Was Jesus the only son of God? As a matter of fact, in Jesus' time, Philo, an influential Hellenistic Jewish philosopher taught that all sorts of biblical characters were divinely conceived. He believed that Leah conceived Reuben divinely [On the Change of Names 132], Sarah conceived Isaac divinely [On the Change of Names 131], that Tamar conceived Perez and Zerah divinely [On the Change of Names 134].
You can see his point. Look at the passage of how Leah is made able to conceive in Genesis 29:31-32 (New International Version)
When the LORD saw that Leah was not loved, he opened her womb, but Rachel was barren. Leah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Reuben
It's not that much of a leap of imagination especially when Gen 6:4 (New Living Translation) (NLT) says:
In those days, and even afterward, giants lived on the earth, for whenever the sons of God had intercourse with human women, they gave birth to children who became the heroes mentioned in legends of old.
(If Jesus was really a son of God then shouldn't he have been a giant too? God's grandchildren were.)
Note that in the time of Noah, God already had sons. Maybe this is just his way of giving an honorary title to the angels, but in Gen 1:26 and Gen 3:22 it makes quite clear that the angels are like God:
Gen 1:26 (New Living Translation) (NLT)
Then God said, "Let us make people in our image, to be like ourselves.
(Genesis 3:22 (New Living Translation) (NLT)
Then the LORD God said, "The people have become as we are, knowing everything, both good and evil. What if they eat the fruit of the tree of life? Then they will live forever!"
Angels are in turn like men, for how else could they conceive?
If the Jewish people of that time believed that there were more than one divine conception, then Jesus being divinely conceived would not make him any greater than the heroes the angels conceived, nor greater than Isaac, Reuben, Perez or Zerah. It certainly wouldn't entitle him to be worshipped, for example. It was not enough to make him the Messiah. None of the other sons of God were.........
Now people say, yes, but God and angels don't have physical bodies. But the Old Testament makes it quite clear that God ate, smelled, wrestled and walked with people and that he and his angels were in fact indistinguishable from humans on a physical level: Gen 19:5 NIV
They called to Lot, "Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so that we can have sex with them."
Would they have said that if they knew the men were in fact angels?
God walked: Gen 3:8 (NIV):
Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the LORD God among the trees of the garden.
He didn't materialize, he didn't hover, he walked.
God ate: Gen 18:1-5,8 (NIV):
Then the LORD appeared to him by the terebinth trees of Mamre,[a] as he was sitting in the tent door in the heat of the day. So he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were standing by him; and when he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them, and bowed himself to the ground, and said, “My Lord, if I have now found favor in Your sight, do not pass on by Your servant. Please let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree. And I will bring a morsel of bread, that you may refresh your hearts. After that you may pass by, inasmuch as you have come to your servant.”
8 He then brought some curds and milk and the calf that had been prepared, and set these before them. While they ate, he stood near them under a tree.
God smelled things:Gen 8:21 (NIV)
The LORD smelled the pleasing aroma and said
God wrestled: 32:24-30 NIV:
So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob's hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man. Then the man said, "Let me go, for it is daybreak."
But Jacob replied, "I will not let you go unless you bless me."
The man asked him, "What is your name?"
"Jacob," he answered.
Then the man said, "Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with men and have overcome."
Jacob said, "Please tell me your name."
But he replied, "Why do you ask my name?" Then he blessed him there.
So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, "It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared."
Notice that Jacob beat God in a physical wrestling match and wouldn't let go of Him until He blessed him. So God's physical body is weaker than Jacob's.
Then in Luke it says that the Holy Spirit could get a human woman pregnant:
Luke 1:34-35 says:
"How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?"
The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.
So, presumably Jesus had only his mother's DNA? Or maybe he had only Holy DNA, in which case she would be the first woman in history to have become a surrogate mother! Was Jesus a test tube baby? This sounds like science fiction- like the theory that this is about aliens, not gods, and it is true, one kind of alien is supposed to be very tall and human like, but I don't think the Biblical scholars would go for this theory very much. I don't think anyone believes God or the Holy Spirit actually had physical sex with Mary, or injected her with anything. On the other hand they could have made her child spiritually powerful, and that could be what the "power of the Most High overshadowing her" meant. So let's get serious. What would the term “Son of God” have meant to the Jewish people of that time?
Well, according to Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Son_of_God
In the Jewish interpretation of the Gospels, the being of Jesus as "son of God" corresponds to the typical Hasid from Galilee, a "pious" holy man that by divine intervention performs miracles and exorcisms,[9][10].
Under another article at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hasideans it says:
The name "Hasidæans" occurs frequently in the Psalms, in the sense of "the pious," "saints" (xxx. 5 [A. V. 4], xxxi. 24 [23], xxxvii. 28). In Talmudic sources the Hasidæans appear as martyrs to their faith (Sanh. 10b), as unselfish and long-suffering (Abot v. 4, 13), as the "saints of former times" ("Ḥasidim ha-Rishonim"), as those who compose themselves inwardly for an hour before prayer (Ber. v. 1) and enjoy special honor at the Feast of Tabernacles, on the day of the drawing of water (Suk. v. 4). To their party, which died out with Joshua Kaṭnuta, Jose ben Joezer probably belonged (Soṭah ix. 15; Ḥag. ii. 7) In the Eighteen Benedictions God's blessing is called down upon them immediately after the Ẓaddiḳim ("'al ha-Ẓaddiḳim we'al ha-Ḥasidim"), and in later times they appear in general as the ideal representatives of Judaism, so that "Ḥasid" has come to be a title of respect (Num. R. §§ 14, 227a, "Yacob he-Ḥasid"; comp. Tem. 15b; Ta'an. 8a).
Grätz (Geschichte ii. 273) supposes them to have developed out of the Nazarenes. After the Maccabean victories, according to Grätz, they retired into obscurity, being plainly dissatisfied with Judas Maccabeus, and appeared later as the order of the Essenes—a theory which is supported by the similarity in meaning between Ἐσσηνοά or Ἐσσαῖοι (= Syriac stat. absolute חסין, stat. emphat. חסיא, "pious") and "Ḥasidim" ("pious"), and which has as many advocates (Hitzig, Gesch. des Volkes Israel; Lucius, Die Therapeuten) as opponents (Levi Herzfeld, Gesch. des Volkes Israel, and others).
If they were Essenes that would be significant because Christianity is said to come from the Essenes!
So in that case the prophesy was right, Jesus was a Son of God because he WAS a miracle worker and an exorcist who died for his faith. Is this definition backed up by New Testament scriptures?
Yes!
Matthew 5:9 (New International Version)
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.
Romans 8:13-14
For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God
Romans 8:16-19 (New International Version)
The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
Future Glory
I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed.
Galatians 3:26,27
You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus,for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.
In these cases they mention many Sons of God- they say anyone could be a Son of God- they say any follower of Jesus is a Son of God. Anyone led by God's spirit is also a son of God. They say the APOSTLES were CO-HEIRS of Jesus- they were sons of God too! So Jesus WASN'T the only one!!!!!!
Wednesday, February 04, 2009
Tuesday, February 03, 2009
The Best of Christianity
The best of Christianity is of course the teachings of Jesus. I could sumarize them, but really, it's best to let them speak for themselves. Here are the teachings that, if followed by everyone, would make the world a better, safer place to live:
Matthew 22:36-40 (New International Version)
"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."
and
Matthew 5-7 Sermon on the Mount
Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2and he began to teach them saying:
"Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called sons of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.
The Fulfillment of the Law
"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.
Murder
"You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.' But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, 'Raca, is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be in danger of the fire of hell.
"Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.
"Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still with him on the way, or he may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. I tell you the truth, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.
Adultery
"You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery. But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.
Oaths
"Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not break your oath, but keep the oaths you have made to the Lord.' But I tell you, Do not swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God's throne; or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.
An Eye for an Eye
"You have heard that it was said, 'Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.'But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.
Love for Enemies
"You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Matthew 6
Giving to the Needy
"Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.
"So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
Prayer
"And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
"This, then, is how you should pray:
" 'Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one. For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
Fasting
"When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
Treasures in Heaven
"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
"The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
"No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.
Do Not Worry
"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Judging Others
"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
"Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.
"Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces.
Ask, Seek, Knock
"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.
"Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.
The Narrow and Wide Gates
"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
A Tree and Its Fruit
"Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.
"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'
The Wise and Foolish Builders
"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash."
All passages taken from http://www.biblegateway.com/
New International Version (NIV)
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society
Matthew 22:36-40 (New International Version)
"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."
and
Matthew 5-7 Sermon on the Mount
Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2and he began to teach them saying:
"Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called sons of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.
The Fulfillment of the Law
"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.
Murder
"You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.' But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, 'Raca, is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be in danger of the fire of hell.
"Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.
"Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still with him on the way, or he may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. I tell you the truth, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.
Adultery
"You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery. But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.
Oaths
"Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not break your oath, but keep the oaths you have made to the Lord.' But I tell you, Do not swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God's throne; or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.
An Eye for an Eye
"You have heard that it was said, 'Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.'But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.
Love for Enemies
"You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Matthew 6
Giving to the Needy
"Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.
"So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
Prayer
"And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
"This, then, is how you should pray:
" 'Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one. For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
Fasting
"When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
Treasures in Heaven
"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
"The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
"No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.
Do Not Worry
"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Judging Others
"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
"Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.
"Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces.
Ask, Seek, Knock
"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.
"Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.
The Narrow and Wide Gates
"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
A Tree and Its Fruit
"Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.
"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'
The Wise and Foolish Builders
"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash."
All passages taken from http://www.biblegateway.com/
New International Version (NIV)
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society
The Worst of Christianity
Jesus is almost universally admired for his teachings, yet the religion he inspired has done some atrocious things. How could the religion that teaches “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” possibly have anything to do with the Inquisition? How could a religion that says “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” possibly have led to religious wars? Some people blame Paul and the church for twisting the words of Jesus to suit their own ambitious ends but I think the problem lies with some of Jesus' own words, or at least the words attributed to him. For instance take Matthew 5:21-22:
The Children of the Devil
Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and now am here. I have not come on my own; but he sent me. Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me! Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don't you believe me? He who belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God."
By dividing the world into the children of God and the children of the devil, he opened the gates for huge evil to be perpetrated in his name. After all, killing people is wrong, but killing the servants of the devil? Well, the devil is powerful and evil so anything you do to his servants- is well, no holds barred! Witch burnings, torture, genocide, it is all OK, because you are doing it to the devil right? And how do you identify his minions? Why, God is on your side, so obviously anyone who is against you is on the devil's side! I believe every evil thing that Christianity has ever done has been because of this.
Did Jesus really say this passage? Why was he so angry at the Pharisees? Were these his real words? Well, Jewish sources say that the reason Jesus hated the Pharisees so much was because he had studied under a Rabbi who had rejected him for an off-hand remark he made. Because the Rabbi wouldn't forgive him, Jesus decided to go outside the religion and start his own branch. To me this fits in with the New Testament passage, and if you read the Sermon on the Mount you could read it as a rant about one particular person he had in mind so yes, I think this passage is genuine.
Ironically, it goes against something else he said:
Matthew 5:21-23 (New International Version)
"You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.' But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, 'Raca, is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be in danger of the fire of hell.
Some people might find it unfair that being angry at someone is considered the same as killing them, but the idea is, if you don't ever get angry at people, you will never kill anyone. This is called "Putting a fence around the Torah"- you stop people from doing something that will lead to the breaking of a Law. but Jesus didn't follow his own advice and look at the results!. Total disaster! People going against his teachings and comitting atrocities in his name. So in this case anger did lead to murder on a grand scale - the worst in history. He couldn't have known that but it does illustrate this teaching very well, don't you think?
The Children of the Devil
Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and now am here. I have not come on my own; but he sent me. Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me! Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don't you believe me? He who belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God."
By dividing the world into the children of God and the children of the devil, he opened the gates for huge evil to be perpetrated in his name. After all, killing people is wrong, but killing the servants of the devil? Well, the devil is powerful and evil so anything you do to his servants- is well, no holds barred! Witch burnings, torture, genocide, it is all OK, because you are doing it to the devil right? And how do you identify his minions? Why, God is on your side, so obviously anyone who is against you is on the devil's side! I believe every evil thing that Christianity has ever done has been because of this.
Did Jesus really say this passage? Why was he so angry at the Pharisees? Were these his real words? Well, Jewish sources say that the reason Jesus hated the Pharisees so much was because he had studied under a Rabbi who had rejected him for an off-hand remark he made. Because the Rabbi wouldn't forgive him, Jesus decided to go outside the religion and start his own branch. To me this fits in with the New Testament passage, and if you read the Sermon on the Mount you could read it as a rant about one particular person he had in mind so yes, I think this passage is genuine.
Ironically, it goes against something else he said:
Matthew 5:21-23 (New International Version)
"You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.' But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, 'Raca, is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be in danger of the fire of hell.
Some people might find it unfair that being angry at someone is considered the same as killing them, but the idea is, if you don't ever get angry at people, you will never kill anyone. This is called "Putting a fence around the Torah"- you stop people from doing something that will lead to the breaking of a Law. but Jesus didn't follow his own advice and look at the results!. Total disaster! People going against his teachings and comitting atrocities in his name. So in this case anger did lead to murder on a grand scale - the worst in history. He couldn't have known that but it does illustrate this teaching very well, don't you think?
Monday, February 02, 2009
Greeting Card
Here's the Greeting Card we sent out last December. This is a photo taken in our backyard.
Here's the one I originally wanted, but it didn't print out right:
Here's the one I originally wanted, but it didn't print out right:
Jesus, the perfect sacrifice? Yes, but not in the way you think.
Was Jesus the perfect sacrifice?
Christians say yes- he was perfect in every way and not a bone was broken when he died. Unfortunately a sacrificial lamb not only had to have its bones intact, it also could have no bruises, sores or marks on it- as it says in Malachi 1:13-14:
"When you bring injured, crippled or diseased animals and offer them as sacrifices, should I accept them from your hands?" says the LORD. 14 "Cursed is the cheat who has an acceptable male in his flock and vows to give it, but then sacrifices a blemished animal to the Lord. For I am a great king," says the LORD Almighty, "and my name is to be feared among the nations.
Of course he wasn't sacrificed in the proper way either- Numbers 18 says
17 "But you must not redeem the firstborn of an ox, a sheep or a goat; they are holy. Sprinkle their blood on the altar and burn their fat as an offering made by fire, an aroma pleasing to the LORD.
(a full account of the sacrifice of an animal in the temple is given at http://rantsnrants.blogspot.com/2008/09/passover-ceremony-of-temple-jesus.html)
Then there's the fact that the temple was the only place that sacrifices could be made- all other places were forbidden....
Joshua 22:19
But do not rebel against the LORD or against us by building an altar for yourselves, other than the altar of the LORD our God.
Jesus was not sacrificed in the Temple where the only acceptable altar was, he wasn't roasted, his blood wasn't sprinkled by the altar,and his fat wasn't burnt on it either. Ample evidence that Jesus was not in fact the perfect sacrifice. There's also the fact that he COULD have been. There's an account of a girl being sacrificed at the temple to thank God for success in battle in Judges 11:
29 Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah. He crossed Gilead and Manasseh, passed through Mizpah of Gilead, and from there he advanced against the Ammonites. 30 And Jephthah made a vow to the LORD : "If you give the Ammonites into my hands, 31 whatever comes out of the door of my house to meet me when I return in triumph from the Ammonites will be the LORD's, and I will sacrifice it as a burnt offering."
32 Then Jephthah went over to fight the Ammonites, and the LORD gave them into his hands. 33 He devastated twenty towns from Aroer to the vicinity of Minnith, as far as Abel Keramim. Thus Israel subdued Ammon.
34 When Jephthah returned to his home in Mizpah, who should come out to meet him but his daughter, dancing to the sound of tambourines! She was an only child. Except for her he had neither son nor daughter. 35 When he saw her, he tore his clothes and cried, "Oh! My daughter! You have made me miserable and wretched, because I have made a vow to the LORD that I cannot break."
36 "My father," she replied, "you have given your word to the LORD. Do to me just as you promised, now that the LORD has avenged you of your enemies, the Ammonites. 37 But grant me this one request," she said. "Give me two months to roam the hills and weep with my friends, because I will never marry."
38 "You may go," he said. And he let her go for two months. She and the girls went into the hills and wept because she would never marry. 39 After the two months, she returned to her father and he did to her as he had vowed. And she was a virgin.
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Judges%2011:29-40;&version=31;
So the girl was a perfect sacrifice- with this precedence Jesus also could have been sacrificed there if he wanted to, but he wasn't.
So how could I say he still was? Well, I think Jesus might have been a sacrifice in a different way.
It all goes to how I view God. I believes that He does whatever it takes to do what has to be done, and if it means you get hurt or killed, well, so be it. Sometimes there has to be an injustice towards a blameless person for the world to be shocked enough to change its ways. I think this is why Jesus had to die. It brought about a way of thinking that was more in line with what the Old Testament intended in the first place, rather than what was being taught at the time. For instance, the Old Testament repeatedly said that God wanted His people to love Him with all their strength and heart and might. The Rabbis of the time of Jesus defined this as meaning you should follow the rules. But following rules is obedience, not love. Jesus got people back on track. He was also the perfect inspiration for Paul to introduce the God of the Jews to the rest of the world. Without his death it wouldn't have happened, therefore he really was the perfect sacrifice after all.
Christians say yes- he was perfect in every way and not a bone was broken when he died. Unfortunately a sacrificial lamb not only had to have its bones intact, it also could have no bruises, sores or marks on it- as it says in Malachi 1:13-14:
"When you bring injured, crippled or diseased animals and offer them as sacrifices, should I accept them from your hands?" says the LORD. 14 "Cursed is the cheat who has an acceptable male in his flock and vows to give it, but then sacrifices a blemished animal to the Lord. For I am a great king," says the LORD Almighty, "and my name is to be feared among the nations.
Of course he wasn't sacrificed in the proper way either- Numbers 18 says
17 "But you must not redeem the firstborn of an ox, a sheep or a goat; they are holy. Sprinkle their blood on the altar and burn their fat as an offering made by fire, an aroma pleasing to the LORD.
(a full account of the sacrifice of an animal in the temple is given at http://rantsnrants.blogspot.com/2008/09/passover-ceremony-of-temple-jesus.html)
Then there's the fact that the temple was the only place that sacrifices could be made- all other places were forbidden....
Joshua 22:19
But do not rebel against the LORD or against us by building an altar for yourselves, other than the altar of the LORD our God.
Jesus was not sacrificed in the Temple where the only acceptable altar was, he wasn't roasted, his blood wasn't sprinkled by the altar,and his fat wasn't burnt on it either. Ample evidence that Jesus was not in fact the perfect sacrifice. There's also the fact that he COULD have been. There's an account of a girl being sacrificed at the temple to thank God for success in battle in Judges 11:
29 Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah. He crossed Gilead and Manasseh, passed through Mizpah of Gilead, and from there he advanced against the Ammonites. 30 And Jephthah made a vow to the LORD : "If you give the Ammonites into my hands, 31 whatever comes out of the door of my house to meet me when I return in triumph from the Ammonites will be the LORD's, and I will sacrifice it as a burnt offering."
32 Then Jephthah went over to fight the Ammonites, and the LORD gave them into his hands. 33 He devastated twenty towns from Aroer to the vicinity of Minnith, as far as Abel Keramim. Thus Israel subdued Ammon.
34 When Jephthah returned to his home in Mizpah, who should come out to meet him but his daughter, dancing to the sound of tambourines! She was an only child. Except for her he had neither son nor daughter. 35 When he saw her, he tore his clothes and cried, "Oh! My daughter! You have made me miserable and wretched, because I have made a vow to the LORD that I cannot break."
36 "My father," she replied, "you have given your word to the LORD. Do to me just as you promised, now that the LORD has avenged you of your enemies, the Ammonites. 37 But grant me this one request," she said. "Give me two months to roam the hills and weep with my friends, because I will never marry."
38 "You may go," he said. And he let her go for two months. She and the girls went into the hills and wept because she would never marry. 39 After the two months, she returned to her father and he did to her as he had vowed. And she was a virgin.
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Judges%2011:29-40;&version=31;
So the girl was a perfect sacrifice- with this precedence Jesus also could have been sacrificed there if he wanted to, but he wasn't.
So how could I say he still was? Well, I think Jesus might have been a sacrifice in a different way.
It all goes to how I view God. I believes that He does whatever it takes to do what has to be done, and if it means you get hurt or killed, well, so be it. Sometimes there has to be an injustice towards a blameless person for the world to be shocked enough to change its ways. I think this is why Jesus had to die. It brought about a way of thinking that was more in line with what the Old Testament intended in the first place, rather than what was being taught at the time. For instance, the Old Testament repeatedly said that God wanted His people to love Him with all their strength and heart and might. The Rabbis of the time of Jesus defined this as meaning you should follow the rules. But following rules is obedience, not love. Jesus got people back on track. He was also the perfect inspiration for Paul to introduce the God of the Jews to the rest of the world. Without his death it wouldn't have happened, therefore he really was the perfect sacrifice after all.
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