how about this...Jews were worshipping Jesus, who was one of the Trinity when they called God, Yahweh. The same God who sits in judgment offers salvation through Christ.
Prior to the Birth of Jesus, No. For they believed in the coming Messiah. After the Birth of Jesus, ANYONE who who does not believe and proclaim that he is the Son of God, cannot come to the Father and if they worhipped anyone else would be breaking commandment. Jesus believed that he was the Son of God, so no, he was not an idol worshipper. Do you understand now?
No. Jesus said so in NO uncertain terms. "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you know me, you will know my Father also." (Jesus quoted by John 14:6-7)
The Bible indicates that if you know Jesus you know God. It speaks of Jesus being the only way to the Father. Christians vary in their beliefs on how this actually plays out. I think we all know God in some way...we've all experienced some grace at some point...and maybe we can't identify it as God, but it is nonetheless.
I dodn't say that evil wasn't a concept in the Old Testament, or that the snake was evil, but the snake was not Satan, Satan was not Lucifer, and his role as the incarnation of evil/Lord of Hell was a concept that didn;t come about until the turbulent years of early Roman occupation, when most believed that the end was nigh, and when all of thse concepts were finally reduced to one in the N.T. Man, you keep getting me off balance today...again, I don't understand this correlation to our discussion about the Old Testament. And, Max, I seriously was in no way trying to shake your faith. I am surprised that you'd think that.
MacBeth -- "a rose by any other name is still a rose"...the concept of the fall of man and original sin is one understood even by Jewish leaders. Genesis gives the account of the tempter who assisted in driving a wedge between God and man. we can call him the snake...or the serpent...or whatever...but Jesus made perfectly clear that who we talked about in the Old Testament account is "the evil one" he refers to in the Lord's Prayer. remember, Jesus was a Jew...these guys who wrote these accounts and followed him about were Jews, too. i know you're not, MacBeth...that came out wrong...not how I meant it. i'm curious...do you believe in God?? worship?
A) the first topic is too much to get into right now...but I will get you some available documentation about the concept of Satan/Hell, and it's origins. B) Cool. C) I desperately want to believe in something like God. I envy people who do, but I have yet to find peace with any belief system, as hard as I have looked. I think that I believe in something...undefined...but I am aware of my fear of nothingness, and sometimes am afraid that I might be an athiest in denial...but there are other timesw when I am overwhelmed by a sense that there is meaning, that there is something to believe in...
grace is a good thing! there's a great line in the Bible when Jesus approaches a man whose daughter is sick. Jesus asks the man, "Do you believe?" The man response, "I do believe. Help me with my unbelief." i'll pray for you...hope you're ok with that. i really do sincerely believe this stuff. this is really my life. i'm not saying that to be self-righteous...quite the opposite...i know how dark my heart can be...i know my past...all credit for anything good in my life is God's. all credit for any hope i have in salvation is God's. have a great weekend...i have to go home!!
This whole discussion reminds me of a talk I had with soem friends who are also Christian regarding witnessing vs. proving Christianity to people. Christ said to go forth and be a witness for him. He never said "be an attorney for me". A witness tells people how events affected them, while an attorney tries to prove something. Even really good lawyers (MadMax) get off the hook on this one. Have a nice weekend everybody.
Looks like i will kind of have to disagree again. I think by being a witness, you yourself are serving as evidence, through your being and actions. When you just talk, you prove nothing.
yes it does credit jesus with many miracles such as being a child with no father. but it does not agree with the fact that he was gods son. we do believe in moses and jesus as our prophets as is muhammed(pbuh). and also in their teachings (bible/torah). and if there were no refrences to jesus then basically judaisim has the same stand on christianity as it does on islam?
