Bible-believers: What are your thoughts on this passage?

[McBell]

I kind of had the same reaction, though. I mean, what does "bible-believer" mean? I answered the question anyway; I believe the bible exists and it has been a source of spiritual authority for me.

The term "Bible believer" is a phrase used by a small group of independent, fundamental Baptists to designate their absolute belief in the innerancy and perfection of "ONE" bible. This bible is the Authorized Version of 1611, better known as the King James Version. ...
Biblical literalism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[McBell]

The title of the thread is vague. If you're cool with vagueries, yippity-do.


The title implies that 'bible believing' is associated with all around adherence, does it not? That seems pretty obvious, dude.

Please see post #21

 

[sojourner]

The term "Bible believer" is a phrase used by a small group of independent, fundamental Baptists to designate their absolute belief in the innerancy and perfection of "ONE" bible. This bible is the Authorized Version of 1611, better known as the King James Version. ...
Biblical literalism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Well... that leaves me out. I don't believe the biblical texts are inerrant or perfect. And I don't want to be associated here with independent, fundamental Baptists -- or Christians, for that matter.

 

[Mr. Ofo Oao]

People do like blood. Don't they? If I went for my scholorship I'd have to think like them now. Wouldn't I?

If you are in HELL I don't know what you'd have to do LOL.

 

[Mr. Ofo Oao]

Jehovah’s prophet Elisha was bald. After he had succeeded to the prophetic office of Elijah, he was proceeding uphill from Jericho toward Bethel when he was mocked by a mob of children who cried: “Go up, you baldhead! Go up, you baldhead!” The primary reason for their jeers seems to have been not that Elisha was bald but that they saw a bald man wearing Elijah’s familiar official garment. They did not want any successor of Elijah around. He should either keep going his way up to Bethel or ascend in a windstorm to the heavens as the former wearer of that official garment had done. (2Ki 2:11) To answer this challenge of his being Elijah’s successor and to teach these young people and their parents proper respect for Jehovah’s prophet, Elisha called down evil upon the jeering mob in the name of the God of Elijah. It was a test of his prophetship. Jehovah manifested his approval of Elisha by causing two she-bears to come out of the nearby woods and to tear to pieces 42 of them.—2Ki 2:23, 24.

Baldness — Watchtower ONLINE LIBRARY

Are you just making things up?

 

[Mr. Ofo Oao]

By "Bible-believers" I meant all people who believe in the Bible.

 

[Mr. Ofo Oao]

Golly gee - no one has ever asked that one before. Thank God for bible-bashers. :yes:

Hi,

I wouldn't classify myself as a "Bible-basher." I was just asking a question. I respect everyone's right to believe what they believe and I attack no one on the basis of religion.

For the record I am an agnostic if agnostic means one who does not believe or disbelieve that there is something that should be worshiped (a "God".)

 

[Desert Snake]

Please see post #21

I shouldn't have answered the OP then, I'm not even baptized.

 

[Mr. Ofo Oao]

And note the editorialWhat a sad and vapid little polemic.

I respect your right to your opinion but the story doesn't sound like it represents a good God/religion to me, but then again who am I?...

 

[Mr. Ofo Oao]

The term "Bible believer" is a phrase used by a small group of independent, fundamental Baptists to designate their absolute belief in the innerancy and perfection of "ONE" bible. This bible is the Authorized Version of 1611, better known as the King James Version. ...
Biblical literalism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Hi,

I don't know anything about how others use the term "Bible-believer." I just meant all people who believe in the Bible.

But getting back to the subject, 2 Kings 2:22-25 just sounds bad to me, not that I am anyone special.

Peace.

 

[sojourner]

By "Bible-believers" I meant all people who believe in the Bible.

What does that mean -- "believe in the bible?" Believe in the bible as what? To do what?

 

[Mr. Ofo Oao]

What does that mean -- "believe in the bible?" Believe in the bible as what? To do what?

Lol I meant people who religiously believe in the Bible.

 

[CMike]

Hi,

I wanted to ask Bible-believers, what are their thoughts on this passage from the Bible. The passage is 2 Kings 2:22-25; in the passage the prophet Elisha allegedly cursed and caused the death of 42 "little children." It seems to me that a prophet of a deity that should be worshiped would be able to tolerate little children mocking him without cursing them and causing them to be killed by a wild animal, but Bible-believers what are your thoughts on the passage?:

"(22)So the waters were healed unto this day, according to the saying of Elisha which he spake. (23)And he went up from thence unto Bethel: and as he was going up by the way, there came forth little children out of the city, and mocked him, and said unto him, Go up, thou bald head; go up, thou bald head. (24)And he turned back, and looked on them, and cursed them in the name of the Lord. And there came forth two she bears out of the wood, and tare forty and two children of them. (25)And he went from thence to mount Carmel, and from thence he returned to Samaria."

וּנְעָרִים קְטַנִּים=empty persons

It's referring to people empty of commandments.

Below is the rashi clarification.

Melachim II - Chapter 2 - Tanakh Online - Torah - Bible

and some little boys: Heb. וּנְעָרִים, people empty [of any observance of commandments].Go away, baldy: Go away from here, for you have made the place bald for us, for until now we would hire ourselves out to bring sweet water from a distance, and we would earn our livelihood thereby. And when the water became sweet, they lost their livelihood. Thus it is explained in Sotah (46b).

Next passage

24. And he turned around and saw them, and he cursed them in the name of God. And two she-bears came out of the forest and tore apart forty-two boys of them.

and saw them: He saw that neither in them nor in their descendants would there be any ‘sap’ of good deeds.

 

[Nada]

Are you just making things up?

No.Im not.

 

[Desert Snake]

Don't know if I qualify as a "bible-believer"; I am spiritual. But my answer is that there are layers of meaning here that require close interpretation based upon an exegetical treatment of the text. It's insufficient to simply dismiss the passage as "wrong" or "disgusting." We need to discover what the boys, the bears, the baldness, etc. all symbolize before passing summary judgment on the text.

Yep, this is how I see it as well. Two same opinions make a truth here, methinks.

 

[Mr. Ofo Oao]

וּנְעָרִים קְטַנִּים=empty persons

It's referring to people empty of commandments.

Below is the rashi clarification.

Melachim II - Chapter 2 - Tanakh Online - Torah - Bible

and some little boys: Heb. וּנְעָרִים, people empty [of any observance of commandments].Go away, baldy: Go away from here, for you have made the place bald for us, for until now we would hire ourselves out to bring sweet water from a distance, and we would earn our livelihood thereby. And when the water became sweet, they lost their livelihood. Thus it is explained in Sotah (46b).

Next passage

24. And he turned around and saw them, and he cursed them in the name of God. And two she-bears came out of the forest and tore apart forty-two boys of them.

and saw them: He saw that neither in them nor in their descendants would there be any ‘sap’ of good deeds.

I find that commentaries aren't always trustworthy as they are debated...the fact man is that this "prophet" cursed some little children & caused their death at the hands of wild animals all because they mocked him. That doesn't sound very good for Judeo-Christianity to me.

Peace.

 

[CMike]

It's not our fault that you don't want to take the time to understand the passages.

I gave you the translation, and what it's referring to.

 

[Mr. Ofo Oao]

No.Im not.

Peace,

That's another thing that I don't like about Christianity sometimes. There is sometimes a tendency to add to the text. The text says nothing about the CHILDREN not liking Elisha's wearing Elijah's mantle. Anyone can make up anything about what seems to have happened. I'm more interested in what the text says.

The text says that 42 CHILDREN were killed by wild animals for mocking a prophet. That just doesn't seem right to me.

 

[Nada]

Peace,

That's another thing that I don't like about Christianity sometimes. There is sometimes a tendency to add to the text. The text says nothing about the CHILDREN not liking Elisha's wearing Elijah's mantle. Anyone can make up anything about what seems to have happened. I'm more interested in what the text says.

The text says that 42 CHILDREN were killed by wild animals for mocking a prophet. That just doesn't seem right to me.

Well if you notice in the text,the children are disrespecting one of Gods prophets.These children know that Elisha represents God because Elisha is wearing the official garment that was only worn by Elijah.These children are not only calling him baldhead but they are telling Elisha to" go up." They are referring to what happened to Elijah.Elijah was taken up.These children are reflecting the attitudes of their parents.They did not want Elijah around and so they did not also want Elisha around.

When Elijah was taken up,his official garment fell to the ground and was left for Elisha.Elisha then took this official garment that only Elijah wore,and was recognized by people as a true prophet and representative of God because of this.If you read the entire passage you will see this to be true.

11*As they were walking along, speaking as they walked, suddenly a fiery chariot and fiery horses made a separation between the two of them, and E·li´jah ascended to the heavens in the windstorm. 12*While E·li´sha was watching, he was crying out: “My father, my father! The chariot of Israel and his horsemen!” When he could no longer see him, he took hold of his own garments and ripped them into two pieces. 13*After that he picked up the official garment of E·li´jah that had fallen off him and went back and stood by the bank of the Jordan. 14*Then he took the official garment of E·li´jah that had fallen off him and struck the waters and said: “Where is Jehovah, the God of E·li´jah?” When he struck the waters, they were divided to the left and to the right, so that E·li´sha went across.

15*When the sons of the prophets at Jer´i·cho saw him from a distance, they said: “The spirit of E·li´jah has settled down on E·li´sha.” So they went to meet him and bowed down to the ground before him.


So, Elisha wore the official garment of Elijah and was recognized as Gods prophet.Thats is why the children who saw the bald Elisha wearing the official garment knew that he represented Jehovah God.Because of the disrespect by the kids toward Elisha,God allowed for these children to be killed.These children knew that Elisha represented God because of the official garment.That is why they told Elisha "go up",just like what had happened to Elijah.These kids did not want Elisha around.

 

[Mr. Ofo Oao]

Well if you notice in the text,the children are disrespecting one of Gods prophets.These children know that Elisha represents God because Elisha is wearing the official garment that was only worn by Elijah.These children are not only calling him baldhead but they are telling Elisha to" go up." They are referring to what happened to Elijah.Elijah was taken up.These children are reflecting the attitudes of their parents.They did not want Elijah around and so they did not also want Elisha around.

When Elijah was taken up,his official garment fell to the ground and was left for Elisha.Elisha then took this official garment that only Elijah wore,and was recognized by people as a true prophet and representative of God because of this.If you read the entire passage you will see this to be true.

11*As they were walking along, speaking as they walked, suddenly a fiery chariot and fiery horses made a separation between the two of them, and E·li´jah ascended to the heavens in the windstorm. 12*While E·li´sha was watching, he was crying out: “My father, my father! The chariot of Israel and his horsemen!” When he could no longer see him, he took hold of his own garments and ripped them into two pieces. 13*After that he picked up the official garment of E·li´jah that had fallen off him and went back and stood by the bank of the Jordan. 14*Then he took the official garment of E·li´jah that had fallen off him and struck the waters and said: “Where is Jehovah, the God of E·li´jah?” When he struck the waters, they were divided to the left and to the right, so that E·li´sha went across.

15*When the sons of the prophets at Jer´i·cho saw him from a distance, they said: “The spirit of E·li´jah has settled down on E·li´sha.” So they went to meet him and bowed down to the ground before him.


So, Elisha wore the official garment of Elijah and was recognized as Gods prophet.Thats is why the children who saw the bald Elisha wearing the official garment knew that he represented Jehovah God.Because of this disrespect,God allowed for these children to be killed.These children knew that Elisha represented God because of the official garment.That is why they told Elisha "go up",just like what had happened to Elijah.These kids did not want Elisha around.

I hear what you are saying but they were still "little children." How responsible are little children for themselves that they should be put to death for mocking a prophet?