We are at Leadership FCA camp and I have over 400 kids coming in on Thursday. 200 are from Tennessee. I will be tested. I have my Bama gear ready, and my Bible too.

 

I went to FCA Camp at Black Mountain, North Carolina in the summers of 1981 and 1982. What a great experience!!

I'm gonna raised a few eyebrows at Church. We are gonna have a Deacon election soon. Last year they had the qualifications for a Deacon from the book of Timothy. In the letter they wrote "Must not be Divorced, husband of one wife. In Timothy is doesn't even mention the word Divorce. Thats added by a man from our church and its wrong.

 

If they want to just say..."we rather our deacons had never been Divorced" then I'd be quite, but don't misquote scripture or as scripture says..."do not add anything or take away from this book".

I'm gonna raised a few eyebrows at Church. We are gonna have a Deacon election soon. Last year they had the qualifications for a Deacon from the book of Timothy. In the letter they wrote "Must not be Divorced, husband of one wife. In Timothy is doesn't even mention the word Divorce. Thats added by a man from our church and its wrong.

 

If they want to just say..."we rather our deacons had never been Divorced" then I'd be quite, but don't misquote scripture or as scripture says..."do not add anything or take away from this book".

 

I applaud you Larry for searching the scriptures when it comes to how things should be ran at the church, keep on searching, :thumb:

At church on Wednesday we had a report on the Southern Baptist Convention.

 

The speaker mentioned how some are wondering about some stories from the Old Testament whether they really happened. Adam & Eve, parting of the red Sea, Jonah and the Big Fish, Daniel and the lion's Den, etc. Well I wasn't happy but kept my mouth shut.

 

I thought of the time where there was a certain group who had their Convention here in Louisville and they voted whether Jesus Christ was who he said he was . They voted in favor of Jesus but what stunned me was there was several "no" votes.

 

Man has always tried to put their "think so's" into Religion. I understand interpretation of scriptures and man has the albility to pick, but to actually question the Bible on Basic stories concerns me.

 

Where in scripture do you have "conventions" where men and women discuss issues. We have a list of "ByLaws" we use at church? Where do you find ByLaws in the Bible.

 

Man needs to leave the Bible alone and quit getting together and trying to change things. I speaking of my own kind here.

 

Now there are certain Baptists who are thinking of "speaking in Tongues". Well now they think they can do this all of a sudden? This "gift" has now become to them, but how did that happen? If a person wants to do that he needs to go to a church that does it and not try to change the format of the church. Men "think so's".

 

I hope this isn't out of order Alabama Larry but your post reminded me of a cute little joke and I really wanted to share it.

 

A young 3rd grade girl was in class when here teacher started telling the students that many stories in the Bible just were not true.

 

The teacher said: for example, there is no way Jonah or any other man could live for 3 days in the belly of a fish, a fishes belly just isn't big enough.

 

The young girl raised her hand and said: with all due respect you are wrong, if the Bible said it happened, it happened.

 

The Teacher said: you can't believe everything you read and science says that it would be impossible for this to happen.

 

The little girl said: well, when I get to heaven I will just ask Jonah.

 

The teacher said: what if Jonah went to Hell?

 

The little girl said: then you ask him!!!!!!!! :fire:

I was taught that the bible is a book of FAITH...and that to grow my faith I am to question it....therefore I don't look at the bible as the EXACT truth, but a GUIDE to how to live my life.

RockPride...I'm still thinking on your post. I'll ask one question. Who taught you the Bible is a book of Faith?

Father Kevin Caster RIP

I was taught that the bible is a book of FAITH...and that to grow my faith I am to question it....therefore I don't look at the bible as the EXACT truth, but a GUIDE to how to live my life.

 

I know we have to have FAITH that the Bible is God's word. This is a interesting post and I don't know how to respond to it at this time. I will do a lot of studying and I will also be bringing this up to the people I study the Bible with as well as talking to several preacher that I look to for guidence when I need it. Good post to get me studying.

RockPride, thanks for sharing. Do you know what isn't an "exact truth of the Bible?" There are several passages that we don't do especially in the Old Testament.

^ Not anything crazy per se....BUT, when I feel the need to question somethng, I start with some research...some praying etcetera...and then rely on my faith...

^^^...Me too.

I was taught that the bible is a book of FAITH...and that to grow my faith I am to question it....therefore I don't look at the bible as the EXACT truth, but a GUIDE to how to live my life.

I was taught that the Word of God is trustworthy and accurate. It is one of the few standards of determining right and wrong that goes beyond mere relativity and opinion.

 

I agree that we are to question and to seek. I believe it is possible to "prove" God and His Word in our own lives.

 

I do not agree with those who view the Bible as merely a "rule of thumb."

 

I came across an interesting passage in the Book of Titus that is worth contemplating:

Titus 2:5 To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.

 

By traditional definition, “blasphemy” involves “a contemptuous or profane act, utterance, or writing concerning God or a sacred entity.”

 

If the Bible, which we (Protestants) have been taught is God’s Word, can be blasphemed, apparently it is a sacred entity beyond being merely a good rule book… therefore, perhaps we should accord it greater respect than to suggest it is not accurate?

I was taught that the Word of God is trustworthy and accurate. It is one of the few standards of determining right and wrong that goes beyond mere relativity and opinion.

 

I agree that we are to question and to seek. I believe it is possible to "prove" God and His Word in our own lives.

 

I do not agree with those who view the Bible as merely a "rule of thumb."

 

I came across an interesting passage in the Book of Titus that is worth contemplating:

Titus 2:5 To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.

 

By traditional definition, “blasphemy” involves “a contemptuous or profane act, utterance, or writing concerning God or a sacred entity.”

 

If the Bible, which we (Protestants) have been taught is God’s Word, can be blasphemed, apparently it is a sacred entity beyond being merely a good rule book… therefore, perhaps we should accord it greater respect than to suggest it is not accurate?

 

Why does it have to be LITERAL to be accurate? Jesus' parables were not literal, but they were certainly accurate.

With all the various and contradicting interpretations made of the Scriptures by the different groups (Baptisats, Catholics, Presbyterians, Campbellites, and on and on), could it be said that Christianity, as we have seen it evolve, is not an exact "science"?

 

If it were all clear, we wouldn't have all the confusion. Any thoughts other than that we must accept it all (which varies from church to church) on blind faith?

Why does it have to be LITERAL to be accurate? Jesus' parables were not literal, but they were certainly accurate.

 

 

Now that is a good point.

 

One of the times I most questioned the Bible was when I took a class in college called "Gospel Parallels". It went through Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John and we studied how they tell the same stories in different ways. It was confusing and disturbing to a boy who'd been raised in the theology of "Litteral and Absolute" interpretation.

 

This was also the time when I learned about the concept of Priesthood of the Believer - which says that God speaks to each of us differently... sometimes even when we read the same passage. Sometimes there is even more than one "litteral" interpretation.

 

In the end - I deducted that we have a RELATIONSHIP with God through Christ. The Bible is our guide along the way. He reveals different things to us through His Word at different times in our lives. I think that if we are busy judging the way others interpret what God is saying to them through His Word - we might be focused on the wrong thing. Our own personal relationship needs enough work - and will be enough of a witness that there's little need to evaluate the way God is working through a fellow believer.

 

I know someone is going to ask for specific examples of the Gospel Parallel stuff so I'm going to go see if I kept my notes from that class, if not I'll do some additional research.