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Favorite Bible Quotes

One of the few celebrations Jesus was part of was a wedding (never mentioned him at a birthday celebration though).


HEY! I've been ignoring your posts but some how this popped out at me and I saw something noteworthy! If Jesus was at a wedding that means he approved of such a occasion, if Jesus was not at a birthday party it means he did not approve of such a occasion. Has anyone else thought about that?

I've caught two birthday celebrations in the whole bible and they were of sinners.

I have a catholic Encyclopedia on hand and it says about the birthday celebrations mentioned in the Bible: “Only sinners . make great rejoicings over the day on which they were born.” Do we want to be like them?
 
HEY! I've been ignoring your posts but some how this popped out at me and I saw something noteworthy! If Jesus was at a wedding that means he approved of such a occasion, if Jesus was not at a birthday party it means he did not approve of such a occasion. Has anyone else thought about that?

I've caught two birthday celebrations in the whole bible and they were of sinners.

I have a catholic Encyclopedia on hand and it says about the birthday celebrations mentioned in the Bible: “Only sinners . make great rejoicings over the day on which they were born.” Do we want to be like them?

I've been trying for years not to have a birthday celebration, it never works out that way. I never mention it to anyone in the hopes that they will forget. Don't get me wrong though, it wasn't because I thought it was a sin (that's the first time I hear that it is), I just don't like the attention it brings to me. I know I'm getting old, just leave me alone about it, know what I mean.
 
So is Jesus God, or is God God? I don't get the whole flesh of my flesh thing?

Jesus = God (the father) = The Holy Spirit.

It's a divine trinity, 3 Distinct Beings acting as One, All of which are God.

This concept is literally out of our mental power to conceive.
 
Any sentence starting with the word, "And". There many to choose from.

It further supports my theory that English class is the devil.
 
So is Jesus God, or is God God? I don't get the whole flesh of my flesh thing?

Well if your a trinitarian you believe Jesus is God but if your a non-trinitarian like myself you believe he is God's Son. I find the evidence in the bible overwhelming that he is God's son. He refers to "my father" countless of times and talks bout doing his will. Always gives all the glory and honor to him. If he was God he would be talking to himself. Doesn't sound to humble does it? Neither do I find it to make sense.

It is well known that in many translations of the bible Gods name is replaced with LORD. His name written in hebrew was יהוה
Otherwise known as the Tetragrammaton. English translations differ. You have these names that usually come up in translation.

•Jehovah
•Yahweh
•Yahveh
•YHWH
•YHVH
•Yehovah
•Yahuah
•Yahuwah


From my research I have chosen Jehovah.

Psalms 83:18 in the KJV " That men may know that thou, whose name alone is JEHOVAH, art the most high over all the earth."

Some say that Jehovah was Jesus name in the old testament but I see no evidence of that.
 
I've been trying for years not to have a birthday celebration, it never works out that way. I never mention it to anyone in the hopes that they will forget. Don't get me wrong though, it wasn't because I thought it was a sin (that's the first time I hear that it is), I just don't like the attention it brings to me. I know I'm getting old, just leave me alone about it, know what I mean.

It's humble of you to not want to draw attention to yourself. That's a quality Jesus had ;) I have always been the same way. People say "hey it's your birthday!".. I say it's just another day or it just means I'm getting older. A party is the last thing I want. Jesus wanted all the attention to go to his father, Not him. His birthday goes along with christmas. Many christians celebrate it as Jesus birthday. First, it's not his real birth date and 2nd he never had a birthday party or did he go to one. So does his birthday celebration really honor him? Would he go to his own christmas/birthday party? I don't believe so.
 
Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” Genesis 1:26

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. John 1:1-3
 
It is confusing, i was taught that even Though Jesus is Gods son he is also God himself.

“A simple man believes every word he hears; a clever man understands the need for proof.”—Proverbs 14:15, The New English Bible.

;)
 
Well if your a trinitarian you believe Jesus is God but if your a non-trinitarian like myself you believe he is God's Son. I find the evidence in the bible overwhelming that he is God's son. He refers to "my father" countless of times and talks bout doing his will. Always gives all the glory and honor to him. If he was God he would be talking to himself. Doesn't sound to humble does it? Neither do I find it to make sense.

It is well known that in many translations of the bible Gods name is replaced with LORD. His name written in hebrew was יהוה
Otherwise known as the Tetragrammaton. English translations differ. You have these names that usually come up in translation.

•Jehovah
•Yahweh
•Yahveh
•YHWH
•YHVH
•Yehovah
•Yahuah
•Yahuwah


From my research I have chosen Jehovah.

Psalms 83:18 in the KJV " That men may know that thou, whose name alone is JEHOVAH, art the most high over all the earth."

Some say that Jehovah was Jesus name in the old testament but I see no evidence of that.

Webster's Collegiate Dictionary: "Jehovah" -- False reading of the Hebrew YAHWEH.(8)

Encyclopedia Americana: "Jehovah" -- erroneous form of the name of the God of Israel.(9)

Encyclopedia Britannica: The Masoretes who from the 6th to the 10th century worked to reproduce the original text of the Hebrew Bible replaced the vowels of the name YHWH with the vowel signs of Adonai or Elohim. Thus the artificial name Jehovah came into being.(10)

The Jewish Encyclopedia: "Jehovah" -- a mispronunciation of the Hebrew YHWH the name of God. This pronunciation is grammatically impossible.(11)

The New Jewish Encyclopedia: It is clear that the word Jehovah is an artificial composite.(12)

According to the Encyclopedia Judaica, p. 680, vol. 7, "the true pronunciation of the tetragrammaton YHWH was never lost. The name was pronounced Yahweh. It was regularly pronounced this way at least until 586 B.C., as is clear from the Lachish Letters written shortly before this date."
 
It is confusing, i was taught that even Though Jesus is Gods son he is also God himself.

You were taught that because it is what a Christian believes, it is a central tenet of the Christian faith that Jesus is God incarnate.

Philippians 2:6 (New King James Version)

6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God
 
You were taught that because it is what a Christian believes, it is a central tenet of the Christian faith that Jesus is God incarnate.

Philippians 2:6 (New King James Version)

6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God

That makes sense.
 
“A simple man believes every word he hears; a clever man understands the need for proof.”—Proverbs 14:15, The New English Bible.

;)

Doesn't that seem suggest agnosticism?

Ironic.

Even Einstein said things to contradict his own religious beliefs. He was an atheist, who believed in a static universe, but his theory of general relativity points towards a dynamic universe. :think:
 
You were taught that because it is what a Christian believes, it is a central tenet of the Christian faith that Jesus is God incarnate.

Philippians 2:6 (New King James Version)

6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God

My children have a hard time grasping this, they often question me about it.
 
Just what are you saying?:thinking:

It's possible that Flaw is a Jehovah's Witness which would mean a very different set of beliefs from Christianity. Some of the statements regarding birthdays and the preference for the name Jehovah are why I say this.
 
My children have a hard time grasping this, they often question me about it.

I could not wrap my mind around the notion for a long time as well. When I was a boy my mother used the egg analogy with me. The shell, white and yolk are 3 distinct properties of the same object. It's admittedly simplistic but was effective for me to understand as a child.
 
It's possible that Flaw is a Jehovah's Witness which would mean a very different set of beliefs from Christianity. Some of the statements regarding birthdays and the preference for the name Jehovah are why I say this.

This is not in any way intended as a slight by the way just an observation.
 
I could not wrap my mind around the notion for a long time as well. When I was a boy my mother used the egg analogy with me. The shell, white and yolk are 3 distinct properties of the same object. It's admittedly simplistic but was effective for me to understand as a child.

That's actually pretty good, I'm going to use that one..:biggthumpup:
 
You were taught that because it is what a Christian believes, it is a central tenet of the Christian faith that Jesus is God incarnate.

Philippians 2:6 (New King James Version)

6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God

I wouldn't jump to that conclusion. By definition a christian is


1.Professing belief in Jesus as Christ or following the religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus.

2. Relating to or derived from Jesus or Jesus's teachings.

3. Manifesting the qualities or spirit of Jesus; Christlike

I don't see any definition where it says the belief that Jesus is God incarnate.
 
Just what are you saying?:thinking:

I'm saying get your proof. Your confused about something find a answer that you feel God puts in your heart. Not what man has put in your mind.
 
I'm saying get your proof. Your confused about something find a answer that you feel God puts in your heart. Not what man has put in your mind.

I never saw it as something to investigate, I always saw it as something we weren't supposed to completely understand, just something we had to have Faith in.
 
It's possible that Flaw is a Jehovah's Witness which would mean a very different set of beliefs from Christianity. Some of the statements regarding birthdays and the preference for the name Jehovah are why I say this.


Where did that come from? I believe this whole thread was made to talk about the bible, not "what religion are you'? I didn't come in here to poke at certain christian religions even if I didn't agree with them. Not every christian is gonna agree about the same things. We all gain knowledge of different things at different times. There are bible scholars who have recongnized some of the things I spoke of. Some of them don't even believe in God. I find it extremely difficult to ignore the Tetragrammaton. Whatever your translation might be of it it's still recongnized as the God of israel. There are other people on this board who have some of the beliefs I have and I don't know their denomination. It's research bro. There are plenty of nontrinitarians out there, they aren't limited to jehovah's witnesses. Wiki recongnizes 34. The belief is just non-traditional. Traditions aren't always a good thing. Research the holidays.
 
Where did that come from? I believe this whole thread was made to talk about the bible, not "what religion are you'? I didn't come in here to poke at certain christian religions even if I didn't agree with them. Not every christian is gonna agree about the same things. We all gain knowledge of different things at different times. There are bible scholars who have recongnized some of the things I spoke of. Some of them don't even believe in God. I find it extremely difficult to ignore the Tetragrammaton. Whatever your translation might be of it it's still recongnized as the God of israel. There are other people on this board who have some of the beliefs I have and I don't know their denomination. It's research bro. There are plenty of nontrinitarians out there, they aren't limited to jehovah's witnesses. Wiki recongnizes 34. The belief is just non-traditional. Traditions aren't always a good thing. Research the holidays.

I meant no offense and I apologize if what I said offended you that was not my intention. I have a good friend that I work with who is a Witness and he says many of the same things you have in this thread, your view of who Jesus is, your view of birthdays, and your view that Jehovah is the correct title/name for God are all things that I have heard him say and we have debated. Basically I put 2 and 2 together and got 4. Again I did not intend it as a dig in any way I'm sorry if you took it that way, however I never made any statement of the superiority of my beliefs.
 
Jehovah's Witnesses are prime examples of a Christian. They do everything Jesus said to do, to the letter. I personally think that all organized religions are flawed (no pun intended) but Jesus did preach to all people door to door and where ever the people were. I've only had 3 people from other religions ever preach to me.(Internet not counted) Although most of you here don't like my posts, I'll tell it like it is...whether or not FLAW is a Jehovah's Witness, he is a Christian.

As far as God and Jesus being the same, this is how I see it.
Jesus was created by God...
Colossians 1:15-16
15 The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him.

Romans 8:29
29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.

Luke 9:35
35 A voice came from the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him.”

Matthew 3:17
17 And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”

Hebrews 1:5-6
5 For to which of the angels did God ever say,

“You are my Son;
today I have become your Father”?

Or again,

“I will be his Father,
and he will be my Son”?

6 And again, when God brings his firstborn into the world, he says,

“Let all God’s angels worship him.”

John 3:16
16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
 
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Jehovah's Witnesses are prime examples of a Christian.
No they are not.

Brief Summary of Differences:

"The Christian Church accepts Jesus as Lord; the JWs do not. Christians accept the biblical authority that describes the Trinitarian God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit - One God in Three Persons. This is clearly noted in many places in scripture including the beginning of Genesis, the end of Matthew's Gospel and in the prologue to John's gospel. This latter reference caused a stir among the JWs where John clearly states that Jesus was with God and Jesus was God. The JW bible translated this (incorrectly) as 'jesus was 'a' 'god' (with a small 'g' - whatever that means) in order to fit in with their beliefs, despite the many many claims by Jesus that he was divine.
Unlike the Christian Church, JWs believe that all others except themselves are damned and regard other religions and the Trinity, as the work of Satan. They refuse to celebrate Christmas and birthdays as these events are 'pagan' yet undergo many other activities that have a pagan origin. They refuse to accept blood in a transfusion because of one verse in Leviticus and a similar verse in the new testament, both taken out of context and both mistranslated. They obey the Levitical law about blood and yet shun the others about nor wearing more than one cloth type and so on. They shun the New testament ruling on blood (which in context was placed there simply not to offend the Jews who became new Christians and not as 'God's Law'. These are all against the wish of God that we "all have life and life in its fullness". They will not accept the Virgin Birth despite its clarity in scripture, nor accept the apocalyptic nature of Revelation - taking it literally instead (although it was never meant to be read like that). If a JW disobeys the elders in the church they run the risk of being disfellowshipped. This means that they are shunned by the church members, any member having anything to do with them running the same risk of being shunned as well. This is against Christ's teaching of love and forgiveness.
These are just a few of the many differences between Christians and Jehovah's Witnesses. A JW will insist that he/she is a 'Christian' but their beliefs are very different - and much more lacking in love for all, not just fellow JWs - from Christians of any denomination."

"It is absolutely fascinating to examine the beliefs of certain branches of Christianity in relation to each other, especially when two are so different that you wonder how they were ever related to each other. The relationship between Christianity and Jehovah’s Witnesses definitely falls into this category. Although Jehovah’s Witnesses came from Christianity and do have some similar beliefs, the majority of beliefs and practices vary greatly. A closer look at the differences will highlight just how far apart the two beliefs systems are.

The first major difference between the Jehovah’s Witnesses and Christianity is the belief in God. Although both faiths do believe in God, this is where the similarity ends. To Jehovah’s Witnesses, the only God is Jehovah, the creator of all things and the only entity that they answer to. They do not believe in the Holy Trinity at all, stating that Jesus is the son of God but a much lower entity and that the Holy Spirit is simply God’s force at work. Of course, Christians do believe in God but tend to worship Jesus Christ and fundamentally believe in the Holy Trinity.

The second major difference between the two faiths is the occurrence of and belief in life after death. Christians believe that there is a Heaven and a Hell, with fundamentally good people and believers going to the former and sinners heading to the eternal flames of the latter. In their eyes, Hell is an actual place that delivers eternal torment to those that have provided the same to others in life. However, Jehovah’s Witnesses do not believe in the existence of Hell at all. They believe that after death is nothingness because the soul cannot live after the body has died. The Bible states that humans do not have immortal souls but that those of Jehovah’s Witnesses can live forever in paradise on Earth. At End Times, all wicked souls are destroyed and the Anointed (144,000 Witnesses) will go to Heaven. The rest will remain on Earth.

Already you can see the stark differences between the two faiths in line with just two beliefs. There are many more although the majority of those remaining are smaller differences that impact upon practices rather than their complete way of life. Take the view of holidays, such as Christmas and Easter, for example. Christians celebrate both holidays in Christ’s honour. Jehovah’s Witnesses do not celebrate them for two reasons – because Jesus is inferior to God and also because the holidays arise from paganism and not the Bible. Another is the place of worship because Christians worship in a Church whereas the Witnesses go to Kingdom Hall, the home of the community, instead.
There are a few similarities that exist between Christianity and Jehovah’s Witnesses. For example, both agree on the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the presence of two sacraments (Baptism and the Lord’s Supper). However, the lifestyles that people live as Jehovah’s Witnesses and Christians are worlds apart. Their fundamental beliefs are so different that it is easy to see why so many misunderstandings occur and why so many members of both faiths are misunderstood. One thing that both religions have in common though is the desire of the members to do their best whilst living in the hope that they can spread the message of God and make a difference in this world. In truth, both offer elements that the rest of us can learn from."
They do everything Jesus said to do, to the letter. I personally think that all organized religions are flawed (no pun intended) but Jesus did preach to all people door to door and where ever the people were. I've only had 3 people from other religions ever preach to me.(Internet not counted) Although most of you here don't like my posts, I'll tell it like it is...whether or not FLAW is a Jehovah's Witness, he is a Christian.
You tell it how you see it, which is not necessarily how it is.
 
Perhaps by the word "Christian", Omni meant to say Fundamentalist or Bible Literalist.

The word, god (lower case), refers to someone who is immortal. God is used as a proper noun in reference to the monotheistic god in a similar manner to refering to your mom or dad as "Mom" or "Dad" (upper case). Make sense?

The significance to the Bible, and the reason it stood the test of time for so many years is due to its ambiguity. Based on what's happening in your life, the version you have, and your luck of the draw when reading, you'll find a verse that strikes a chord with you and can really help make a difference. Over time, the moral of the stories may become obsolete; however, the story is still capable of generating a new and still meaningful moral.

For example, the story of Abraham being sent to kill Isaac in the book of Genesis. As he is about to kill his own son, God tells him he can sacrifice a goat instead. Historically, the significance of this story was that our God did not require human sacrifice, which was a common ritual of other religions and a very hot topic at the time. As the religions using this book have evolved, the significance of human sacrifice is no longer applicable. Many of the protestant churches have derrived new, significant meaning from the tale, such as but not limited to a sign of His undying love.
 
I love this thread, good stuff, I hope it stays positive and a means of teaching each other and learning. All "religions", all churches, and all people are flawed, no one has it 100% correct in the way the worship, what they believe, and especially how we act. It is great that God gave us a book to help guide us, organized religion to help interpret and teach and spread thw word, and people who care, like the people in this thread so we can challenge each other.
 
I love this thread, good stuff, I hope it stays positive and a means of teaching each other and learning. All "religions", all churches, and all people are flawed, no one has it 100% correct in the way the worship, what they believe, and especially how we act. It is great that God gave us a book to help guide us, organized religion to help interpret and teach and spread thw word, and people who care, like the people in this thread so we can challenge each other.

This is a good post. As you mentioned, no reliegion or belief is perfect. You have people who come in here or any walk of life for that matter and try to push what they think is right on you. And to some degree, there is no stopping them. It's ridiculous. Don't tell me who or what I should belive in. You can speculate all you want, but in this life, there is no absolute certainty. And if you suggest otherwise, honestly, you're a fool.

Faith is the confident belief or trust in the truth or trustworthiness of a person, concept or thing. -Nothing is concrete about that.
 
This is a good post. As you mentioned, no reliegion or belief is perfect. You have people who come in here or any walk of life for that matter and try to push what they think is right on you. And to some degree, there is no stopping them. It's ridiculous. Don't tell me who or what I should belive in. You can speculate all you want, but in this life, there is no absolute certainty. And if you suggest otherwise, honestly, you're a fool.

Faith is the confident belief or trust in the truth or trustworthiness of a person, concept or thing. -Nothing is concrete about that.

I would tend to disagree here, God and his love is certain. God is unchanging.

Mal. 3:6a [NAS] "“For I, the Lord, do not change..."

Heb. 13:8 [NIV] "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. "
 
John 14:5-7 (New King James Version)
5 Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?”
6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
7 “If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him.”
 
This, my friends, is all that matters.

John 12:46-48 (New King James Version)
46 I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness. 47 And if anyone hears My words and does not believe,[a] I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. 48 He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him—the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day.


Footnotes:
a.John 12:47 NU-Text reads keep them
 
I would tend to disagree here, God and his love is certain. God is unchanging.

Mal. 3:6a [NAS] "“For I, the Lord, do not change..."

Heb. 13:8 [NIV] "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. "

No disrespect, but you know this how? Because you believe and have faith that it is true? Or can you provide me evidence other than what some men wrote in a book many, many years ago.

You may get an inner feeling telling you it is true. And I am not doubting it, but I am also not to say that it might just be self happiness. You may have found a mental being in which you are content, however labeling it as being from "God".

I do not know one way or another. I am just playing devils advocate.

Once again, no disrespect. Do not feel attacked by my questioning. These are just the unknowns in my life that I feel have caused me to lose my faith some years ago. Unfortunately, I question things. Life would be so much easier if I followed blindly.
 
No disrespect, but you know this how? Because you believe and have faith that it is true? Or can you provide me evidence other than what some men wrote in a book many, many years ago.

You may get an inner feeling telling you it is true. And I am not doubting it, but I am also not to say that it might just be self happiness. You may have found a mental being in which you are content, however labeling it as being from "God".

I do not know one way or another. I am just playing devils advocate.

Once again, no disrespect. Do not feel attacked by my questioning. These are just the unknowns in my life that I feel have caused me to lose my faith some years ago. Unfortunately, I question things. Life would be so much easier if I followed blindly.

You and I are in the same boat. I have tried for years to rationalize "faith" and believing in a higher being. We see the horrifying things that happen to friends and family members and wonder how a "good God" could be letting this happen. I personally believe bad things just happen. They aren't out of God's control he just chooses not to stop them. I question everything too, faith is accepting a truth that may not be explicitly provable
 
I have often, very often thought the exact same thing. I believe it is not. But, if somehow it turns out it is. At least we lived as moral human beings.

Right. I almost feel as if it gives us something to hold onto and comfort us in times of despair. It's nice to think there is a happy ending to things, however it may not be that way. A hard fact to face, which is why we believe in "heaven".
 
"Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of the unseen."

When proof enters faith is null and void.
 
this thing called faith is a very hard thing to talk about. I was just discussing this last night with an older christian, a very mature and experienced one who has served in various positions at other churches and been a missionary. The topic came up of witnessing and how to witness to someone who is closed minded or doesnt want to believe. I mean, if a person refuses to believe in the Bible, that it is true and the Word of God, then talking to them out of the Bible can be a waste.

He said that we are to present the Word of God as from the Bible, to live our lives as best we can, though imperfect we are, as a testimony to the truth of the Bible and pray. It is the Holy Spirit that will work on people not us. In fact, continuosly beating someone over the head and getting in arguments can do more harm than good, especially if we are not gifted in speaking, or persuasion. In Pauls letters to Timothy Paul cautioned Timothy about getting into arguments with those who did not believe, that it was not "profitable". Paul also encouraged Timothy to stick with proper doctrine and to teach and do the work of an evangelist, so he was instructed to spread the Word, but to know when is enough.

For those in this thread that dont believe, I sincerely hope that things change for you, I am sorry that you have been offended somewhere by a professed believer, or that life has dealt with you so harshly. I will pray for you guys, not so I can say "I told you I was right", but out of care. My faith is something that has revolutionized my life, and I hope that such a great experience comes to you guys.

For the believers, each of us has different gifts, it may be you have the gift to persuade, if so, then do, dont let my limitations cause you to not exercise your gifts. It was jsut odd that last night I had a conversation that seemed to deal directly with some of the last posts in this thread. And I just wanted to share some advice I was given, because at times I feel very ineffective for God and it can be frustrating that I fail so often to reach people, and it was encouraging to have that guy last night speak to me and tell me to continue to present, to avoid arguments when things started to get emotional and angry, and to most of all pray, and let the people know you care about them and not that you are out to "prove them wrong".
 
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