Commandments by Christ.

[outhouse]

:yes: Definitely. The priests Pharisees and corrupt officials kept God out of reach of the common people. He gave them hope. When he said the Kingdom of God is at hand, he didn't mean a blaze of thunder and lightning from the skies any day now... "at hand"... right here, right now, within your grasp. He used metaphors, parables and allegories just like any teacher today does, but he also spoke plainly and common-sensically. Why people have read so much more into what he said than he actually did is beyond me. It's the reason, imo, why Christianity is what it is today, but should not be. One of my favorite books is The Sermon on the Mount According to Vedanta by Swami Prabhavananda. Swami-ji digs deep into the teachings, but goes so deep into them that he brings out their simplicity.

I dont know what the Swami stated.

But the sermon on the mount was probably a literary creation according to most scholars.

They the authors competed Jesus divinity with that of the Emporer who did speak in front of large crowds in amplitheatres.

Gluke and Gmatthew both place the location in completely different places contradicting each other, not only that Jesus parables were so importanat and profound, you dont ramble them off one after anothe. Each parable was so important they needed to be digested for a bit. Scholars think these are a collection of his parables and gathered over decades.

They loose the beauty if you just repeat one after the other without giving them the importance they deserve.

And on a side note, the parables are different from GLuke to Gmatthew, one rather short, and the other long.

 

[lunamoth]

12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.

John 15

 

[Me Myself]

Ajudge yourself well so you can better judge others.

Forgive those who offend you

Love each other, pray for our enemies

If someone asks something of yu, give him more than what he asked

 

[Blackdog22]

Not at all. For example He commanded the disiples to "go to the other side" of the Sea of Galilee. I don't think He wants all believers to trek to Israel and cross the Sea of Galilee. "Listen" in the context of Revelation seems good though.

What I'm really curious about is for those who expound that as believers we should follow the commandments because Christ said to, is just what commandments did Christ give us that we should follow.

Jesus asks for a lot of things from us. When I was a Christian I was asked too do the following as Jesus commanded.

Thou shalt do no murder - Simple enough.

Thou shalt not commit adultery - Considering even looking at a girl become adultery once Jesus came I can't help but feel no one is going to heaven off this alone.
Thou shalt not steal - Another tough one.

Thou shalt not bear false witness - Simple enough

Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself - I agree with this, but then Jesus says to be prepared to hate your family in his name and your neighbor. I guess no one will pass this til Jesus clarifies further.


Jesus asks that we believe in him - Pretty tough one considering the evidence.

Jesus asks that we sell everything and follow him when asked by a number of people what it takes to get into heaven once they have done everything - Debated heavily in my family. We almost gave it all up and became homeless, but my family kind of just stopped talking about it and ignored it when I brought it up :run:


These are just a few things Jesus asks for. Some Christians I have heard just quote John 3:16 and basically make the argument that Jesus was just wasting his breath when quoting everything else, but id point to the fact that Jesus always made it sound like you needed to only follow this one special commandment and then would go on to establish another commandment that would sound like that was also all you needed to follow. Its confusing and non sensible to me and the thousands of different denominations speak to that fact.

 

[Jainarayan]

So would you consider Matthew 5: 38- 42 commandments, just good advice, or neither?

"38 ¶Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:
39 But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.
40 And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also.
41 And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.
42 Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away."

Here again is a classic textbook case of Jesus's using of metaphoric hyperbole as teaching tools being taken literally by readers. He was promoting a non-violent and non-confrontational way. It's called, in Buddhist terms, "the middle way".

 

[Jainarayan]

Jesus does not give us suggestion or advice, He gives us commands.

And you would worship a God that barks orders like a drill instructor?

 

[Muffled]

"If ye love me, keep my commandments." So said Jesus. Now for those of you who wish to say that it is only the words of Jesus that take pre-eminence, please elucidate for me exactly what are the commandments that Jesus commanded. In His words please.

I don't believe his spoken words as Jesus to be the complete words of Jesus. I consider the old testament to also be His words and commandments and whatever He tells me to do personnally are also His commandments.

 

[Muffled]

And you would worship a God that barks orders like a drill instructor?

A drill instructor takes a person and shapes him into a physical, mental and emotionally strong person. With God the strength is the joy that comes doing His will.

 

[Jainarayan]

I dont know what the Swami stated.

It's a good read, short and fast.

But the sermon on the mount was probably a literary creation according to most scholars.

They the authors competed Jesus divinity with that of the Emporer who did speak in front of large crowds in amplitheatres.

That's OK, even in fiction there's a lot of wisdom. Just read Tolkien. Whoever wrote what Jesus is alleged to have said wrote some pretty good things. If we add some basic Buddhist teachings and some Bhagavad Gita we'd have a recipe for a pretty decent world. The three teachings have a great deal of overlapping. No surprise fo rme though, because trade and travel, ideas and language over the 3,000 or so miles between the Middle East, South Asia and East Asia were going on for centuries.

 

[Jainarayan]

A drill instructor takes a person and shapes him into a physical, mental and emotionally strong person. With God the strength is the joy that comes doing His will.

My point exactly.

 

[Meshak]

12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.

John 15

And Jesus explained how to love in great details.

 

[outhouse]

It's a good read, short and fast.



That's OK, even in fiction there's a lot of wisdom. Just read Tolkien. Whoever wrote what Jesus is alleged to have said wrote some pretty good things. If we add some basic Buddhist teachings and some Bhagavad Gita we'd have a recipe for a pretty decent world. The three teachings have a great deal of overlapping. No surprise fo rme though, because trade and travel, ideas and language over the 3,000 or so miles between the Middle East, South Asia and East Asia were going on for centuries.

It wasnt fiction, just a collection of what I personally believe as some of his real sayings.

I think the authors just compiled and placed then all in one group.

 

[sandy whitelinger]

How do you know that these are Jesus' words? please

Well duh! They're highlighted in RED!

 

[sandy whitelinger]

Sure, he was a Jew after all, raised in the Jewish tradition and speaking to fellow Jews. He certainly knew Mosaic Law.

So when He said to keep "my" commandments He meant the Law?

 

[sandy whitelinger]

Wouldn't this be his way of saying to keep Moses' law? Therefore making the keeping of Moses' law a commandment?

No, I think He should have been specific and said "If you love me , keep the Law."

 

[outhouse]

No, i think He should have been specific and said "If you love me , keep the Law."

except Sandy, Judaism in the first century was wide and diverse with different adherance to laws.

Galilean Jews tended to be more strict at adhering to traditional laws, then say the more Hellenistic sects.

 

[sandy whitelinger]

Would you consider Matthew 5: 38- 42 commandments, just good advice, or neither?

"38 ¶Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:
39 But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.
40 And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also.
41 And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.
42 Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away."

I always liked the admonition from John 2:5, "...Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it."

 

[sandy whitelinger]

Jesus asks for a lot of things from us. When I was a Christian I was asked too do the following as Jesus commanded.

Thou shalt do no murder - Simple enough.

Thou shalt not commit adultery - Considering even looking at a girl become adultery once Jesus came I can't help but feel no one is going to heaven off this alone.
Thou shalt not steal - Another tough one.

Thou shalt not bear false witness - Simple enough

Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself - I agree with this, but then Jesus says to be prepared to hate your family in his name and your neighbor. I guess no one will pass this til Jesus clarifies further.


Jesus asks that we believe in him - Pretty tough one considering the evidence.

Jesus asks that we sell everything and follow him when asked by a number of people what it takes to get into heaven once they have done everything - Debated heavily in my family. We almost gave it all up and became homeless, but my family kind of just stopped talking about it and ignored it when I brought it up :run:


These are just a few things Jesus asks for. Some Christians I have heard just quote John 3:16 and basically make the argument that Jesus was just wasting his breath when quoting everything else, but id point to the fact that Jesus always made it sound like you needed to only follow this one special commandment and then would go on to establish another commandment that would sound like that was also all you needed to follow. Its confusing and non sensible to me and the thousands of different denominations speak to that fact.

How about a verse where He commands these things.

 

[sandy whitelinger]

1Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: 2“The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. 3So you must obey them and do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. 4They tie up heavy loads and put them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.
5“Everything they do is done for men to see: They make their phylacteriesa wide and the tassels on their garments long; 6they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; 7they love to be greeted in the marketplaces and to have men call them ‘Rabbi.’
8“But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have only one Master and you are all brothers. 9And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. 10Nor are you to be called ‘teacher,’ for you have one Teacher, the Christ.b 11The greatest among you will be your servant. 12For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

Wasn't His audience Jewish?

 

[sandy whitelinger]

Here again is a classic textbook case of Jesus's using of metaphoric hyperbole as teaching tools being taken literally by readers. He was promoting a non-violent and non-confrontational way. It's called, in Buddhist terms, "the middle way".

So much for taking the Bible literally.