Results 41 - 51 of 51
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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Author: seeking4truth Ordered by Date |
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Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
41 | I'm skeptical | Luke 14:26 | seeking4truth | 101300 | ||
Aixen, To repeat another of my posts here, I made a profession of faith in Christ when I was 12. Whether it "took" or not is debateable and I do not wish to debate it at this time. Please see my other posts. seeking4truth |
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42 | Any literature? | Luke 14:26 | seeking4truth | 101298 | ||
Thank you, DL5. I will seek to be fair and non-argumentative. Again, my goal is to better understand, not to debate. And thanks for the book recommendation. Please read a few of my other posts in this thread to know a little more about me. seeking4truth |
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43 | I'm skeptical | Luke 14:26 | seeking4truth | 101297 | ||
Listener, Thanks for your input. Even as I was reading some of these responses that question my own motives for posting here, it occurred to me that maybe we are told to love our enemies because we, being finite, can NEVER see the heart of another and God, being infinite, can. Maybe that qualifies him alone to judge. Just a thought. seeking4truth |
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44 | I'm skeptical | Luke 14:26 | seeking4truth | 101293 | ||
Thank you, Tim, for understanding where I am coming from. I am not searching for differences in minutiae. I am searching for concordance between doctrines. In other words, it is not my goal to take a magnifying glass to the scriptures to ensure that every 'i' is dotted and every 't' is crossed. But it is my search to see if there are significant doctrinal differences. Granted, my "significant" may not be your "significant". But, in this case, I was reading where Jesus said that he came to fulfill the Law. But then he seems to teaching AGAINST the revealed Law and I don't see how (at this point in my search) to reconcile it. If Jesus was born under the Law (Gal 4:4), then why did he seem to go against it and give the Jewish leaders reason to accuse him of violating the Law? I am not expecting a thorough, iron-clad, water-proof defense in detail. But I am seeking something to point me in the right direction. Thanks for your response. seeking4truth |
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45 | Any literature? | Luke 14:26 | seeking4truth | 101292 | ||
Searcher56, That, sir, is what has lead me to my egnimas. I am looking at Jesus saying to hate your family and God's Law in saying to honor them and Paul's teaching to love them, and, frankly, they don't jive. I am not looking at exbiblical literature. I am looking at the scriptures themselves and they (seem) to conflict. All I want to do is to understand the contradiction. God says to honor, Paul says to love, Jesus says to hate. If all three are true, then it is a truth beyond my ability to understand. I admit that some faith is required. But while Christians claim the inerrancy and infallibility of the scriptures, they seem to ignor any seeming contradictions. If I trust in the God of the Bible, I want to be able to share a reason for that trust, not to just brush aside a question or an issue because it does not fit with my personal theology. seeking4truth |
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46 | Purpose of this forum? | Luke 14:26 | seeking4truth | 101291 | ||
Aixen, I understand your obvious concern for my soul. But can I share something openly and honestly? As to my relationship with God, if/when I am "saved" is between him and myself. This forum is, as I understand it, a Bible study forum, a place to hopefully find some answers to scriptural questions, is it not? Is it a "get saved" forum? I think not. I have read quite a few of the posts here. I don't have all of the answers, obviously. Otherwise, I wouldn't ask questions. I am not trolling to cause trouble either. I am no genius, but if this were a "come and get saved" forum, this would be one of the most confusing places to do so. Why? Because one person would insist that I need to be baptized in water to be saved, another would insist that I need to be Reformed, another would insist that I be an Arminian, another would insist that I join their denomination, another would insist that I speak in tongues, another would insist that I use only the KJV. Some would insist that I am saved for all eternity and some would insist that I can lose my salvation. So what is salvation? What is truth? I made a profession of faith in Christ when I was 12 years old. I ask gently, does that ease your mind? It does not mine. From my exposure to the church, evangelicals are concerned about other's salvation for 2 primary reasons: 1) so that they can have another notch on their gun for bringing another Christian to Christ (more rewards, as I understand it) and 2) so that they are reprieved of the responsibility of having the weight of someone else's salvation from resting upon their shoulders. Either way, their primary concern is themselves. Granted, I have met a few Christians who seem generally concerned for others for more than the sake of achieving a "sinner's prayer." It is these Christians, who actually care about developing a lasting friendship, who have most influenced me to consider Christianity. But the majority have turned me off to God. I will not go into all of the reasons here as it detracts from this topic. So I ask you, gently, to please leave the issue of my personal salvation between me and God. He alone knows my heart. If I am saved, it is to God's credit and glory. And if I burn in hell, it is my sole responsibility. I do not ask nor require anyone to be responsible for my spiritual state. Again, I am getting of the subject. But, in brief, I professed a faith in Christ as a youth. But it was a blind faith exercised out of the fear of burning in hell. It was coerced. Now, as an adult, I am trying my best to investigate the faith that I once professed in order to see if it is worthy of serious consideration. Does that make me unsaved or a ridiculer? Judge me if you like, but God (if he is truly there) is my final judge. And if he is anything like I hope that he is, he is not afraid of a serious question and of my efforts to be a Berean to see if what I have been taught all these years is the truth and stands up to the scriptures. If my approach offends the moderator(s), then please ban me from this board and I will take my questions somewhere else. But I thought, maybe falsely, that a Bible study forum would be the best place to get my Bible-centered questions answered. Was I wrong? Sincerely, seeking4truth |
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47 | Any literature? | Luke 14:26 | seeking4truth | 101263 | ||
Thanks, DL5. Your response at least gives me some hope. If you have counseled people in these matters, could you recommend some literature or a website that goes in-depth at explaining some of these contradictions. My life, as everyone's is, is important to me. Jesus said that we should consider the cost of following him. I am trying to do that. If I am to fully trust him, then he must stand up to the test of a prophet in not contradicting prior revelation. And that is why I am questioning his teachings. If he truly is the son of God, then his teachings should in no way contradict the prior teachings of God through the other prophets. So I would like a well-reasoned explanation as to why some of his teachings seem to do this. I doubt I will get to ask my questions here, though, as a few of these responses tell me that neither God or Jesus or the Bible are open to serious questioning. Some are insisting on blind faith instead of reasoned faith. But it is blind faith that leads into cults and I have no desire to join one. Can you recommend any literature? Thanks, seeking4truth |
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48 | Family commitment? | Luke 14:26 | seeking4truth | 101262 | ||
Hank, I stated my reason for coming to this forum in my very first post. I've heard that the NASB is the most accurate translation so I want to understand why there seems to be these contradictions in the Bible. I am seeking truth. To me, that means an ideology that does NOT contradict itself. After all, doesn't God say that he is not the author of confusion? If the ideology about God, Jesus, and the Bible is true (as Christians profess), then it would seem to me that there would be no contradictions in what God says (in spite of the fact that Christians do not practice what he says). So, Hank, if you cannot give an honest answer to my question, then you are not welcome to interact with me. Your post reflects the same kind of close-minded ignorance that drives people away from considering God - "Any serious question towards the validity of God and his Word is ridicule." If it is truly truth, it should stand up to close scrutiny. If Jesus' teaching goes against the Law and tells people to hate their own family, then that is the belief system that is at fault, not my problem. Your response demonstrates the typical tactic used by cults - instead of examining the contradiction, attack those who are examining it. Your response is to ignor the question and question my motives. I have stated them. If you have no solid answer, then please go judge someone else. seeking4truth |
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49 | Family commitment? | Luke 14:26 | seeking4truth | 101219 | ||
Thanks for your reply. It is interesting the different viewpoints put forth in the Bible, isn't it? On one hand, Paul says that a man who doesn't take care of his own household is not fit to serve in the church in an official capacity and to love his wife as Christ loves the church. On the other hand, Jesus teaches to leave your wife and children to follow Him. Sure has me confussed. It doesn't sound to me like they were preaching the same gospel. Any thoughts? seeking4truth |
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50 | I'm skeptical | Luke 14:26 | seeking4truth | 101218 | ||
Thanks, George. Yes, the issue about calling no man "father" seems to be another point of contention, doesn't it? As is women keeping silent in the church. I am a skeptic, I will admit that. But I run into alot of "Bible-believing Christians" who, quite simply don't believe the Bible. Jesus said to call no man "father" and we do anyway. Paul said that women should keep silent in the church and I've never seen that exhortation put into practice. If we interpret the word "hate" as "to love less" then it becomes a sticky situation with God loving sin less or God loving divorce less or God loving Esau less. So I struggle with the fact that the Bible cannot be taken at face-value (it doesn't mean what it says). As soon as we open that Pandora's box, that the Bible doesn't mean what it says, then how are we ever to know what it DOES mean? Then it becomes one persons opinion against another and who is to say who is right? Anyway, yes, I am seeking truth. But I have trouble trusting something which people swear is without contradiction, even when the contradiction is as plain as the noses on our faces. And it cases of this sort, it seems like "Bible-believing Christians" pick and choose what parts they want to believe and what parts they don't. Here is another issue that I would seriously like an answer to: God says to love our enemies and to do good to those who spitefully use us. But He swears that He will destroy His enemies. Now I guess God is God but this certainly seems like a "do as I say, not as I do" approach. Any thoughts? seeking4truth |
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51 | Did Jesus teach hate? | Luke 14:26 | seeking4truth | 101193 | ||
Hi, I understand that the NASB is the most accurate word-for-word translation in the English language, so maybe some of you can help me with this question. This verse says that Jesus taught that his followers should hate their father, mother, wife, children, brothers, and sisters. Given that the 10 Commandments said that we are to honor our father and mother, why did Jesus violate the Law here? As I understand it, Jesus came to fulfill the Law. So why the contradiction? I have looked up this question in the archives and have not seen a satisfactory answer. It was mnetioned that "hate" may be used as a comparative value. But having a face-value approach to the Bible, I feel that if Jesus had meant "does not love Me more," then he would have said so. Can anyone help? seeking4truth |
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