Did Jesus preach the "bad news" or the "good news"?

[9-10ths_Penguin]

To them, it has to be false because if God existed then they would have gotten the life they want instead of the life they have. God and Jesus are supposed to be about "them".

Not at all.

For me, I think that the message is that no matter how bad things are now, we should be content knowing that God will make everything right. I think that this can kill empathy: after all, what reason could there possibly be to help somebody if the most capable entity in the universe has already said that he'd take care of it?

I think a good example of how harmful this can be is Mother Teresa: out of (austensibly) a desire to help the poor, she created a hospital where very few people actually got treated for their ailments - it was just a cleaner place to die. And it wasn't for lack of resources, either; she got massive donations, but she'd divert them to building her network of convents. And her patients wouldn't even receive normal painkillers, because of her misguided (but entirely Biblical) ideas that the suffering of the poor would gain them reward in Heaven.

In a very real sense, when the Gospel is put into action, people are harmed. If this was outweighed by some greater benefit, then I could understand, but any such benefit relies on the Gospels being based in truth... but I've never seen any reason to think they are.

Look at it this way: say you're at the scene of an emergency and someone shouts "don't worry! Help is on the way - an ambulance will be here soon!" If help is actually coming, great. But if it's not, and if the ambulance isn't coming but people will rely on the idea that it is, then the person who said it was coming has perpetrated a horrible, harmful act. If he knew that what he said was false - or even if he didn't know this but didn't have good reason to believe that what he said was true - then he's done something shameful and, IMO, evil.

And on a side note, I sometimes listen to the Christian radio station near here. They have a commercial that always leaves me scratching my head: it's for a "Christian financial planner" who says that he bases his approach on "Biblical principles." Whenever I hear his ad, my mind leaps to that passage quoted in the OP and I wonder how he could reconcile a profession where worrying about the future is the whole raison d'etre with a teaching that says, basically "don't worry about the future at all." Those two things seem fundamentally opposed to me.

 

[waitasec]

To them, it has to be false because if God existed then they would have gotten the life they want instead of the life they have. God and Jesus are supposed to be about "them".

huh???

isn't it about those who believe....

 

[roberto]

Did Jesus preach the "bad news" or the "good news"?

Good and bad :

Luk 19:27 However, as for these enemies of mine who did not want me to be their king, bring them here and execute them in my presence!'"

 

[Road Warrior]

I can't figure out why people get so hostile toward the Gospel message. It seems like people delight in trying to prove it false.

It's not the Gospel message which seems to upset people the most, but what came after Jesus and what people do in the name of Jesus.

Take civil rights, gay marriage, abortion and other controversial topics. Most, if not all, of the Biblical quotes used to be against those things weren't in the message of Jesus, but either listed in the OT or written by Paul. IMHO, Paul focused far too much on asceticism, a common practice in those days, and not enough on the Gospel as Jesus spoke it.

 

[Road Warrior]

Did Jesus preach the "bad news" or the "good news"?

Good and bad :

Luk 19:27 However, as for these enemies of mine who did not want me to be their king, bring them here and execute them in my presence!'"

In context, its good as most of Jesus' parables are. Here is a fuller understanding of the parable you partially quoted: Parable of the talents or minas - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Note the intimation about Herod Archelaus. Jesus wasn't simply an activist Rabbi, he was also a political leader. Obviously in a land where speaking against the Romans or the King could result in execution (which, when you think about it is exactly what happened), one had to speak in parables when complaining about the existing government.

 

[roberto]

In context, its good as most of Jesus' parables are. Here is a fuller understanding of the parable you partially quoted: Parable of the talents or minas - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"...With regard to the proper understanding of the Hebrew Scriptures in their proper context, including the "New Testament" books, there are in fact "levels" of interpretation that must be taken into consideration. This was the method used to write and interpret Scripture by the authors themselves as well as the audience of their time and culture.
P'shat (pronounced peh-shaht' - meaning "simple")
Remez (pronounced reh-mez' - meaning "hint")
D’rash (pronounced deh-rahsh' also called "Midrash," meaning "concept")
Sud (pronounced either sawd, or sood [like "wood"] - meaning "hidden")...."
PARDES levels of Biblical interpretation

Have you heard/read of Messiah ben Joseph (משיח בן יוס&#1507 and Mashiach ben David (מָשִׁיחַ בֶּן־דָוִ&#1491

Then apply the parable to them, using The Sud level and see what it then means.

 

[Road Warrior]

Sorry, but I don't have the time. Feel free to explain it if you like.

 

[URAVIP2ME]

jesus preached the coming kingdom of god, Many think they thought the end of the world was at hand, and you only have a short time to save yourself before your soul would burn in hell forever.
the end was coming.

'Coming' but Not instantly or immediately according to Luke 19 vs 11-15

Jesus never taught a non-biblical teaching of burn in hell forever pagan myth.
Jesus taught the dead sleep. -John 11 vs 11-14

Revelation [1 v 18] mentions Jesus has the keys to unlock hell.
What would be the point of having keys if one could not get out of hell ?

Revelation [20 vs 13,14] mentions that once hell is vacant, then 'emptied-out hell' is then cast into a symbolic 'second death'.

Satan too ends up in 'second death' - Rev. 21 v 8
Satan is destroyed by Jesus.-Hebrews 2 v 14 B
So, 'second death' is a fitting symbol of being destroyed forever.
All wicked ones will be destroyed forever.-Psalm 92 v 7

 

[URAVIP2ME]

Did Jesus preach the "bad news" or the "good news"?
Good and bad :
Luke 19:27 However, as for these enemies of mine who did not want me to be their king, bring them here and execute them in my presence!'"

Jesus preached the good news of God's kingdom according to Luke 4 v 43.

Jesus gave his followers the same commission to preach and teach the good news of God's kingdom.- Matthew 24 v 14.

The 'good news' is for all. - Ezekiel 3 vs 18-21
But not all will accept Jesus as sovereign.
That is why Matthew [20 v 28] could write Jesus ransom covers MANY not all.
Not everyone because although having the opportunity to repent won't repent.
-2nd Peter 3 v 9.

Armageddon is for the destruction of the wicked to be destroyed forever.
-Psalm 92 v 7; Isaiah 11 vs 3,4; Rev. 19 vs 11,15

It would be bad news if the wicked would be allowed to harm the righteous.
-Psalm 72 v 14

 

[roberto]

Jesus preached the good news of God's kingdom according to Luke 4 v 43.

Jesus gave his followers the same commission to preach and teach the good news of God's kingdom.- Matthew 24 v 14.

Quite so.

I have not found any Christian wanting to go to the coming Kingdom in Israel and to be ruled by a Jewish Messiah for a thousand years though.

Christians seem to be expecting a Greek guy name Iesus/jesus.

So with my reasoning , that which the Messiah Yeshua preached is bad news for Christians, not so?
.

 

[InformedIgnorance]

Jesus most certainly preached a great many wonderful things - at least according to all reputable records.

He did also however preach some not so wonderful things, such as upholding ancient customary punishments encoded in the OT, such as killing children who disobeyed their parents.

However, the 'news' was generally 'good', while the 'bad' was generally not really 'new,' but it WAS 'newly' reinforced.

 

[roberto]

Jesus most certainly preached a great many wonderful things - at least according to all reputable records.

He did also however preach some not so wonderful things, such as upholding ancient customary punishments encoded in the OT, such as killing children who disobeyed their parents.

However, the 'news' was generally 'good', while the 'bad' was generally not really 'new,' but it WAS 'newly' reinforced.

I stand amased when Christians speak about the cruel G_d of the Jews.

It clearly shows their ignorense of the scriptures do you not think?

 

[InformedIgnorance]

I believe that such an understanding is not just unfounded but also self defeating from a Christian perspective, since the Christian G_d comes from the Jewish G_d, to attempt to consider one 'cruel' yet the other 'kind' merely emphasises the lack of awareness of the nature and accounts of their G_d; for a Christian to maintain that the Jewish G_d is cruel is to say that their own G_d is cruel... to suggest that such a claim is not so (that their own G_d is kind yet the Jewish G_d was cruel) is to say that either it is a different G_d or that G_d changed for some reason

 

[roberto]

....is to say that either it is a different G_d or that G_d changed for some reason

After 40 years in the "church" I have come to realise exacly that .

 

[URAVIP2ME]

Jesus most certainly preached a great many wonderful things - at least according to all reputable records.
He did also however preach some not so wonderful things, such as upholding ancient customary punishments encoded in the OT, such as killing children who disobeyed their parents.
However, the 'news' was generally 'good', while the 'bad' was generally not really 'new,' but it WAS 'newly' reinforced.

The killing of children is Not talking about 'minor' children.
Deuteronomy [21 vs 20,21] is talking about mature 'adult' sons that are gluttons and drunkards being brought before the city elders.

Jesus was saying, if you wish to say 'newly' reinforced, would be the 'good news of God's kingdom' now being proclaimed on an international scale to encompass the whole world in our day or time frame. - Matthew 24 v 14.

Good news that 'God's kingdom' will replace all earth's kingdoms that are against his kingdom in the hands of Christ Jesus.- Daniel 2 v 44; 7 vs 13,14.

 

[Road Warrior]

I stand amased when Christians speak about the cruel G_d of the Jews.

It clearly shows their ignorense of the scriptures do you not think?

Yes it does. Are you just as amazed at the ignorance shown when Jews and Muslims complain about each others God?

 

[roberto]

..... that are against his kingdom in the hands of Christ Jesus.- Daniel 2 v 44; 7 vs 13,14.

OOps, ...the Jewish Kingdom in the hands of a Greek guy ?

Oy vey !

 

[roberto]

Yes it does. Are you just as amazed at the ignorance shown when Jews and Muslims complain about each others God?

I see no such thing with Obammer and Netenjahu although I have read that Ntyhu might be part of the `Erev Rav

And bye the way, the musselments have a moonish god don't they?

 

[InformedIgnorance]

The killing of children is Not talking about 'minor' children.
Deuteronomy [21 vs 20,21] is talking about mature 'adult' sons that are gluttons and drunkards being brought before the city elders.

Jesus was saying, if you wish to say 'newly' reinforced, would be the 'good news of God's kingdom' now being proclaimed on an international scale to encompass the whole world in our day or time frame. - Matthew 24 v 14.

Good news that 'God's kingdom' will replace all earth's kingdoms that are against his kingdom in the hands of Christ Jesus.- Daniel 2 v 44; 7 vs 13,14.

So you think the problem I saw (the reason i said some was less than wonderful) was with their age? Or with the fact that they like to eat or drink?

No.

The problem I had with it was an issue of approving of the traditional empowering of illegitimate authorities (such as many parents or elders) to enact harsh penalties on undeserving people (people who have done nothing to warrant such a severe penalty).

 

[Road Warrior]

I see no such thing with Obammer and Netenjahu although I have read that Ntyhu might be part of the `Erev Rav

And bye the way, the mussements have a moonish god don't they?

??? Have you been reading Lewis Carol?

Spoiler: Jabberwocky

JABBERWOCKY
Lewis Carroll
(from Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There, 1872)

`Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.

"Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
The frumious Bandersnatch!"
He took his vorpal sword in hand:
Long time the manxome foe he sought --
So rested he by the Tumtum tree,
And stood awhile in thought.
And, as in uffish thought he stood,
The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,
Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,
And burbled as it came!
One, two! One, two! And through and through
The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with its head
He went galumphing back.
"And, has thou slain the Jabberwock?
Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!'
He chortled in his joy.

`Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.