Chrisbenogor:
Except you forget that back then they had their own factions and divisions. Each with his own books and practices like deeper life vs MFM.

Alishachris:

all these you are calling are religions. Man made and fallible. The Word of God is not a religion. Christianity is not a religion. Read your bible and follow your own personal revelations about the spirit. We all experience the spirit and God in our own individual ways. Peace.

Alishachris:

When is back then? The back then that is relevant is during Jesus and the apostles times, when the bible was written. For all i can remember Neither Jesus nor the apostles instigated a religion. it was people that saw as the apostles were living their life that called them 'christians' meaning that they were living their lives as Jesus the Christ did. Peace.

Goshen360:

I agree. So can we begin to question some things in the bible now as per the OP?....so we can fellowship in the word? I will begin to bring up some scriptures and we can question them one after the other? If you don't mind.

elipheleh: We are encouraged to question discrepancies as Paul rightly said :


10The brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. 11 Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so .12Therefore many of them believed, along with a number of prominent Greek women and men.…Acts 17 :10-12

Chrisbenogor:
Not that straight forward brother, Jesus and the apostles did not write the 'bible'.

If I should ask like frosbel when and who exactly wrote the book that got eventually bound together to form the bible? I am trying to say that the divisions you see today run deep. Take the time read the events that led to the compilation of the books into the bible.

Alishachris:

i do mind. If you have issues with the bible, enter your private study, pray and ask the spirit for divine revelation, then read the bible and question all you want. But not in public because the bible is not a scholarly book that can be brought to the public for dissection. As i told you, the answers you would get would be best for you alone, according to your relationship with God. its a personal race bro.

Goshen360:

I wish you give more exposition to us all from your findings about this verse you referenced

New American Standard Bible
"Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill.

frosbel:


Wrong !

God does not operate in darkness , only those who either have something to hide or are unsure of their belief system will want to dissect the bible in secret.

Blindly following doctrine without due understanding leads to more error and delusion.

Alishachris:

No, you are the one getting it wrong bro. The bible was not written in one day and by one man. The bible is a compilation of God's Word to His people. These are revelations given to some people that the spirit inspired to put down on scrolls. Compilation of those old scrolls is what we know as the bible today.

Chrisbenogor:
I quite agree with you that it is a compilation. I am saying that the divisions in what we know as Christianity today run deep. For instance the Arian controversy regarding the relationship between Jesus and the father goes as far back as 325 AD. This even till this day rages for instance in the way the Jehovas witnesses see Jesus vs the majority of other christians. But where are the Arian texts today? They were consigned to flames and anyone in possession of them was executed.

Was Arius and the other people deemed heretical not inspired by the spirit? Is it not particularly flawed for Man to then decide what was of the spirit and what was not?

At the end of the day you would agree with me that it is impossible to get all Christendom, to agree in total what the various messages in the bible is trying to say. The many contradictions we find in commands and in time were maybe because this book was not really supposed to be together in the first place.

Alishachris:

When we try to put what is to what is not, that is what you would get. Christianity has never being about any religion. if it were, Jesus would have told us so, that He came to setup a religion. But that is far from the truth. Jesus never came to setup any religion. And the apostles never did setup a religion. What we have today is man made religion and like everything man made, it's not without its flaws and shortcomings.

Chrisbenogor:
Question then:

Is the Bible Man Made?
Does it have its flaws and shortcomings?

Alishachris:

the bible is not man-made. The bible is a recording of God's words and promises to his people. It came from above the same way rain came from above.

Chrisbenogor: One thing that befuddles me generally is the level of reverence and infallibility that this book garners. I often wonder why Christians could not question first of all the authenticity of a text, why they would not be bothered to know the circumstances and the reasons around which the text was written.

I think your dilemma starts from the fact that seeing as it is supposed to be some manual when you see the heinous and hideous things in some parts you begin to wonder if it is of God. Like where does the conviction come from that the book is the total undiluted thoughts of God. Now some parts of it pose stories that can be traced historically, how much of it matches with the actual facts? You hear people say things like oh Moses wrote this and that.....Shocking.

WHY HAVE HOLY OR INSPIRED TEXTS STOPPED BEING WRITTEN? IF THEY ARE STILL BEING WRITTEN DO YOU THINK THERE IS ANY WORTH TO BE PUT IN THE BIBLE TODAY?

Disagree with me all you want but if there was to be a new version of bible, call it the jet age testament. Where you have the letter of Adeboye to the Lagosians, or the Letters of Daddy Oleyedepo on tithe payment, Combined with the book of TB joshua, 1st 2nd and 3rd Chris Oyaks I am sure that version even if it manages by phee dee phee stroke of luck to pass in Nigeria.........the slavereligious masters that be will not even allow it.


So what made Joshua, daniel, Isiah and co better than the legend himself PASTOR GBEJERO or SAINT DIKEJI MIMIYERIJESU - BISHOP OF THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD!

Chrisbenogor:
Did God record down the books him self and send it as rain. Or did man write it?

Alishachris:

God told the man what to write. God spoke through the man. The same way Christ entered a man's body so he can die for sins of men. For men to be able to understand God, God has to speak to them in ways and mediums they can understand. peace.

Alishachris:

Doctrines are man made. I do not follow doctrines. Christianity is a personal relationship with God, your father. Does any one has one way of relating with his earthly father? How much more your Heavenly father. Remember, Jesus came to bring us closer to the father so we can take all our problems and doubts to him and not to our fellow humans. Because man's wisdom is foolishness in the sight of God. Peace.

Chrisbenogor:
How did you come to the conclusion that it was God speaking to them? Many people claimed God spoke to them, wrote their own books which were deemed heretical by some men. So can you educate us what mechanisms were used to ascertain those that God spoke through man and those that were not?

frosbel:


You are missing the point. The bible is not inerrant and does indeed contain contradictions and errors which have resulted in many myths being preached such as eternal torment, trinity etc.

Being dogmatic in the face of glaring evidence is what puts off a host of intelligent people from coming to a knowledge of the truth.

You can keep yours personal but there are many out there seeking for the truth. How do you tackle the bible contradictions with these truth seekers and new believers , or do you just tell them to believe by faith ?

Alishachris:
First i have to ask, are you a christian? in case you do not know, we christian BELIEVE that the bible is the Word of God, inspired by God and not adulterated. You see, it's all about believes and faith bro. Not religion. Peace.

frosbel:


You are missing the point. The bible is not inerrant and does indeed contain contradictions and errors which have resulted in many myths being preached such as eternal torment, trinity etc.

Being dogmatic in the face of glaring evidence is what puts off a host of intelligent people from coming to a knowledge of the truth.

You can keep yours personal but there are many out there seeking for the truth. How do you tackle the bible contradictions with these truth seekers and new believers , or do you just tell them to believe by faith ?

Alishachris:

Then tell them the truth as it is in the bible. Tell the the GOOD NEWS! That Jesus came and died for their sins. So now they are FREE and not to be condemned any longer. Get them to profess Christ as their personal Lord and savior. If possible, get them baptized and pray for them so that the Holy spirit can descend on them. Then Give them a bible and allow the spirit to do the rest. As long as they study with an open and unbiased mind, the truth would be revealed to them. No matter how much we differ in our man made enclaves called religion, at least we all believe the GOOD NEWS!

sarutobie:
^this here answers the op..apostle paul encouraged us to study the scriptures to see if the things being said were true..the bible encourages us to seek the truth in all things (including the scriptures).."for ye shall know the truth, and it shall set you free"

frosbel:

What is the truth ? Is it the rccg truth , or the catholic truth, or the mountain of fire truth, or the deeper life truth, or the Methodist truth, which one Sir ?

There are clearly issues with your gospel above ;

1. Suppose these new converts find contradictions in the truth, how do you explain this to them ?
2. If all we need to do is give them bibles to get on with it, why do we need teachers in the church ?
3. Your version of the good news is at odds with the gospel Jesus preached. In fact Jesus preached the good news even before his death , burial and resurrection. What do you understand by the good news ?
4. How do you explain to new converts that God will roast them in an eternal furnace for billions and billions of years simply for making one small mistake.
5. How do you explain to Muslims that God is 3 people yet still one person ?


You see brother, it is this dogmatic and arrogant adherence to untenable doctrinal positions that pushes people away from the truth.

On a Warmer note, I do agree that a diligent seeker will indeed find God if and when he/she seeks for him in humility, reasoning, wisdom and an element of logical faith.

AdeniyiA: Examining or questioning the Bible using human knowledge or understanding only further aggravate our non spirituality nd makes us manipulatable by d devil.
Some are confused because their brains tell them that some Bible passages are contradictory. Romans 8:6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
Most passages of the Bible are written in/wt proverbs,such that the spiritual interpretation of one verse could give you a 500page book...

Goshen360:

1. What does it mean to be spiritual or give spiritual interpretation?
2. What does it mean to be spiritually minded vs carnally minded?

AdeniyiA:
Having spiritual insights nd divine revelations. Not to be controlled by flesh or feelings. Not to wholly depend on our own interpretations of the Bible knowing that they have or there are limitations.
Knowing that the spiritual controls the physical, that whatever happens in the physical is a manifestation of wat had already taken place in the spirit.

Goshen360:

How did you arrive at those meanings or interpretations please?