Old or new testament

[Faithofchristian]

An alien isn't an enemy. The old t says plenty about punishing enemies.

But the question is, how does a person love their enemies?

 

[RESOLUTION]

In my opinion, christians should follow the words of Jesus alone. The Old testament is old and is good for history only. The new testament is what really matters. The apostles said things too but they are not gods like jesus. When it comes to christians, we should count Jesus' words above all. So when we say the bible has contradictions we ask ourselves what did Jesus say?

The Old Testament or the New Testament carry no weight on their own.
If the Old Testament does not teach it, how do you know how to recognise the Messiah?

Jesus taught that if you love him your would obey his commandments.. Love God with all your heart and your neighbour as yourself.
The Old Testament confirms this teaching that loving God and your neighbour obeying his laws brings the same.

God is the true living being not created or made but the true and only immortal of his type. according to the OT.

You cannot dismiss God as Sovereign and Christ as the Son. The OT and the NT does not put Christ above God or as God.
It is clear Paul believes when the time comes Christ will place himself back under God and make God Sovereign over all his creation
including Christ,

1 Corinthains 15:28.
And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.

Why so you believe Jesus says:-
Matthew 7:21-23 (KJV)
21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?

23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

Jesus said Love God with ALL YOUR HEART and your neighbour as yourself. How can you do that if you put God and his word last and Christ above him?
It is clearly according to Gods word how we treat God and in doing so how we treat others.

As believers in Christ their comes great powers. But in truth and Spirit there is great love and above all the One True God as LORD and TRUE Saviour having sent Christ to save us.
Christ teachings reflect only the teachings of the Prophets and the a New Covenant born of the Spirit and truth enabling people to love God without fear according to the OT.

 

[syo]

But the question is, how does a person love their enemies?

An enemy is someone who wishes evil. Evil is sickness. A christian understands this and tries to cure his enemies with showing love and praying that they will correct their evil behaviour. A christian knows from Jesus that all people are capable of being good and we shouldn't hate people but by showing love and compassion we try to cure our less caring brothers and sisters.

edit
of course nowadays satan rules and evil is a lifestyle...

 

[pearl]

An alien isn't an enemy.

And that's why I stated 'unique to Jesus'.

 

[Faithofchristian]

An enemy is someone who wishes evil. Evil is sickness. A christian understands this and tries to cure his enemies with showing love and praying that they will correct their evil behaviour. A christian knows from Jesus that all people are capable of being good and we shouldn't hate people but by showing love and compassion we try to cure our less caring brothers and sisters.

edit
of course nowadays satan rules and evil is a lifestyle...

Let's see if I'm getting this right.

You believe to love your enemies, is by loving them.
Ho I see this is why many Christians had their heads cut off by their enemies because Christians was showing love and their enemies showed their love back by cutting off Christians heads.
You really got to be kidding

Well if you believe that be my guess and go right on head and your enemies well definitely be waiting for you.

What it actually means, to love your enemies, is to correct them in the error of their way.
In other words if a enemy came at me, I would definitely pick up a big club and knock them up side their head,
Thereby correcting them in the error of their way real quick.

Your way will definitely get you killed.

 

[rrobs]

In isaiah 49:6 God says that it's too small a thing to just save Israel or build Israel up but his salvation should reach the ends of the earth. As Chief Justice Sandra Day O'cconner used to say "What could be clearer than that?" The goal is salvation reaching the ends of the earth.

and of course that always was the promise back to Abraham since God promised 'to bless every family on earth through Abraham' somehow and God did in Jesus

Yes. Excellent point. Revelation chapters 21 and 22 make it clear that the Gentiles (Nations) will have a place in the Kingdom God promised Israel. That was really no secret. Is mentioned several times in the OT (Genesis to John).

What was a secret was that God would take both Jew and Gentile and make one new man. In this present age of grace as revealed in Acts to Jude, there is in fact no Jew nor Gentile. God created something altogether different, something that did not exist in the OT.

​

Rom 10:12,

For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.
​

Gal 3:28,

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.
​

Eph 2:15,

Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, [even] the law of commandments [contained] in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain (Jew and Gentile - see context) one new man, [so] making peace;​

That is a central part of the mystery (secret) God kept hidden within himself, which was not revealed until it was revealed to the Apostle Paul.

Rom 16:25,

Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began,

​

Eph 3:3-6,

3 How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words,
4 Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ)
5 Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;
6 That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:
​

Verse 6 says that the Gentiles would be part of the same body. While it was certainly no secret in the OT that the Gentiles would "share the bounty" with Israel, there was no indication there would be such a thing as the Body of Christ as spoken of in Paul's letters.

Rom 12:5,

So we, [being] many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.
​

1Cor 12:27,

Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.
​

There are many other references to the body of Christ in Paul's letters. The Israel of the OT and Revelation is called the bride of Christ. Christians are members of the body of Christ.

With Israel, God dwelt in a temple. They had to go to the temple to be with God. With the church of the body we need look no further than inside of ourselves. But now, in this age of grace, God dwells within this Body of Christ. He dwells with all born again believers.

Acts 7:48,

Howbeit the most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands; as saith the prophet,​

Eph 2:22,

In whom ye (born again believers) also are builded together (Jew and Gentile - from context) for an habitation of God through the Spirit.
​

Col 1:27,

To whom God would make known what [is] the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:
​

That is the upshot of the mystery, kept secret until revealed to Paul. God didn't even tell Jesus about the mystery. Ephesians 3:5 is clear that until this present age (after Christ was crucified, raised from the dead, and ascended to the right hand of God) nobody knew the mystery. That would include Jesus. Jesus freely admitted on more than one occasion that his Father knew things that he didn't know himself.

The reason God kept it secret is nothing less than fantastic.

1Cor 2:7-8,

7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, [even] the hidden [wisdom], which God ordained before the world unto our glory:
8 Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known [it], they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
​

The devil made a huge mistake when he had Jesus killed. As long as Jesus lived, he was in one place at one time. There was only one Jesus for the devil to deal with. But, because he did have Jesus killed, God was able to raise him from the dead, thus defeating death for all mankind. That certainly bothered the devil who so loved seeing everybody die. But that is just a small part of the devil's problem once he killed Jesus.

Remember Colossians 1:27? Where does Christ live? In, you, in me, and in every other born again Christian walking the face of this earth. Instead of Jesus being in one place he is now all over the place! Wherever there is a believer, there is Jesus. Furthermore, Jesus said we would do the same works he did, even more than what he did (John 14:12)! How fantastic is that? Had the devil known that by killing Jesus he would end up with millions and millions of Jesus filled Christians walking around performing the same works that one Jesus did, he would not have killed Jesus. That is the upshot of the mystery and that is why God had to keep it to Himself until after the devil made his fatal mistake by killing Jesus. That is the beauty and genius of God's plan, the logos of John 1:1.

By the way, look at the manifestations (usually wrongly called "gifts) of the spirit in 1 Corinthians 12:7-10. With the exception of tongues and interpretation of tongues, are not all the other's exactly what Jesus did? Since Jesus said we would do all he did, shouldn't we all be operating those manifestations? Tongues and interpretation of tongues were not available when Jesus was here (not until Pentecost), so that is why he didn't operate those manifestations. Why there is a debate in the church regarding 1 Corinthians 12 is beyond me. But that is another story for another day.

God bless...

 

[syo]

Let's see if I'm getting this right.

You believe to love your enemies, is by loving them.
Ho I see this is why many Christians had their heads cut off by their enemies because Christians was showing love and their enemies showed their love back by cutting off Christians heads.
You really got to be kidding

Well if you believe that be my guess and go right on head and your enemies well definitely be waiting for you.

What it actually means, to love your enemies, is to correct them in the error of their way.
In other words if a enemy came at me, I would definitely pick up a big club and knock them up side their head,
Thereby correcting them in the error of their way real quick.

Your way will definitely get you killed.

All I'm saying is that enemies are evil people and christians have the obligation to cure them from their evilness. Christians care for all people. they want everyone to follow christ, this means to be good.

 

[Wandering Monk]

Never give a preacher the opportunity of a sermon.

 

[Faithofchristian]

All I'm saying is that enemies are evil people and christians have the obligation to cure them from their evilness. Christians care for all people. they want everyone to follow christ, this means to be good.

That's right, but it doesn't mean to let people walk on you or misuse you either.

Let's see what God has to say about if someone attacks me.

Isaiah 54:17---"No weapon that is formed against you shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against you in judgment you shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord"

What this means is, if someone comes at me to do me harm, then I stand my ground against them and do whatever it may take to bring them down.

It doesn't mean that I stand there while someone beats on me. I stand my ground against them and do whatever it takes to bring them down.

 

[syo]

That's right, but it doesn't mean to let people walk on you or misuse you either.

Let's see what God has to say about if someone attacks me.

Isaiah 54:17---"No weapon that is formed against you shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against you in judgment you shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord"

What this means is, if someone comes at me to do me harm, then I stand my ground against them and do whatever it may take to bring them down.

It doesn't mean that I stand there while someone beats on me. I stand my ground against them and do whatever it takes to bring them down.

I agree.

The first christians acted differently though. They were martyrs. I can't say I agree with martyrdom.