Interpreting The Bible

Discussion in 'Faith & Religion' started by Cody Fousnaugh, Jan 7, 2023.

  1. Marie Mallery

    Marie Mallery Veteran Member
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    Are we to keep The Ten Commandments, or are they done away with? I say it was done away with by Constantine who got mixed up with pagan gods like the Sun god he followed when he also changed part of the text. Too bad I forgot so much of the study I did on this when a member of Catholic Church.
    If this is true and he changed the Lords Sabbath Day then most of our churches and religions worship on Sunday in ignorance.
    I know too there is a verse that said it doesn't matter which day but why is that the only commandment changed? Did the Greek writers of the Bible ignore it or did the deciples change it?
    The Bible is a mystery that no man has ever completely solved and from what I understand God told he will answer all questioins about His word in paradise" para-quate".
     
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  2. Ken Anderson

    Ken Anderson Senior Staff
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    Given that the 10 Commandments are repeated in the New Testament, I'd say they are not done away with, and the Bible, not Constantine, should be our guide.
     
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  3. Marie Mallery

    Marie Mallery Veteran Member
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    Me too but most of America worships on the first day of the week, not the seventh day Sabbath God made Holy. Now could this mean any day after a 6 days' workweek or the seventh day from the beginning of Gods calendar? I really don't know.

    Exodus 20,8-10


    ccording to the Ten Commandments, the Sabbath is located on the seventh day of the week. Exodus 20:8-10 says the following, “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God.”
    Which day is the Sabbath? | Bibleinf
     
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  4. Ken Anderson

    Ken Anderson Senior Staff
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    My understanding is that the New Testament holds that Jesus rose from the dead on a Sunday, and that Sundays were used for that reason. However, they do not use the Greek word for Sunday, which was in existence but, instead, used words denoting "the first day of the week" or "the Lord's Day." I am not a Greek translator but, even among those who are, there are disagreements over whether this meant that the Early Church met on Sundays or on Saturdays, which may be why some Protestant churches meet on Saturdays rather than on Sundays, and it's not uncommon for two churches to share a pastor, with one meeting on Saturday and the other on Sunday. However, Justin Martyr's writings, which preceded Constantine, around AD 160-165, say that the Church was meeting on Sundays. As for Catholicism, I am not a Catholic, but I believe that Saturday Mass has been around for quite some time now. I personally don't think that the specific day of the week, by our calendar, is a salvational issue.
     
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  5. Marie Mallery

    Marie Mallery Veteran Member
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    About 25 years ago I got involved into a religion that went by the 'uncleaned meat and fish. To this day I still don't eat what was once unclean in the Bible. Not because I still think it's un-clean, but it made me afraid to eat any of it. I feel the day I eat it I will get sick and think it was the food, I cook it for the family but Jake and I don't eat any of it.
    His family makes fun of us. His brother was talking to Jake on the phone when the swine flu was going around.
    His brother told him that his wife had the flu. Jake said I hope its not the Swine flu, not even thinking of food. His brother said, Honey he said laughing, I hope you didn't catch that damn 'Swine flu' .
    Last visit to their house they put a hog on the pit. We didn't eat any of but tried not to make a big deal about it. Mr sarcastic came up to me and said' we have chicken, can you eat chicken.
    Before the day was over I had had enough, and told them it didn't matter to me what they ate and why should it bother them what we eat?
    We also haven't celebrated Xmas since 1984. Don't condemn those who do and still enjoy the peacefulness and beautiful music of the holidays just don't give or receive gifts or put-up tree. Jakes sister couldn't live with that. So we got into it. She said I can't believe you don't celebrate Jesus's birthday. I told her I can't believe she does. Off to the races. I don't believe Jesus was born in December according to the Bible verses.
    Religion can be a very dividing thing.
    Grandkid's ask why don't we celebrate Christmas and I ask them did they have fun going deep sea diving ,sno skiing and hundreds of beach trips? We can just puy them some present instead of sending the money on adventures and trips. They all said NOOOO nana lets keep the trips.
     
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  6. Marie Mallery

    Marie Mallery Veteran Member
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    Like I said I don't onserve any of it anymore which is sad, so it Doesn't matter to me. Also, I'm not sure about a lot of Bible study now either. It is part mystery to me so you may be right Ken. I'm don't know.
     
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  7. Bobby Cole

    Bobby Cole Supreme Member
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    John 5:17 has Jesus saying that My Father in heaven is always at work and so do I………

    To me, if suddenly a bunch of leaders got together and changed the “go to meetin’ day” to Monday, it wouldn’t change the way salvation works one iota. If it did, it would be Salvation by Works and not by Grace.
     
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  8. John Brunner

    John Brunner Senior Staff
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    It's interesting how Judaism and Islam have strict adherence, while Christians broadly interpret and get "squishy."

    That's not a judgement or a slam, it's just an observation. And it's certainly not meant to claim that those others don't have divisions.
     
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  9. Ken Anderson

    Ken Anderson Senior Staff
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    Not that they've managed to accomplish that, but I think one of the purposes of the Protestant and Radical Reformations was to bring about a greater adherence to the Bible as the basis for faith rather than creeds and dogma. In practice, it wasn't long before the Protestants were killing people for preaching a different dogma.
     
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  10. Ken Anderson

    Ken Anderson Senior Staff
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    I agree with this part. The Bible was intended to be read and understood by anyone who can read. However, there are levels of depth of understanding that can be attained through well-conducted Bible studies, classes, or, to a lesser extent, sermons.

    This part led to a spin-off that I moved to a separate thread, here.
     
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  11. Faye Fox

    Faye Fox Veteran Member
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    The best way to interpret the bible is don't! Read it through once and make a timeline with the main characters and then read it again. Don't dwell on phrases and verses, trying to break them down and assign meanings that weren't relevant during the time it was written.

    Jesus talked in parables for a reason. The reason being some folk couldn't grasp simple straightforward talk. The idea that you should treat other humans as you would like to be treated was something they couldn't wrap their minds around. They felt they were special and should be treated like royalty, but they had the right to treat others like crap. Nothing has changed in the last 2000 years. Simplicity cannot be grasped and that is why we have lawyers and preachers.

    On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

    “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”

    He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

    “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”

    But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

    In reply, Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him, and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. The next day he took out tw
    o denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.

    When I read all the writing and opinions of the apostles and hear or read all the debates and remember all the debates back in the day between churches on scripture meaning, it is my opinion that very few of these Christians was a true follower of Christ because they couldn't grasp the most important basic teaching of Christ and practice it. These days as an oldie I laugh at all the discussion and writing by the apostles, but the direct simple words of Christ, well that makes me cry.
     
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    Last edited: Feb 2, 2023
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  12. Marie Mallery

    Marie Mallery Veteran Member
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    What protestants might they be?
     
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  13. Marie Mallery

    Marie Mallery Veteran Member
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    Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! “For who has known the mind of the Lord?” (Romans 11:33–34)

    The Bible reveals some things we find extraordinarily hard to understand — inscrutable things that perplex, confound, and even disturb us. But nature reveals traces of the same designer. When we run up against conundrums that show us the limits of our intellectual capacities, we don’t need to follow cynical doubts. But like Paul, our limits can lead us to awe-filled worship.

    Jon Bloom (@Bloom_Jon) serves as teacher and cofounder of Desiring God. He is author
     
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  14. Marie Mallery

    Marie Mallery Veteran Member
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    Yo quote an old hippie great song writer, You gonna have to serve somebody". I'll elaborate, one to say it may be a socialist or it may be a capitalist, but your gonna have to serve one or the other.
    The poor vote for themselves and what they can take from the workers, those who feed the poor for themselves also, yet furnish ways of helping the poor become less poor or wealthy. become wealthy by employment.
    The orphan, disabled and widows are the ones who should be given to, not capable irresponsible men and women.
     
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  15. Faye Fox

    Faye Fox Veteran Member
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    Jesus was talking about helping those that have met with misfortune that is not their fault, he used a robbery and mugging as an example. He wasn't talking about handing out money to beggars and bums that could work. I have been a widow for 52 years and never excepted any charity nor will I ever.
     
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