gone against Him? Here's another concern of mine found in Matthew 5:31-32, Jesus proclaims a divorcee who remarries commits adultery. The question here is how in the world will the countless number of divorced couples, including myself, who have been remarried make it to heaven while continuing to live in the sin of adultery? My third passage in question is concerning Matthew 5:38-48. Jesus said ignore the eye for eye, tooth for tooth code, instead, resist no evil, turn the other cheek, if a man sues you, give him more, go the extra mile, love your enemies, bless them, do good to them and pray for them that curse, hate, persecute and despitefully use you and you will be perfect as your Father in heaven. I wonder what Christian in the world today practices what Jesus is saying here or even believes it. Even people on this forum, as Written has warned me, will probably view me as the evil one, the enemy who promotes consumption of the "devil's drink." I wonder if they will obey Jesus' council to turn the other cheek and love the enemy? Or will they cast me out banning me forever from this forum? Believe me, I am not the enemy. I love God with all my heart and I just want to do what He commands me to do. The truth is guys, God has given me a mind to seek the answers. Many of these passages were never told to me by my pastor and I never pursued reading the entire bible until now. I don't believe for a second that I am misreading, misquoting, misinterpreting or inventing ideas. You may say that I am taking things out of context, but I ask you what are the contexts of "love your enemies," "adultery is sin," and "everything that God does is perfect and does not change?" Why should the contexts be anything other than what they say? Unless of course it is uncomfortable to face the truth, then a spin is put on the passage and away we all go. As I read word for word, I can't help think that if God meant for it to mean something else He would have said it differently, a far easier way, after all, He is God. Please, members of this forum, as Jesus has said, if you we have faith as little as a mustard seed we can move mountains, nothing will be impossible(Matt 17:20). Certainly, our faith should be strong enough to help us to find the answers. God bless you all, Pete |
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2 | I just started reading the Bible and.... | Deut 24:1 | Wild Olive Shoot | 211232 | ||
Dear Pete, I’m glad you decided to stick around. Thanks for putting some of us to task and asking questions you seek answers to. If you haven’t noticed by now, you’ll get quite a few responses when posting on the forum. You have a big group of believers here that spend much time in God’s word and are willing to answer and much of what they have to say is valuable. For me, you’ve posted much that will take me some time to look at, I’m not as quick as some and not as knowledgeable as most, but I will try to answer because you have asked. I’ve responded to this post so the other one may stay at the top of the forum for the others to see. I hope you’ll allow some time and if I haven’t welcomed you, allow me to do so now. I'm sure I'll enjoy the study. Stand in His grace, WOS |
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3 | I just started reading the Bible and.... | Deut 24:1 | petedavis6263 | 211246 | ||
Hello WOS, Thanks for your kind words. I guess I made a double posting here. I'm so sorry. Pete |
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4 | I just started reading the Bible and.... | Deut 24:1 | Wild Olive Shoot | 211306 | ||
What was Jesus focusing on there? He seems to focus on the Moral law doesn’t he? And not only that but the perversions made to the law and the harshness of it. We’re funny creations aren’t we? God renders what is lawful and what is not and we take away and add to it as if we can make it better. We make it more difficult as if in doing so, we appear to be better for it because it is so hard. We want others to see us struggling so we outwardly appear to be more religious. What God has revealed in His Law Pete is perfection. If we could have lived up to it, we would have no need for a Savior. But concerning the Law, have you read what our Lord said: Matthew 22:36-40: “40 On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets." Jesus did not abolish the Law as you pointed out, that was neither His intentions nor God’s plan so far as I can tell. What Jesus did do in part was to point out that we couldn’t live up to them anyhow. Have you ever broken any one of God’s laws Pete? In Matthew chapter 5, Jesus really brings this to light. He gives warning that if you’re going to live to the letter of the law, you better understand them because they aren’t as easy as one reads them to be and you better uphold every one of them in order to be declared righteous. Every one of them Pete! But God is also a merciful God. Matthew 12:7 And if you had known what this means, 'I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,' you would not have condemned the guiltless. Matthew 23:23 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. Roman 2:1 Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things. The problem seems to be at least twofold. If we live to the Law, we better not only comprehend it as God intended, but live it completely as such. And we better not forget that understanding the Law brings with it justice, mercy and faithfulness and all of it is to be taken into consideration. We have not gone against God’s Law in Christ Pete. As he said, he didn’t come to abolish but to fulfill. That’s what he did, something none of us ever could. He fulfilled it and in order for us to reap the benefits of Him fulfilling the Law, our faith must be in Him not in the Law. Roman 2:1 Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things. Romans 5:18 Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. As far as making it to heaven, that’s really an easy answer. By the grace of God Pete. No other way. John 14:6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. Ephesians 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, Truth is sometime harsh Pete. But it will also set you free. John 8:31 – 36: “32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." What “Written” thinks, what any of us thinks really, isn’t the issue. Where does your heart stand before God? 1John 3:18-23: 20 for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything. 21 Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; Loving one another involves being honest with one another as well. Helping each other the best we can as we see we can. Bottom line for me, I don’t have all the answers you seek Pete, but you are looking in the place to find them, God’s Word. I urge you to keep reading, and don’t just read, study what Scripture is saying. Begin and end each time you read by asking God for guidance. We all transgress the Law. None of us can deny that. 1John 1:10 If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. If we live by the Law, we will surely die by it for it already condemns us. However, living by faith, by God’s grace… Romans 8:34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died--more than that, who was raised--who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. This got real long and I’m not sure I addressed everything but I’m sure the others have. Due to restrictions, I couldn’t post all of the Scripture but I think I referenced what I was trying to. Stand in His grace, WOS |
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