By the way -- if you claim to be a Christian...

[YoursTrue]

Which parts do you consider true? Please be specific.

 

[3rdAngel]

All of it. Unbelief is sin (Romans 14:23)

 

[RestlessSoul]

I consider Christ to be, first and foremost, a great moral teacher. If we all lived or tried to live according to the revolutionary principles expressed in the Sermon on the Mount, the world would be a far better place than it currently is.

 

[Hermit Philosopher]

All of it. Unbelief is sin (Romans 14:23)

“Unbelief” is a sin? That’s an interesting interpretation. Where’d you get that one from? I must have missed it

Humbly,
Hermit

 

[Hermit Philosopher]

All of it. Unbelief is sin (Romans 14:23)

That’s not my take-away from the verse you refer to…

To me, it says that if you do things half heartedly and doubt that you should do them at all, perhaps you should not do them?

It’s about living attentively and true to your faith but it’s not about “unbelief” in general being a sin, is it? That would be strange, I think.

Humbly,
Hermit

 

[Hockeycowboy]

Which parts of what? Do you mean the Bible?

Every bit of it. Some of it requires a symbolic explanation though, while other parts require a literal interpretation.

Being aware of the Bible’s main theme (the vindication of God’s Sovereignty & his name YHWH / Yahweh / Jehovah) and accepting its 66-book-canon in its entirety ( its canon from Genesis to Revelation) helps in seeing its harmony in deciphering which parts are literal and which parts are figurative, i.e., symbolic.

In all honesty though, I didn’t learn this on my own. Rather, I was taught this by Jehovah’s Witnesses. It was then, in my late teens, that I found the Bible to be authentic.

I’ve been a student of it ever since!

IMO

 

[exchemist]

Which parts do you consider true? Please be specific.

Parts of what?

 

[PureX]

The revelation that God's divine spirit of love, forgiveness, kindness and generosity exists within us all, and the promise that if we will allow ourselves to embody that spirit within us, we will be healed and saved from ourselves. And we can help encourage others to do the same.

 

[YoursTrue]

The revelation that God's divine spirit of love, forgiveness, kindness and generosity exists within us all, and the promise that if we will allow ourselves to embody that spirit within us, we will be healed and saved from ourselves. And we can help encourage others to do the same.

But it isn't true. Only faith in Jesus can save us from ourselves, death, and the penalty of sin.

 

[YoursTrue]

Parts of what?

The concept of what is considered by some Christianity. OK, got it?

 

[3rdAngel]

“Unbelief” is a sin? That’s an interesting interpretation. Where’d you get that one from? I must have missed it

From the scripture in the post you are quoting from. Romans 14:23... for whatsoever is not of faith is sin. Faith means to believe and obey Gods Word. Unbelief is not believing and not obeying what Gods Word (the scriptures) say. The scripture does not say "if you do things half heartedly and doubt that you should do them at all, perhaps you should not do them." It says whatsoever is not of faith is sin. We should not try reading things into the scriptures that are not written in them.

Take Care.

 

[YoursTrue]

The revelation that God's divine spirit of love, forgiveness, kindness and generosity exists within us all, and the promise that if we will allow ourselves to embody that spirit within us, we will be healed and saved from ourselves. And we can help encourage others to do the same.

OK, well, allow me to say that there have been many who may go to church and claim a religion that purports to be Christian but say major portions of it are myths, such as: Moses in the wilderness. Any thoughts on that or other sections? I really don't know your beliefs, whether you say you are a Christian or some other religion. So since the theme of the thread is if you are a Christian -- not that I'm opposed to others answering, but mainly it's directed to those who say they are Christian.

 

[Windwalker]

OK, well, allow me to say that there have been many who may go to church and claim a religion that purports to be Christian but say major portions of it are myths, such as: Moses in the wilderness. Any thoughts on that or other sections?

I do. Yes, there are many legitimate Christians who are not literalists and think that everything in the Bible is 100% scientifically and historically accurate. They are still Christian however, because being Christian doesn't have anything to do with believing in biblical inerrancy.

 

[YoursTrue]

I do. Yes, there are many legitimate Christians who are not literalists and think that everything in the Bible is 100% scientifically and historically accurate. They are still Christian however, because being Christian doesn't have anything to do with believing in biblical inerrancy.

There are, of course, illustrations in the Bible. To be a Christian really means to follow Christ as well as learn what the Bible says.

 

[Windwalker]

There are, of course, illustrations in the Bible. To be a Christian really means to follow Christ as well as learn what the Bible says.

What do you mean by illustrations? As far as I know, the only requirement to be a Christian is to follow Jesus. Learning what the Bible says is not a requirement. I don't know anywhere in scripture it makes that a condition of being a Christian. Do you? If so, I'm sure a lot of Christians would be in a lot of trouble, considering how little they actually know what it says.

 

[2ndpillar]

What do you mean by illustrations? As far as I know, the only requirement to be a Christian is to follow Jesus. Learning what the Bible says is not a requirement. I don't know anywhere in scripture it makes that a condition of being a Christian. Do you? If so, I'm sure a lot of Christians would be in a lot of trouble, considering how little they actually know what it says.

I think the message of Yeshua was to heed his message per Matthew 7:24, and to not heed the "message" of the "enemy"/"devil" (Matthew 13:30 & 38-49) which was planted right next to his own message, and the message of the "enemy" will remain growing until the "end of the age". The effort of the Gentile church, the church of Paul, is to make the "Word" made flesh, "obsolete" and "ready to disappear" (Hebrews 8:13).

 

[YoursTrue]

@Windwalker One expression Jesus used helps to understand this at John chapter 4. He was speaking to a woman at a well and told her, “Anyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again; 14 but whoever drinks the water that I will give him shall have no thirst forevermore, but the water that I will give him shall become in him a fountain of gushing water to eternal life.” Of course that was an illustration. What do you think Jesus meant by that?
The Bible also tells us that we should learn about Jesus and his Father. Just like we were going to school, it is a learning process, except that we cannot say we graduate. It is an ongoing process.

 

[YoursTrue]

I think the message of Yeshua was to heed his message per Matthew 7:24, and to not heed the "message" of the "enemy"/"devil" (Matthew 13:30 & 38-49) which was planted right next to his own message, and the message of the "enemy" will remain growing until the "end of the age". The effort of the Gentile church, the church of Paul, is to make the "Word" made flesh, "obsolete" and "ready to disappear" (Hebrews 8:13).

There are differences obviously between the message of the "enemy" and message of God. Yes, we need to know the difference. That requires study and prayer.

 

[Subduction Zone]

All of it. Unbelief is sin (Romans 14:23)

That verse only (falsely) claims that disbelief is a sin. It does not say or imply anything about the Bible.

 

[Subduction Zone]

From the scripture in the post you are quoting from. Romans 14:23... for whatsoever is not of faith is sin. Faith means to believe and obey Gods Word. Unbelief is not believing and not obeying what Gods Word (the scriptures) say. The scripture does not say "if you do things half heartedly and doubt that you should do them at all, perhaps you should not do them." It says whatsoever is not of faith is sin. We should not try reading things into the scriptures that are not written in them.

Take Care.

Does it? I do not think that anything in the Bible says that you have to believe all of it literally. In fact there are verses that seem to counter that claim.