A most notable bible verse (page 2)

Qcmbr

What would you have read 2000 years ago?

Ade

nothing,
for i would have known nothing, and you

"Also of course being Mormon I accept more books and await an avalanche of inspired ancient records at some point that will make our current Bible look pretty puny...but that's another story."

Why await inspired books, if you say they are not needed to worship God??

All the best
Ade

free2beme

I looked at my library I had as a Witness one day, which was huge, and thought about this scripture. I had books from Russell's day, even Watchtowers from the 1800's. I remember the day I loaded them and took them too the dump. My in laws commented that I did other brothers and sisters a great injustice for not giving this amazing library to them, when they would have used it and appreciated it. As I thought about that comment, I smiled and thought, "Nice!" and threw them all away to never be used again.

AgentSmith

God's word does not change. I believe it is inspired, yes. I feel there are books missing, thanks to Constantine and his meddling with it. However, what we have left should be solid enough to have commentaries that make sense, and does not contradict itself.

For example all the books from Russell's time to present. If we reproduce what was written by the WTS a few decades ago, the JW's will rock in horror and claim 'They had it wrong. The light grew brighter!' Those books would be, and are tiring.

greendawn

What the verse means is studying books without any focus, otherwise studying specific subjects and acquiring a good command of them can be very advantageous. That's why people go to universities to earn degrees and a better income.

Qcmbr

Sorry for the delay Ade:

If I lived 2000 odd years ago the following would be my consideration factors:

1/ I probably couldn't read (If I could I probably wouldn't be a christian or I'd likely be a wealthy one or a trained slave)

2/ It would depend on where I lived as to which version of the Jesus stories and christianity I was exposed/converted to. Give or take a few hundred years and a few thousand miles and I could be an Ebionite (and listen primarily to the OT) or a Marcionite (and be taught from mainly the letters of Paul) or I could be a Gnostic (and so discuss many higher ideas in many ways fully unexplainable in text) and so on. In other words what I learnt and heard would be radically different depending on teacher and location. I would have to wait until the church of Rome gained prominence and about the 4th centuary before I had a more complete canon and that's assuming I wasn't (as I find myself now) a heretic exercising my choice to disregard the catholics apostolic tradition and interpretations of the dominant christian group.

3/ I would be exposed to massive amounts of spurious oral traditions and would be in constant physical danger of expounding the wrong doctrine to a 'fellow' believer wo may be diametrically opposed to in belief to me.

4/ I would tread a very dangerous line in accepting the sacraments from Bishops who may be accepted by one christian group and excommunicated by another. I wuld never be quite certain my bishop was actually correct or actually called of God. When listening to His teachings I'd have to understand that whatever he said it may be politically motivated or formed from a still emerging theology and so may or may not be considered orthodox.

The above sounds unsurprisingly similar to today with some exceptions - we are much better educated today but we are some 2000 years seperated from the truth we seek. Yes ,I trust the bible rather as I would a 2000 year old map drawn by an expert but with many missing parts and various scribbles and patches made by later inexpert mapmakers.

Ade

Hi Q,
thats very true, but that doesnt mean each person followed that path, bible or no bible, you know the saying, "hes a genuinely good person etc".God gives us all a conscience, its up to us how and if we use it.

Religion is to be blamed for much negativity,proving it to be the teachings of men ( IMO most of them uninspired by anything but cold hard cash ).Even if whats included in the bible or other teachings has been tampered with ( yes we can read millions of books concerning textual criticsm - i have read some that were complete drivel, picking at points that hold no worth ) the message is similar. What draws the majority of people is the want of a better life, for some maybe escape, However the heart and mind are searching for something and its usually positive.

So some of those people in the times you speak of would have been genuine loving people even if misled, i dont believe God would destroy them for that or send them to a hell ( depending on your beliefs ) because they truly may have wanted to know God, I dont believe for one minute he is unrighteous enough to simply cast them aside when they have the love for him.

I believe not only those old religious leaders to be oppresive, but all of todays religions either try to be oppressive or leave their members to do as they please, believing being part of that religion will save them .I believe religion to be a product of Satan .

So regardless of religious books some poeple will accept Him ( God ) some wont, This is evident within humanity itself. The only way we ultimatley all answer these questions is after we die.

God bless you and yours
Ade

A most notable bible verse

Share this