Results 21 - 40 of 294
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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Author: Just Read Mark Ordered by Verse |
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Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
21 | trials and tribulations | Bible general Archive 2 | Just Read Mark | 110918 | ||
Apocrypha. Hi Kalos. I, too, have been digging though the Apocrypha a little. My interest was in reading Maccabees, having recently read Daniel. Also, it is interesting to flesh out some of the history before the time of Jesus. It does help to understand the gospels, I think. I am reading a book by N.T. Wright called "The New Testament and the People of God" --- it is really helping me to understand threads withing Judaism in the time before and after Christ. Peace, JRM. |
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22 | trials and tribulations | Bible general Archive 2 | Just Read Mark | 110919 | ||
Trials in the Bible. Hello dckraus. Emmaus is right, that the Bible is FULL of stories of struggle, and loss, and finding God in the midst of it. Lamentations is another book to look at: the sense of loss over the captivity of Israel. This was a political loss, but also a sense of being abandoned by God (or worse), and of being seperated from the Temple. Their whole view of reality was crashing around them. On another note, there are many texts that talk about being strengthened through hardship. "Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it." -- Hebrews 12:11 See also 2 Corinthians 4:17. How wonderful that this faith of ours is not candy-coated. With God, we can look even the harshest realities in the face. yours, JRM. |
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23 | What is the Dark Ages | Bible general Archive 2 | Just Read Mark | 119460 | ||
Historical periods are often named after the fact, and can reflect the bias of the historians, rather than something true about the actual time period. The medieval period is often referred to as a Dark Age. Scholars of the Renaissance (which means rebirth - another value-laden term) looked down on the earlier period. Renaissance culture rediscovered the classical learning of the Greeks and Romans, as well as mathematics from Arab peoples -- and considered the intervening thousand years a write-off. The name of another period, the "Enlightenment," shows you another value-laden historical name. As Christians, we might evaluate these periods differently. The faith and community of the medieval period may look less dark to us, and the individualism and materialism of the enlightenment may look less dazzling. Hope this helps. Yours JRM P.S. "The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light..." (Isaiah 9:2) |
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24 | what is the silent era? | Bible general Archive 2 | Just Read Mark | 119462 | ||
400 Silent Years. I have heard the intertestimental period referred to as the Silent Years. There is a period of time between the last of the Old Testament prophets and the Gospels. There are, of course, many writings from this period... and God was certainly active with his people. But the canonical scriptures leave a gap between the prophecies and their fulfillment. JRM. |
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25 | what does cultic mean | Bible general Archive 2 | Just Read Mark | 119464 | ||
I think the term "cultic" has a much broader meaning. Certainly, EdB, Walter Martin's definition does relate to a very common use of the word "cult", but... "Cult" can also refer to "a system of religious rites or observanves." Thus, Leviticus describes the cultic practice of the Israelites. In this context, there is no sense of occultim etc... it just focuses attention on the practices of corporate worship. JRM. |
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26 | IM PREACHING ON SUNDAY.................. | Bible general Archive 2 | Just Read Mark | 119465 | ||
Protection Promises? I love the Psalm you quoted. But can we claim it as a promise? I've just been reading Job. Eliphaz comes to comfort Job with platitudes --- and there is truth in his words, but he says them without acknowledging Job's suffering.... Part of Eliphaz's speach sounds remarkably like the Psalm you mentioned: "In famine He shall redeem ou from death, And in war from the power of the sword. You shall be hidden from the scourge of the tongue.... " (Job 5:20). Job responds "How forceful are right words! But what does your arguing prove?" (Job 6:25) and longs for a true friend (6:14) |
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27 | How literal is the Bible? | Bible general Archive 2 | Just Read Mark | 135812 | ||
I am afraid to contribute to this topic --- and I won't go on and on. But the discussion seems to have a consensus that seems forced. A lot of the Bible is symbolic. We use symbolic language so often in life, day to day --- perhaps we avoid it in legal language, but so much of language functions as metaphor. Metaphors do NOT use the words "like" or "as" to clarify them. So when Jesus talked about the camel going through the eye of the needle, what did he mean? It's a puzzle that people solve in different ways (ie. the eye of the needle was actually a gate into Jerusalem, etc.) It is difficult to interpret the symbolic language without understanding the time period. One of the main things to look at is the genre. Sure, the wisdom books are full of imagery --- but they also recount history.... What about apocalyptic writing, such as Daniel? There is so much metaphor in there, it has been argued about ever since the 2nd century BC. Not every word is literal. But every word IS authoritative. So we have to study and wrestle. As for Jesus' resurrection --- I am convinced this is literal. The goal is to read the words as they were intended by the authors, and if you read Acts, it is clear they were empowered by encounters with a physically risen Lord. I think this is the most critical thing for us all to deal with, and is the foundation of our faith. As for the creation account, well, I'd say the genre shifts from "mostly mythic" to "mostly history" around Genesis 12. Every word is true, and God wants us to align our lives with it. But exegesis that takes it all literally is imposing a kind of modernist empiricism on the text that doesn't belong there. They are reading it as science, in a way that didn't exist before 1600. Most of all, the Bible should be read as a whole. The relationship between the Garden and the Heavenly City; the suffering servant in Isaiah and Christ's passion; the promises and their fulfillment. We need to immerse ourselves prayerfully in the whole text in order to interpret each part. I know much of this note won't be accepted by the majority of forum users... but I really enjoy discussing the Bible with people who love it as much as I do. Blessings to all. JRM |
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28 | How literal is the Bible? | Bible general Archive 2 | Just Read Mark | 135818 | ||
Hi Reighnskye. Thanks for letting me know. I didn't really understand the drug references... it was "all greek to me." Anyway, I'd probably just get roasted (in the most collegial way) for my post, so it's just as well. JRM |
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29 | Guidance Needed for Wedding Readings | Bible general Archive 1 | Just Read Mark | 82151 | ||
My wife and I chose a verse from the last chapter of the Song of Songs --- very romantic, very passionate.... I don't remember it exactly, but it's something like: Many waters cannot quench love, nor can floods wash it away. It blazes as a mighty flame..... We had other verses as well, but this is one I identify with and associate with that amazing day. Congrats on the marriage, and blessings. P. |
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30 | can a woman lead a church | Bible general Archive 1 | Just Read Mark | 82606 | ||
Women Lead Jesus had more than 12 followers. The gospels clearly talk about 72 being sent out to spread news of the kingdom and heal. Later, there seem to be even more followers. The sex of these followers is never mentioned. I realize one shouldn't argue from silence, but women do appear frequently in the accounts. How to interpret gender roles in the Bible? I think "women can never lead a men" leave us tied in knots. There are many examples of women leading, including that warrior/prophet from Judges. A clear example of a woman leading the nation. St. Paul says to "be all things to all people" --- this means that, to speak to the broader culture, certain aspects of that culture may be adopted --- permitting the gospel to be heard. I think, in New Testiment times, this limited the role of women. I think the freedom themes of the gospel (everything is permitted but not everything is beneficial...) point to a lot more freedom in roles for the sexes. We should be asking: what gifts does each person have? How best can they be imployed? If a woman is a gifted teacher, it is her task to teach for the Lord. If she is a gifted leader, she must lead for the Lord. |
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31 | can a woman lead a church | Bible general Archive 1 | Just Read Mark | 82705 | ||
Deborah Ruled. Hi D. Thanks for the response. Perhaps recruiting and giving a mission to a general doesn't make her a warrior? It is very clear that she was a judge. Check out her story in Judges 4-5. "At that time Deborah, a prophetess, wife of Lappidoth, was judging Israel. She used to sit under the palm of Deborah.... and the Israelites came up to her for judgement." (Judges 4:4,5) At that chaotic time in Israel's history, "judges" were the leaders. There was no heroic figure like Moses, nor a king. The judges were annointed by God to bring justice and order to the society. And Deborah, a woman, is presented as an excellent judge. God calls women to be decisive and discerning. God calls women to lead --- to recruit generals, and to give them orders. Women can lead men. Thanks be to God for Bible-believing churches all over the world that have women in leadership. |
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32 | Authority, without literalism? | Bible general Archive 1 | Just Read Mark | 82752 | ||
Bible Literalism? One of the beautiful things about Christ's incarnation is that God tangably entered history. "God with us." But history is complicated, and simplistic readings of the Bible fail to honour the text. I love the Bible, and meet God in the text. But I think its authority does not require literalism. There is metaphor, poetry, symbol. The complicated part is that there is also history. Gretchin Hull has a good book about gender and the bible, and she notes that the bible is sometimes an "accurate description of a falsehood." And even the most literal interpretations surely take some account of context. Look at the Old Testament battles for Canaan, where God tells the army to massacre the entire population ---- The idea is to maintain purity of the faith instead of mingling with pagan cultures. (Deut 20:16-18) But that certainly looks like genocide, from today's standpoint. Jesus said that he did not come to abolish the law but to fullfill it --- that not the slightest stroke of the pen would be removed from the law (Matthew 5:18). Do we keep all the Old Testament laws? But do we consider ourselves to be honouring Jesus' words? How can we read the sacred text in a way that is thoughtful, takes account of context, and simultaneously honours the scripture as authoritative? |
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33 | If you believe that women can lead men. | Bible general Archive 1 | Just Read Mark | 82829 | ||
Husbands and Wives. Interesting that the Deborah story discussed above mentions her husband... While her husband is named with respect, it is her leadership that is remembered. I've been married 10 years. My wife and I discussed these verses a fair bit when we first got married. But we found that thinking about giftedness was more important. As well as "Submit to one another in reverence for Christ." (Ephesians 5:21) She is better at following through with certain things. I am more of a risk-taker, but am also frugal and good at keeping records. We depend on each other. Major decisions are made together. In 10 years, there has never been a point when we have been at an impass, and had to resort to roles. Perhaps this way takes more dialogue, but it works. Whenever she is more informed in a certain area - more able to make a decision - obviously I submit to her. There are many men with poor judgement, and the "headship" idea must cause grief for their wives. Don't you think? I appreciate, or course, that husbands are to live sacrificially for their wives, as Christ loves us (the church) --- So headship is not as clear-cut as it seems. Peace. |
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34 | How does email notification work? | Bible general Archive 1 | Just Read Mark | 85142 | ||
Just a technical question. I get emails notifying me of posts that respond directly to my posts. Now, what happens if I post a question - then the thread goes off in different directions... do I continue to get notified of developments in the thread, or do I have to go back and check? The answer to this might also affect which post I respond to in a thread, I guess.... |
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35 | Could someone help me,I need to know | Bible general Archive 1 | Just Read Mark | 85670 | ||
Thinking of Death. Hello. You asked if this line is in the Bible: "He who thinks of Death is dead already." I have searched for it, and don't see it... Maybe I'm missing it --- except that I don't think it is a Biblical idea. It strikes me that the quote you mention reflects "the power of positive thinking" --- that, if we don't think about bad things, we will live a charmed life. As Christians, we have such a robust faith, we can even look on death without squirming. In fact, I think we are instructed to think about our own deaths. Psalm 90 speaks about the shortness of human life, and asks God to help us to "count our days aright, that we may gain a wise heart." Acknowledging death helps us to be wise and faithful. Paul's hardships brought him close to death, and he says these inspiring words: Indeed, we had the sentence of death within ourselves so that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead. (2 Corinthians 1:9) Paul's text, I think, shows that walking in God's power requires that we "die to ourselves" -- see how limited we are, and not trust in our frailty. We are not called to be morbid and dark... but certainly to stare death in the face. "Death, where is thy sting?" --- there is great freedom for LIVING fully, by celebrating God's power over death. Surely the martyrs through the centuries believed this. One last thought. The contemplative traditions have often promoted imagining your own death as a way of understanding, or evaluating, how you are using your life for God. The Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius would be an example. Thomas a Kempis' "The Imitation of Christ" would be another, I think. Let us say with Paul, "For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain." (Philippians 1:21) Yours, JRM |
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36 | romantic word listed in songs of solomon | Bible general Archive 1 | Just Read Mark | 86508 | ||
Words in context. Hello Nexgen. There are, perhaps, words that are obviously "romantic" --- lover, bride, beloved, desire, ... But really, words are intimate or romantic by how they are USED. Thus, while the words "goats" and "sheep" don't strike me as particularly romantic on their own, the Song uses them to romantic effect. Apparently it is romantic to say "Your hair is like a flock of goats descending from Mount Gilead. Your teeth are like a flock of sheep just shorn, coming up from the washing. Each has its twin...." How our fashion magazines could learn from these images! Often, the most intimate things are not described directly -- so a list of "intimate words" will miss them. One of the sexiest verses in the Bible, in my opinion, is "I will climb the palm tree; I will take hold of its fruit." (Song of Songs, 7:8) Well, I'm off to take a cold shower. Hope my blurb helps you a little. JRM. |
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37 | Am I Wrong?? | Bible general Archive 1 | Just Read Mark | 86863 | ||
About human brokeness. The Bible is clear about homosexuality being offensive to God. A sin. But Christians really need to think about how to respond in this situation. You mentioned that many homosexuals have experienced abuse in the past. I think this is true and, more generally, that mis-directed desires are a result of brokeness. When we disparage homosexuals, and treat it as a sin more depraved than any other, we are distorting the facts. We are all broken, and fall short of God's glory. (Romans 3:28) We need to pray for the lives of people caught in this mode of desire. If the church cannot live out the gospel in a way that offers them freedom, our message is solely one of condemnation. This is not the gospel. I believe that the church has been so repressive about homosexuality, that we have not learned what is behind it -- or how to disciple and heal. I want SO MUCH for the church to handle gays and lesbians in a way that is sensitive to their hearts, and their personal histories. As for the politics of gay activism -- there is not a conspiracy theory. I think talking about "legalizing sex with minors" is missing the point. Homosexuality and pedaphelia are not the same thing. Gay activists are smart, know how to lobby, and package their message attractively --- look at the difference between a Pride march (the disgusting liscence aside, look at the exuberant costumes, humour, playfulness) and the March for Jesus (sanctity aside, look at the cliches and heavy-handedness)... Say, for instance, that you have strong homosexual desires. If you can do nothing about them --- which is many people's experience -- should you live in shame, or just accept it? This is why gays would be offended at calling homosexuality a "disease" -- it has become something to celebrate and take pride in. If there is no hope of change, find strength in the way you are. While people may not be able to change themeselves, with God everything is possible. We need to learn how to minister in these people's lives. Our track record -- even with faithful Christians within our churches -- is very bad. We need to look at this problem with humility, and try to see how we can reach these suffering people. We need to learn how to love, not shun. We need to find God's heart for their brokeness, and seek after God's healing for them. Leanne Payne's books on this subject are the best that I know of. Her book, "The Broken Image," continues to be quite useful to a Christian friend of mine who struggles with homosexuality. Yours JRM. |
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38 | Who in the bible served idols? | Bible general Archive 1 | Just Read Mark | 87750 | ||
Levite in Dan, and other tales of Idolatry. Hi there. Your question is indeed broad -- but an interesting one. EdB mentions the tribe of Dan. I think he is refering to an amazing story in the Book of Judges --- see chapters 17, 18. Here, a Levite priest, becomes the priest in a pagan shrine! It seems crazy, how easily the Levite gets sucked in --- he wanted community, a place to live, who knows.... but he turned his back on the Living God, to worship a molten idol. One of the key phrases in Judges is "all the people did what was right in their own eyes." This line ends the entire book (21:25), but it is also in the middle of this idolatry narrative. (17:6) If you look at the books of Kings, it is a "who's who" of idolatry. Each ruler is judged as to his faithfulness -- and a great many of the ruler lead their people astray. Looking at motives can be fruitful, too. I've been reading Jeremiah, the last few days. God's grief and anger about our faithlessness is very graphically portrayed. The Israelites "went after worthless things, and became worthless themselves" (Jer. 2:5). Check out the "slut" imagery of faithlessness in chapter 3. It is very shocking, but reveals the emotional engagement of our God -- the the "jealousy" that is justified. For a general look at idolatry, check out Psalm 115. I find this a powerful psalm. Idolatry can be a way of worshiping ourselves -- but the psalmist critiques worship of anything other than God. May we, like the psalmist, "bless the Lord from this time on and forevermore." |
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39 | how to start reading the bible? | Bible general Archive 1 | Just Read Mark | 87778 | ||
Dear Rouel --- sometimes we initiate a thread, and it just goes crazy on tangents. As important as the discussions of hell and souls etc. may be, I would hate to be newly in the Word and be bombarded with all of that. Take courage. I think the advice of people that have responded to your actual question is good. There are different modes of reading the Bible, such as: -- intellectual study: figuring out the basic structure of the book, how the historical context works, etc. -- prayerful meditation. Allow God to use specific verses in your life. Write out a passage in a journal, so that you can mull it over longer. Too often, we read every day without actually holding a specific text long enough for it to penetrate to our core. I have been working my way through the entire Bible -- reading the whole thing in 3 years is my plan. I'm not following a "program," but I ballance O.T. and new --- and one book leads me to the next. (ie. the books of Kings mentions the prophet Isaiah, so I read Isaiah after finishing Kings.) Other times, I take one book and read it repeatedly. A short book like Philippians is amazing for this -- and the rewards are great. Other times, thematic study is wonderful. A concordance helps you to find shared words, and then chain-references help you to follow a theme. For example, to study God's covenants (ie. Noah, Abraham, Moses, David and Jesus) is SO rewarding. Blessings to you, as you dig in. JRM. |
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40 | Cannot mix different cloths in O.T.? | OT general | Just Read Mark | 167711 | ||
Hello Trigger. It's a pretty interesting web page, and goes a lot deeper than just looking at old-testament laws. I think the author of that satirical page should be given some credit. Often, when we talk about the Bible being perfect, we leave the impression that you can flip open the Bible to any page, and get God's answer for today. This leads to the kinds of misunderstanding presented on the webpage. We are seen as hypocritical, for changing our views on mentration, or slavery, but not homosexuality. Each verse must be read in the context of the whole Bible. This was part of Tim's reply: reading the Old Testament through the lense of the New. But Tim's reply doesn't say it all, because slavery (mentioned on the website) is permitted by Paul... yet there are Biblical grounds to oppose slavery. As we work out the themes of the Bible --- including sin, forgiveness, freedom, servanthood --- we will find the correct and Biblical response to the times we live in. The website mentions Exodus 21:7. It talks about selling one's daughter as a slave. Surely, this is a horrific thing. It goes on, to set boundaries around it --- there are some protections for the woman (for instance, she cannot be re-sold to foreigners, and should have the status of a daughter or wife). If the owning master doesn't keep his end, however, there is no compensation to her (verse 10). How are we to see God's Word in this? I would suggest there is a fair bit of fallen culture in there, as Moses and the Israelites struggle to find justice -- but use their fallen culture as a starting point. The desire for justice is there in these words --- yet they fall short of Love and Justice we expect of the Kingdom of God. This verse has much to teach us... but not about how to treat our slaves or daughters. Living within the whole Biblical story -- not just "proof texts" -- will disarm the kind the of argument the website put forward. Perhaps the author really does seek the truth... so we should present the truth in a more compelling way than we have been. |
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