Jesus says, I Am He

[Kenny]

As I think I've mentioned before, humans are born with evolved moral tendencies ─ child nurture and protection, dislike of the one who harms, like of fairness and reciprocity, respect for authority, loyalty to the group, and a sense of self-worth through self-denial; and evolution has also provided a conscience and a capacity for empathy.

Yes... I believe it is placed in there by God. For me it is the only logical conclusion.

The rest of human morality is learnt from one's upbringing, culture, education and experience, and covers matters like how to behave towards older and younger, higher or lower authority, male or female, and how to socially acknowledge eg birth, coming of age, marriage and death.

I agree also. Culture et al also teaches (though it can teach wrong things too)

We indeed find slavery, women as property, religious intolerance everywhere ─ not least in the bible. (It annoys Christians, as I know from experience, to point out that the Eucharist is symbolic cannibalism, but it's exactly that.)

I also laugh at that coined statement that people teach as a comeback. Other phrases are "there thousands of churches" and "you can interpret the Bible however you want".

Makes me chuckle.

But always and everywhere, man decides, man devises gods or supernatural beings, man seeks to control luck, fertility, the fortunes of hunting and of war, to understand human bonding, and death and so on.

None of the religions of the world has a real god, a god with objective existence and qualities appropriate to a god, like the power to grant wishes ─ nothing that can be shown to anyone. So (as I've mentioned before) I think religion is the result of some other evolved tendency, perhaps human curiosity which can't rest without answers to luck and death and weather and so on, and perhaps human identity, belonging to a tribe and sharing its language, customs, stories, heroes and beliefs, all of which aid human cooperation, the thing humans achieve with.

Yes... man can devise gods and supernatural being. But I would say there is a real God. Each person decides on their own. I follow the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

There are a lot of stories (made up ones) about Daniel Boone.... but there still in a real Daniel Boone in history.

Outside the debating ring, I have no argument with people who act with decency, respect and inclusion towards others. They're welcome to their beliefs if that's the result.

I appreciate decency and respect. Not sure what "inclusion" means.... if it means "accepting your right to believe what you want to believe" - include me on that.

 

[firedragon]

Not all scholars agree that Jesus actually said he was YHWH. He did say, however, that he was alive

I didnt say he claimed to be YHWH. I dont understand why you brought this up. Also, I doubt any scholar will say that Jesus is YHWH unless he is some apologist who speaks randomly or something because it is against the concept of the trinity, and the NT is written in Greek. YHWH is a proper name, and is not mentioned in the NT.

Anyway that is irrelevant.

 

[Kenny]

Not all scholars agree that Jesus actually said he was YHWH. He did say, however, that he was alive

It does depend on the individual scholars... some scholars say he was a myth. That's why I go by black and white, "And the Word was God".

Jesus cried out to his heavenly Father. Furthermore, whoever Jesus saves from the population prior to his resurrection is in his hands. Remember, Jesus said all authority has been given to him. (Matthew 28)
"Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. 19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Yes... He is the judge and He is our King so we go and make disciples.

 

[Kenny]

"This happened so that the words he had spoken would be fulfilled: "I have not lost one of those you gave me." John 18:9

I believe he was talking about the 11 at this point.

 

[YoursTrue]

I believe he was talking about the 11 at this point.

It was God his heavenly Father who gave them to Jesus.

 

[YoursTrue]

It does depend on the individual scholars... some scholars say he was a myth. That's why I go by black and white, "And the Word was God".



Yes... He is the judge and He is our King so we go and make disciples.

As far as black and white goes, we must must take into context certain things. That it says Jesus was God means he was not God on earth. And taken as written (most Bibles), he (the Word) was with God. Now the question is, what does the word God mean and how is it to be taken.

 

[YoursTrue]

It does depend on the individual scholars... some scholars say he was a myth. That's why I go by black and white, "And the Word was God".



Yes... He is the judge and He is our King so we go and make disciples.

But how do we teach them? What are the guidelines? As Jesus said, "keep following me." John 21:19 - he said this to show by what kind of death he would glorify God. After saying this, Jesus told him, "Keep following me."

 

[Kenny]

It was God his heavenly Father who gave them to Jesus.

Amen!

As far as black and white goes, we must must take into context certain things. That it says Jesus was God means he was not God on earth. And taken as written (most Bibles), he (the Word) was with God. Now the question is, what does the word God mean and how is it to be taken.

Agreed. He was not "God on earth"

But how do we teach them? What are the guidelines? As Jesus said, "keep following me." John 21:19 - he said this to show by what kind of death he would glorify God. After saying this, Jesus told him, "Keep following me."

That would be a long list.

Mark 1:14
Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God,

Teaching them to preach the gospel of the kingdom of God is a good start. But there is much... He spent up to 3 years with the disciples

 

[YoursTrue]

Amen!



Agreed. He was not "God on earth"




That would be a long list.

Mark 1:14
Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God,

Teaching them to preach the gospel of the kingdom of God is a good start. But there is much... He spent up to 3 years with the disciples

Yes, indeed. There are those who claim to be christian but do not follow or obey the guidelines. 1 Corinthians 6 - Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who submit to or perform homosexual acts, 10nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor verbal abusers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.

 

[Kenny]

Yes, indeed. There are those who claim to be christian but do not follow or obey the guidelines. 1 Corinthians 6 - Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who submit to or perform homosexual acts, 10nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor verbal abusers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.

Of course, for them I am sure you are praying over and sharing the Gospel of the Kingdom of God... just like someone shared Jesus with you!

 

[YoursTrue]

Of course, for them I am sure you are praying over and sharing the Gospel of the Kingdom of God... just like someone shared Jesus with you!

Someone knocked on my door. My husband listened first. I didn't want anything to do with them. But I didn't want to get violent with her, although my mind was picturing me taking her by the collar and throwing her and her husband out. So I gave her a few good arguments that I thought would get rid of her. Instead she answered me back in a way I never heard before. It made sense. I studied for two years, through trials and tribulations, questionings, researching, and I decided to become a Christian with those I thought (and still do) are true Christians.

 

[YoursTrue]

Amen!



Agreed. He was not "God on earth"




That would be a long list.

Mark 1:14
Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God,

Teaching them to preach the gospel of the kingdom of God is a good start. But there is much... He spent up to 3 years with the disciples

Yes. The apostles continued after he died. They also foretold a mass apostasy after their deaths. And so ..we see things like the crusades, the inquisition and more.

 

[Kenny]

Someone knocked on my door. My husband listened first. I didn't want anything to do with them. But I didn't want to get violent with her, although my mind was picturing me taking her by the collar and throwing her and her husband out. So I gave her a few good arguments that I thought would get rid of her. Instead she answered me back in a way I never heard before. It made sense. I studied for two years, through trials and tribulations, questionings, researching, and I decided to become a Christian with those I thought (and still do) are true Christians.

So thankful!

I went to somebody's house arriving at 7pm and left at about 1am... they answered all my questions.

 

[Kenny]

Yes. The apostles continued after he died. They also foretold a mass apostasy after their deaths. And so ..we see things like the crusades, the inquisition and more.

Yes... there will be a falling away... but then... Jesus!

 

[metis]

Yes. The apostles continued after he died. They also foretold a mass apostasy after their deaths. And so ..we see things like the crusades, the inquisition and more.

Such matters go all the way to the Apostle's behavior as well as we see in the Gospels. Thus, "apostacy" has been and will always be a problem, and even events in the 2nd and 3rd centuries bore that out as splinter groups emerged en masse. Today, there are roughly 30,000 Christian denominations-- a far cry from being the "one body" that Jesus created and Paul and the Apostles doubled-down on.

 

[YoursTrue]

Such matters go all the way to the Apostle's behavior as well as we see in the Gospels. Thus, "apostacy" has been and will always be a problem, and even events in the 2nd and 3rd centuries bore that out as splinter groups emerged en masse. Today, there are roughly 30,000 Christian denominations-- a far cry from being the "one body" that Jesus created and Paul and the Apostles doubled-down on.

There will be the Millennium or the 1000 year reign of Jesus Christ. Glory be to God.

 

[Truththirst77]

In order to understand this, it is necessary to recognize that salvation comes by means of Jesus, who was given authority by his Father. We know that because, fortunately for us, Jesus said so. The Bible says he had the Father's authority and approval. Otherwise there would be no salvation. So yes, Jehovah is the only one that provides the means for salvation. Now then the question is: what is salvation?

Jesus came to reveal his father who nobody had seen or talked to ever before according to Jesus, the things he taught about his father show that the god who was killing kids and pregnant women, getting the Israelites to commit ethnic cleansing and was threatened death to any who didn’t worship him was not his father. People are worshipping the wrong god, the most high father of Jesus is not Yahweh/jehovah.

 

[metis]

There will be the Millennium or the 1000 year reign of Jesus Christ. Glory be to God.

That depends on one's interpretation, and the early Church did not take it that way because there's no other source.

 

[YoursTrue]

That depends on one's interpretation, and the early Church did not take it that way because there's no other source.

The apostles already spoke. I mean the apostles listed in the scriptures.

 

[metis]

The apostles already spoke. I mean the apostles listed in the scriptures.

There is nothing by the apostles insisting on a literal millennial reign, so the early Church fathers warned that it might not be a literal reference but a figurative one based on the fact that Jesus began his reign when he formed the Church itself, thus mentioning that his Kingdom had started with its creation.