Matthew 10...

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prettylarge said:
This very well could happen. I am not sure though. I am 23 but I do not consider myself a self centered sinner. Nor do I think that I will look back at this time in my life and think that in the future. I am constantly thinking about religion, and I don’t know which direction my study of religion will bring me. I plan on getting a phd in religious studies and do not know what my focus will be on. I haven’t even decided if it will be an eastern or western religion. I like studying the Bible, but only to see how our views of it has changed over the years. I really like Buddhist theology though, and I like the idea of meditation. I guess we will see.
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Ahhhh - You like the eastern ideas and the idea of meditation. Me too.
Would it surprise you to know that there were some great mystics in the Church?
That seven of the 33 Doctors of the Church were considered mystics?

What I see in your journey is, again, some things that parallel my own. Needing to know the real reason for practices and beliefs. Not wanting to get caught up in the ritual and missing the deeper meanings of things. Dose this sound a bit like how you feel?

If it does, I wish to recommend a bood to you that you might find spiriually uplifting on your journey. It is called “The Fulfillment of All Desrire” by Ralph Martin (the link will take you to amazon where you can “peek” inside the book. It is subtitled, "A Guidebook for the Journey to God based on the Wisdom of the Saints. The saints that it refers to are the seven “mystic” doctors of the Church.
This book helped me more than any other book I had read in that it cuts through a lot of “red tape” and teaches one how to grow in Love of God and neighbor which, as you say, is the core teaching of Christ. If you choose to read it, I can fairly guarentee that it will peak your interest in reading more by one or more of the mystics quoted in the book.

This book may not help you understand the mass or the roasary or other devotions or rituals any better but it will help to show you that there is a broad and highly respected “mystical” componenet within the catholic Church already. One need not go to “the east”, or to other religions to find it.

Peace
James
 
JRKH said:
What I see in your journey is, again, some things that parallel my own. Needing to know the real reason for practices and beliefs. Not wanting to get caught up in the ritual and missing the deeper meanings of things. Dose this sound a bit like how you feel?

James
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Yes, that does sound familiar for sure. And I am very interested in meditation, and I think that it can make someone a better Christian. I mean, what do you think Jesus did in the desert while fasting? You try fasting in the desert for a while and tell me that you don’t go into a meditative trance.

Also, I just told my mom to get me that book. Hopefully it is good…the reviews are great so I think I will enjoy it.
 
prettylarge said:
Yes, that does sound familiar for sure. And I am very interested in meditation, and I think that it can make someone a better Christian. I mean, what do you think Jesus did in the desert while fasting? You try fasting in the desert for a while and tell me that you don’t go into a meditative trance.

Also, I just told my mom to get me that book. Hopefully it is good…the reviews are great so I think I will enjoy it.
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It is important to remember though that meditation does not need to be a “trance”. Thinking of God, going to a quiet place and contemplating on God, spending tmie before the Blessed sacrament can all be forms of “meditation”.
This is something that I learned from the book I recommended.

Peace
James
 
prettylarge said:
Hi, I am new to the forums but I would like to ask a question about Matthew 10.

A few things that I read in Matthew 10 do not go along with my beliefs. What do you guys think of these passages?

14And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet.

15Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city.

OK, this does not seem to go along with my view of Jesus. This doesn’t sound peaceful in any way to be honest. Jesus is saying that if someone does not accept his apostles, their whole town will be brutally wiped out? I just don’t get it.
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It’s about the judgment on those who reject the gospel.
28And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
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This is basically saying “fear God” which seems to be the theme of the old testament. I am not a big fan of this belief either. Why fear a benevolent God?
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Don’t forget to include Satan who decieves and tempts souls into sin. He should be resisted.

Do you believe in God’s perfect justice?

Fear = awe and seriousness in the service of God. A holy fear of God is necessary to avoid sin and its consequences.
32Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.
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33But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.
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These verses are quite disturbing to me as well. Did Jesus deny Peter before God? Does this mean that anyone who does not believe in Jesus will go to hell?
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Sometimes I think that certain things in the gospels Jesus perhaps never even said. I mean they were written well after his death, and passages like the ones quoted above make me doubt the gospel’s validity. Either that, or I am not a fan of all of Jesus’ message.
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How do you look at these verses?
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"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit upon his glorious throne, and all the nations will be assembled before him. And he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. (Mat 25:31-33)

Do you have a problem with these verses and the rest of the chapter?
 
Are you really falling for some fad New-agey eastern religion?

Dear, the devil is real and it looks like he’s having a field day with you!
 
ljubim said:
Are you really falling for some fad New-agey eastern religion?

Dear, the devil is real and it looks like he’s having a field day with you!
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Yes, these fad new agey religions that predate Christianity by over 500 years. :rolleyes:
 
prettylarge said:
Yes, these fad new agey religions that predate Christianity by over 500 years. :rolleyes:
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Very true. And the devil predates Christianity by a few millenia as well. Why change a schtick that has worked for over 2500 years?
 
kage_ar said:
Chapter and verse please?
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Romans 14:1-6, “Him that is weak in the faith receive you, but not to doubtful disputations. 2 For one believeth that he may eat all things: another, who is weak, eateth herbs. 3 Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for God has received him. 4 Who are you that judgest another man’s servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yes, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand. 5 One man esteemeth one [feast] day above another: another esteemeth every [feast] day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. 6 He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he does not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks.”
 
prettylarge said:
Romans 14:1-6, “Him that is weak in the faith receive you, but not to doubtful disputations. 2 For one believeth that he may eat all things: another, who is weak, eateth herbs. 3 Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for God has received him. 4 Who are you that judgest another man’s servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yes, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand. 5 One man esteemeth one [feast] day above another: another esteemeth every [feast] day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. 6 He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he does not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks.”
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I am not a biblical historian, but my bible says Paul is addressing the issue of judging the Jews.

My thoughts. The Jews were trying to convert to Christianity but also had trouble letting go of their Jewish customs. Paul seems to be saying not to judge them, let them still follow the Old Law as well as the New Law. The text in bold seems to be referring to that fact that the Jews still wanted to keep certain days holy.

My bible also says: “Paul is tolerant of the Jewish Christians’ reluctance to abandon the ritual prescription of the Law of Moses, while being equally insistent that these shall not be forced on Gentile Christians.”

So, Paul is trying to tell the Jews, it is okay to follow the Old Law, but to the Gentiles, it is okay not to. I do not see him saying to not go to church though. We know the Jews would still be going to the synagogue, but we need to find what Paul (or anyone else) told Gentiles to do.
 
prettylarge said:
Romans 14:1-6, “Him that is weak in the faith receive you, but not to doubtful disputations. 2 For one believeth that he may eat all things: another, who is weak, eateth herbs. 3 Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for God has received him. 4 Who are you that judgest another man’s servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yes, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand. 5 One man esteemeth one [feast] day above another: another esteemeth every [feast] day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. 6 He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he does not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks.”
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Not quite what you said in the earlier post - something that strong believers treat every day the same?

This tells us to regard feast days unto the Lord.

Do you regard feast days unto the Lord as Paul commanded?
 
kage_ar said:
Not quite what you said in the earlier post - something that strong believers treat every day the same?

This tells us to regard feast days unto the Lord.

Do you regard feast days unto the Lord as Paul commanded?
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It is basically saying that if you keep holy the sabbath day, so does Jesus. If you do not keep holy the sabbath day, neither does Jesus.

And the strong believer is implied, because he talks about Christians who still keep the law as weak. Obviously following the sabbath is keeping the law, thus they are weak believers. But Paul says that you should not look down on them or judge them for it.
 
prettylarge said:
It is basically saying that if you keep holy the sabbath day, so does Jesus. If you do not keep holy the sabbath day, neither does Jesus.

And the strong believer is implied, because he talks about Christians who still keep the law as weak. Obviously following the sabbath is keeping the law, thus they are weak believers. But Paul says that you should not look down on them or judge them for it.
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But the Sabbath for Jews was Saturday. The Jews were honoring both Saturday and Sunday in the early Church. Paul never says to Christians to not honor what Christ instituted at the Last Supper, which is why we now go to Church on Sunday.
 
chessmane4e5 said:
But the Sabbath for Jews was Saturday. The Jews were honoring both Saturday and Sunday in the early Church. Paul never says to Christians to not honor what Christ instituted at the Last Supper, which is why we now go to Church on Sunday.
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Paul CLEARLY state that if you hold true to the sabbath, so does Jesus, but if you do not, than neither does Jesus. Basically, if you think the sabbath is important, honor it, but if not, don’t.
 
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