|
|
Post by ydoaPs on Jan 6, 2010 1:48:26 GMT
What is the 'good news' about which Jesus spoke? Support your answer.
|
|
|
|
Post by ydoaPs on Jan 7, 2010 17:26:28 GMT
Since no one else is here, I might as well answer:
The good news that Jesus taught was that the world as we know it would soon(in his generation) come to an end to be replaced by the Kingdom of God. He taught that to be a part of this Kingdom, one must confess and repent of ones sins and follow the Law to the letter. Believe Jesus and his good news or perish in the overthrow of the wicked earthly kingdom. Jesus believed his 12 disciples(including Judas) would oversee the 12 tribes of the new kingdom and they would report to Jesus. His 'good news' is that this evil age was at an imminent end to be replaced with the good age where the earth is ruled by the Kingdom of God.
|
|
tar
Junior Member
Posts: 94
|
Post by tar on Jan 8, 2010 2:47:03 GMT
ydoaPs,
Do you figure there could be strong value in Christ's teachings, if, as I figure it, he was a man, (only the son of God, in the same sense that we all are,) and his lessons have value even if taken in their figurative sense?
Regards, TAR
|
|
|
|
Post by ydoaPs on Jan 8, 2010 2:54:48 GMT
Do you figure there could be strong value in Christ's teachings Yes. Keep in mind that Jesus was a Jew. It's VERY likely that he used the phrase 'son of God' in the same way as it was used about David or Israel itself. There's plenty of reason to think that Jesus didn't see himself as God. |
|
|
|
Post by slamminsam on Jan 8, 2010 7:16:23 GMT
ydoaPs, i think I've read a book by this title with a similar theme.
|
|
|
|
Post by ydoaPs on Jan 8, 2010 15:05:44 GMT
Care to offer your answer? ydoaPs, i think I've read a book...with a similar theme. The Bible?  |
|
soms
New Member
Posts: 16 
|
Post by soms on Jan 8, 2010 23:50:39 GMT
It does appear to me that Jesus believed that the end of the world as they knew it would be soon. to me this does not take away from the fact that His gospel was best represented in the sermon on the mount- the parables- his teachings. for some time i have been struggling with this myself. i really dont see Jesus offering escape from eternal punishment but rather a challenge to turn away from sin/evil. most of what i see is commands to DO as opposed to what is commonly taught ( that their is nothing we can do he did it all for us etc) when i am asked what was the gospel of Jesus my dirt thoughts are - love your neighbor as yourself-love even your enemy- feed the hungry give shelter to the homeless- and the realization that there is a love that defies human reason. greater love has no man than this that he lay down his life for a friend. which regardless of what one believes Jesus death did or did not accomplish, we can agree that He died willingly out of love. with love, soms
|
|
tar
Junior Member
Posts: 94
|
Post by tar on Jan 9, 2010 2:05:24 GMT
soms,
There is a love and connection to Jesus' life and teachings that I feel, being brought up Christian, celebrating Christmas still, and aware of the special feeling of common purpose, togetherness and sharing around the holidays that stem from Jesus' love. I see a similar type response to Mohammed, in Moslems, in that living life as Mohammed did, is a high goal in any Moslem's life. Each religion, well most of them, have a central figure, that either was an actual human, or is portrayed as a human, or half god, half human.
That we each are both human and connected to the larger "spirit" of the universe, is to me, a given. I might not have this opinion if not for my upbringing and the effects on the cultures that formed my reality, that religious leaders like Moses, and Confusius, Buddah, Jesus and Mohammed have had.
I do think we often live through, and make life decisions and have attitudes and thoughts that mirror our heros. Our parents, our sports heroes, great actors, artists, musicians, scientists, great humanitarians, and philosophers that show us how it is to be done. In all cases, it seems we follow those who do what we wish to do, but do it better than we seem to be able to do it. Something to aspire to achieve, a model of behavior to attempt to replicate.
Interesting, the extra, superhuman qualities that are taken on by rock stars and movie stars and all the great humans that surface in politics, religions, arts, business, science, sports and every type of human realm. They seem to accumulate the strength and power of their followers and fans, and acheive the status of actual embodiment of the ideals they represent.
The "spirit" of a thing, or a person is intricately woven into its scientifically existing substance and form. Figurative and literal merge... for us humans...in a lot of ways.
Regards, TAR
|
|
naz
Full Member
SYNTHEIST
Posts: 245
|
Post by naz on Jan 9, 2010 15:56:30 GMT
What is the 'good news' about which Jesus spoke? Support your answer. The good news--the gospel--that Jesus preached was about the kingdom of God (or heaven--same thing) being offered to the world. |
|
|
|
Post by ydoaPs on Jan 9, 2010 18:13:17 GMT
What is the 'good news' about which Jesus spoke? Support your answer. The good news--the gospel--that Jesus preached was about the kingdom of God (or heaven--same thing) being offered to the world. When? How does one enter the Kingdom? Is it on Earth or is it in some divine plane of existence? etc. |
|
naz
Full Member
SYNTHEIST
Posts: 245
|
Post by naz on Jan 9, 2010 19:04:59 GMT
The good news--the gospel--that Jesus preached was about the kingdom of God (or heaven--same thing) being offered to the world. When? How does one enter the Kingdom? Is it on Earth or is it in some divine plane of existence? etc. Jesus seems to be saying that his presence on earth was a sign the kingdom was being offered then and there and that in some sense had already begun. But the complete fulfillment would come later. I don;t see anything that indicates that would occur anywhere but right here on this earth. As to whom might enter it Jesus said the following: Those who are exceedingly righteousMat 5:20 For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Those who truly do the Father’s willMat 7:21 Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Those who receive it as a little childMar 10:15 Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it." (also Luk 18:16-17) Those born again through water and SpiritJhn 3:3 Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." Jhn 3:5 Jesus answered, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. Very hard for the rich to enterMat 19:23-24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, "Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." (Also Mar 10:23-25, Luk 18:24-25) |
|
tar
Junior Member
Posts: 94
|
Post by tar on Jan 10, 2010 6:56:30 GMT
naz,
If, and this is an if, for discussion purposes, to better understand your thinking, Jesus was refering to his own projection of his own consciousness, onto the universe, when he spoke of the father, and his own will and ideals when speaking of heaven, could he not have uttered the same words?
Regards, TAR
P.S. And is the comment about the rich man and the camel going through the eye of a needle not more of a social and political comment, that one would expect from a man, than the kind of directive one would expect from an objective creator being?
|
|
naz
Full Member
SYNTHEIST
Posts: 245
|
Post by naz on Jan 10, 2010 14:56:52 GMT
naz, If, and this is an if, for discussion purposes, to better understand your thinking, Jesus was refering to his own projection of his own consciousness, onto the universe, when he spoke of the father, and his own will and ideals when speaking of heaven, could he not have uttered the same words? Regards, TAR P.S. And is the comment about the rich man and the camel going through the eye of a needle not more of a social and political comment, that one would expect from a man, than the kind of directive one would expect from an objective creator being? I'm not sure I fully follow either of your questions. What I am most interested in understanding is Jesus' own thinking. I don't think he was thinking what you suggested. I think Jesus was totally right about the rich. Their preoccupation with wealth was not in harmony with the spiritually centered lifestyle Jesus was proposing. |
|
tar
Junior Member
Posts: 94
|
Post by tar on Jan 11, 2010 5:47:50 GMT
naz,
But it was Jesus proposing the lifestyle. And it had something to do with negating the value and life choice of the moneychangers, and the higher ups in Jewish society. A political kind of value system, that in my estimation is not the kind of thing that the creator of the universe would be teaching.
Regards, TAR
|
|
naz
Full Member
SYNTHEIST
Posts: 245
|
Post by naz on Jan 11, 2010 14:15:38 GMT
naz, But it was Jesus proposing the lifestyle. And it had something to do with negating the value and life choice of the moneychangers, and the higher ups in Jewish society. A political kind of value system, that in my estimation is not the kind of thing that the creator of the universe would be teaching. Regards, TAR Why not? |
|
