a lot of interpretation going on there, that is not a literal translation by any means

 

With a resurrected Christ appearing to them, did they see the Kingdom of God?

But he didn't preach hell to try to convert people, he didn't preach hell to the outcasts and the poor, he preached hell to the religious people. People were attracted to Christianity b/c of the hope it contained, not because they were choosing between hell and heaven, again, most of them had not concept of what Hell was - it is not a traditional jewish belief

 

I think Fastbreak in the other thread has proven you wrong on the bolded with the numerous Scriptures that he listed.

I think Fastbreak in the other thread has proven you wrong on the bolded with the numerous Scriptures that he listed.

 

None of which were correct. They were all directed at Religious people or Jesus' disciples

 

When he talked to the woman at the well he didn't talk about hell

 

When he talked to Zacheus he didn't talk about hell

 

When he talked to the woman who touched his robe he didn't talk about hell

 

When he cast out demons he didn't talk about hell

 

When he healed the lepers he didn't talk about hell

With a resurrected Christ appearing to them, did they see the Kingdom of God?

 

No, you are defining the KINGDOM of God as God?

 

It is either - What the world is evolving into as it 'groans'

 

or

 

What our existence will look like when Christ has returned in all his glory to restore creation

Mark 4

The Parable of the Sower

1Again Jesus began to teach by the lake. The crowd that gathered around him was so large that he got into a boat and sat in it out on the lake, while all the people were along the shore at the water's edge. 2He taught them many things by parables, and in his teaching said: 3"Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. 8Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, multiplying thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times."

9Then Jesus said, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear."

 

10When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables. 11He told them, "The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables 12so that,

" 'they may be ever seeing but never perceiving,

and ever hearing but never understanding;

otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!'[a]"

 

13Then Jesus said to them, "Don't you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable? 14The farmer sows the word. 15Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. 16Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. 17But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. 18Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; 19but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. 20Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop—thirty, sixty or even a hundred times what was sown."

 

Is it your assumption that all in the crowd were believers?

 

That doesn't sound totally like the uplifting message he was preaching. A message that some will be left behind as Satan snatches the word from them.

 

Most of his messages are uplifting and are inspirational. And most of our messages, maybe even the lion's share, to unbelievers should be too. But we can't totally neglect the "rest of the story" as Paul Harvey would say.

Mark 4

The Parable of the Sower

1Again Jesus began to teach by the lake. The crowd that gathered around him was so large that he got into a boat and sat in it out on the lake, while all the people were along the shore at the water's edge. 2He taught them many things by parables, and in his teaching said: 3"Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. 8Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, multiplying thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times."

9Then Jesus said, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear."

 

10When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables. 11He told them, "The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables 12so that,

" 'they may be ever seeing but never perceiving,

and ever hearing but never understanding;

otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!'[a]"

 

13Then Jesus said to them, "Don't you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable? 14The farmer sows the word. 15Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. 16Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. 17But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. 18Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; 19but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. 20Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop—thirty, sixty or even a hundred times what was sown."

 

Is it your assumption that all in the crowd were believers?

 

That doesn't sound totally like the uplifting message he was preaching. A message that some will be left behind as Satan snatches the word from them.

 

Most of his messages are uplifting and are inspirational. And most of our messages, maybe even the lion's share, to unbelievers should be too. But we can't totally neglect the "rest of the story" as Paul Harvey would say.

 

 

I don't see it as a story about Hell, but as one about the things that get in the way of the Word.

 

BTW, verse 12 is a tough one isn't it?

I don't see it as a story about Hell, but as one about the things that get in the way of the Word.

 

BTW, verse 12 is a tough one isn't it?

 

There are alot of tough ones in the Bible.

 

Moses and Pharaoh is a tough one. It says that God HARDENED the Pharaoh's heart so he wouldn't listen to Moses. That is a tough one, too.