Could God have designed the Bible to only have one interpretation?

Martin Luther once said if reading the Bible ever turns you inward and focusing on yourself it's being interpreted incorrectly. Whenever the focus is on God it's being interpreted correctly.

For example, the verses about the separating of the sheep and the goats in Matthew 25 can either lead you to worry about your salvation or it can open your eyes to see Christ in the poor and needy. One interpretion leads you to curve in on yourself. The other leads to an opening up to God and a turning to your neighbor.

 

The teachings of the Christ are true but the problem is that what you call the teachings of the Christ are the not teachings of the Christ and thus are not true.

Really? Then tell me what is God's name? You know, the one the Christ taught us to pray about.

Confusion? It is not confusing to those who hold beliefs that are in harmony with what the Bible teaches.

I didn't know you also needed to know what mercy is and wanted pages of what God's word says about it but since you seem to be saying that your spirit buddy has failed you in this as well I can do so if you wish.

It is merciful that God did so or else mankind would be without a way to escape sin and death.

Really? Yes the Bible does talk about all the things you speak of and more, it talks of love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faith, mildness, self-control but that is as far as you go. Other than using the same words, you dis agree entirely with what the Bible says they mean.

Perhaps you would be so good to point out where the Bible says anything of the kind? If you did then I, would believe it but it doesn't.

Again this would be laughable if it wasn't so sad. You accuse me of condemnation and an unwillingness to forgive, you even put it in bold letters as if to make the accusation more valid but where is the proof? Who is it I have condemned? Who is it I have not forgiven?

 

Example. You keep saying this but you do not give specific examples. What is it I say that is not a christ teaching?

I call him father. If you do something different, more power to you, I could care less. God is closer to me than my own hand and nearer to me than my own heart and is absent from no thing in my life. There is nothing I withhold from him, nor has he proven to withhold from me whatever I have thought to ask. You are the one who has questions about the verity of god and the holy spirit, not me!

It is not confusing to those who do not think or who do not understand the consequences of their premises. For instance it did not seem untoward to the religious authorities of the time to put jesus to death, as a matter of fact, they felt they were doing the world a favor in exactly the way you attempt to describe mercy in your post below. And you like them see the death of jesus as an advantage to you.

I told you that you would make the word mercy, meaningless in your definition. You cannot see the disparity between the idea that blood must be spilled for payment, and the idea of the mercy of forgiveness. Mercy is exactly the opposite of requiring payment. Our debt to god is forgiven as we forgive those we feel are indebted to us, or to some ideal. Our offense against god is our judgement against his creation which is found most poignantly in our opinions of each other.

I hear constantly the question, if god is love why does he require vengeance? Why does he demand blood sacrifice to pay for what exactly?

I see constantly the phenomena of christians preaching forgiveness yet harboring the most judgmental attitudes toward their fellow man.

I hear constantly the question if belief is all that is required how are we then also required to "do good". We believe on the one hand supposedly saving us yet our actions still make us subject to judgement.

You are dense. How many times have I said I desire mercy, not sacrifice. The holy spirit has failed me in nothing. You on the other hand are as I have said, ignorant of the meaning of the statement, I desire mercy, Not sacrifice. Insisting that it means instead, "I desire the mercy of sacrifice
."

Accusation devoid of example. And by the way, long suffering is not appropriate, patient is the word.

The things you do not forgive will not be forgiven you. The measure you give is the measure you receive. By your words you are justified, by your words you are condemned. It is not what goes into a man that defiles him, but what comes out. Not everyone who says to me lord lord shall enter the kingdom of heaven but those who keep my sayings. Unless you become as little children you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven. Judge not lest ye be judged. Do not judge by appearances but rather use right judgment. Love god with all your mind and heart and strength, and like unto it your brother as yourself. Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. If someone strikes you on the cheek turn to him the other as well. Give to him who asks of you without expecting return. If someone sues for your coat give him your cloak also. If he asks you to go with him one mile go with him two. Let he who is blameless cast the first stone, go and sin no more.
Learn what this means, I desire mercy, not sacrifice.

This is just the most brief synopsis. Now what is your challenge to it?

Yourself as well as everyone else on the planet when you say we all inherit guilt. You are justified by your own words. I am not accusing you of condemnation. I am saying that it is an unwillingness to forgive that perpetuates the perception of "sinful nature". That you call it laughable or sad does not change the verity of it.

 

Joy is the better name of our fate, over jove or jehoover or yawho or whatever, it's the only thing that's not stuck in sticking it out.

In turning the other cheek, take care you are not left faceless by the faceless! In many, the will to punish can't turn its own cheek! Be prepared to have to hit back a bit! Fighting for life is not 'desirable', it is instinct.

Become as a child, a discoverer in everything, but do not relinquish bow or quiver!

: D

 

Spirit is in a state of grace forever. My only reality is spirit. While I share temporarily, if I defend myself, I am attacked. Turning the other cheek is not a remedy for horses that have escaped, that is shutting the gate after they fled the corral, but a clarion of peace that goes ahead to disarm in advance.

Defenselessness is invulnerability.

 

OWB, i read your original post. have not seen it before. not really interested in anyone's arguments pro/con...i think that all of this issue, widely, is a personal interpretation.

long ago-perhaps 35 years ago, now, i was reading the book of Jonah during a tough time of my life. i came to the end, where Jonah has sat down under some sort of tree, which grows over him (if my recollections are even close). Jonah was pissed that God was going to destroy this city....

God said, "Doest thou well to be angry, Jonah?"

that hit me like a 2x4 upside the head, because i had been angry at God/life/whatever for some time over a variety of issues.

since then, my early upbringing has brought bible verses to me frequently. they seem sometimes to have no meaning-later, i get it.

i think, as we go along, we slowly grow into an understanding, if we are at all seeking understanding. some people do not seek. they don't know, and many times they jest at others who do seek. they are only stones in the roadway, and yet, each has their use in someone's life.

is there one interpretation? no...i think the bible is like a play in which each act reveals some portion of the solution. the solution, however, is like a hologram, in that, from many angles, many views are possible. i don't know God's mind. i may be completely wrong in my view, but this is the best view i have today. tomorrow, i may not think of God, or decide perhaps that i don't believe there is a god. i leave myself the room to have an interpretation, and to decide if i like it, or if it fits. if it does not, it will get whacked out of me fairly quick. always happens...i used to not listen when that occurred. now i listen better.

did God design the message to be difficult? no, people make the message difficult, because they want to insert their own message...or insert one for others..or actually get the message, but don't like it. each should find their own message, or discuss it with those of like minds. no arguments are necessary, since all will be made clear at some time. there is no escape from what is; escape is an illusion of the mind which rejects the message and the messenger in thought. all is not accomplished by thought alone.

 

thedope:

Your profound understanding of the matter is not 'generally' accepted. Are you prepared to die for it?

I can't help but bear arms, as little as I can help being borne by my legs!

Coming in peace, we do not know what it is to "disarm in advance".

 

This question always amuses me. Let's turn it around, are you ready to kill me for your point?

I know about reflexes. I used to be quite lecherous at heart. But the voice of alarm can be stilled.

We live in a world of condition. Conditions exist where conditions are asked for and met. Peace and conflict do not exist together. Patience brings results. Infinite patience brings immediate results.

 

the bible it self is miss leading

 

thedope:

Of course not. And because of this your question as answer to mine has not turned my point around, though we both want to turn it over. Spirit is our reality, and its needing no defence makes it invulnerable. But there are definitely those that consider us suckers for punishment for that very reason. Do I caution unreasonably? From fear? I do not beg understanding, nor do I beg for my life.

Spirit is life, and it is always embodied, though not always in affirming itself. If I were an alarmist at heart, I'd be favouring security over hope as means to secure my hope.

I believe you.

Where can it be found? I mean, what would it take for the world to converge in love?

 

So close you have no clue what his name is or what Jesus was talking about when he taught us to pray.

 

It does. what barriers have you erected against its awareness

 

Yes, but you know I mean altogether! For all time, times end in mind!

 

In that case not as long as you want to do it again.

 

lol Just once would be sufficient!

 

!_!

 

Thanks for the post about the OP.

Also I agree with a lot of what you say, yes, the Bible is filled with wisdom and the application of wisdom can be as individual as a finger print but the wisdom itself is not different between people.

And we are also talking about whether the Bible has an overriding message that God wants mankind to know and I believe it does and so I probably disagree with you on that.

 

I think truth just is. It stands on its own, and there really is no inherent truth in any written scripture, because of the subjectivity of human language. Since human language is such an imperfect system of transmitting meaning, I don't think any scripture is perfect, even if it was written by the most enlightened human being. The focus of humanity should be to evolve language to where everyone's on the same page. The forces of evil and turmoil in the press and establishment, though, seem to just be doing the exact opposite of that.

 

reb, I really and truly do not mean to nit-pick, but I just felt I had to point out that Jonah was not mad because God was going to destroy the city...Jonah was angry because God decided NOT to destroy the city. Jonah actually would have preferred to die, and die angry, rather than God to have had pity on the people of Nineveh. The vine/gourd God had to grow over Jonah in his anger was in hopes that he would be delivered from his grief (see Jonah 4:6). However, Jonah was a human and had human feelings. No doubt many of us may have felt the same way.
God did explain that he would save the city (its people and cattle) in the last verse (4:11), and in 4:10, Jonah was sort of chastized for having "pity" for a gourd which he did not plant
nor make grow.