For Christians, how do you view Jesus?

[Deidre]

No, not swooning but posting Scriptures supporting Paul's role in the spreading of: Christianity.
Besides Paul: Peter, Jude, James and John wrote Bible books in the first century.
Don't Paul's writings give us the Godly definition of love at 1 Corinthians 13:4-6 ?
Some scholars have viewed Romans as a 5th gospel.
Romans is a good news letter written to Christians living in Rome.
Romans is Not a pointless letter but how we can gain the righteousness that leads to life.
Paul wanted Jewish Christians to know the Mosaic Law regulations were not needed such as circumcision.
Abraham was considered as righteous ' before ' the Law.
For Christians love fulfills the Law - Romans 13:8

You are right, Paul was quite instrumental in spreading the Gospel. But aren't others too? Aren't we?
I don't begrudge Paul his credit, but sometimes ...Paul becomes the new Jesus, it seems. And we forget that he is talking about Jesus. You know?

 

[URAVIP2ME]

You are right, Paul was quite instrumental in spreading the Gospel. But aren't others too? Aren't we?
I don't begrudge Paul his credit, but sometimes ...Paul becomes the new Jesus, it seems. And we forget that he is talking about Jesus. You know?

Good points ^ above ^.
What I don't quite understand is why someone professing to be Christian would have gripes about Paul.
I have had Catholics in particular say bad thing about Paul.
Yes, we should be an instrument, or instrumental, in spreading the good news message of Matthew 24:14 as Jesus said.

 

[leibowde84]

We can even go back further to WW 1. The world itself thinks of that great war as world war 1. ( Global war - Matthew 24:6-8 )
So, yes we can consider the ' world wars ' as modern history and it has taken since those days to saturate the earth, so to speak, with the good news of Matthew 24:14 before we see the end come of all badness on earth. Up to now remote areas of earth were difficult to reach and have Scripture available to people could read Scripture in their own language. - Acts of the Apostles 1:8 is fulfilled.

P.S. also please consider Luke 21:11 because Luke does Not just say earthquakes but uses the adjective ' great ' in describing them. We have more ' great ' earthquakes than ever before in history ( including tsunami's )

Do you actually think that scripture is available to everyone in the world? Or did I misunderstand your comment?

 

[URAVIP2ME]

Do you actually think that scripture is available to everyone in the world? Or did I misunderstand your comment?

Please note Matthew 24:14 .... as a witness to all nations....
It does Not say to each and every individual. Children are born each day. Parents are responsible for minor children - 1 Corinthians 7:14
The Scriptures are available earthwide, and so that people can read or hear of Scripture in their own native language or mother tongue.
Do you know anyone who has Not heard of the Bible ?_______
If so, it won't be long before they hear of it.

 

[leibowde84]

Please note Matthew 24:14 .... as a witness to all nations....
It does Not say to each and every individual. Children are born each day. Parents are responsible for minor children - 1 Corinthians 7:14
The Scriptures are available earthwide, and so that people can read or hear of Scripture in their own native language or mother tongue.
Do you know anyone who has Not heard of the Bible ?_______
If so, it won't be long before they hear of it.

Forgive me, but you are ignoring obvious facts. Think about the aborigines in the Outback of Australia, those living in remote viliages in the Chinese countryside, and those who are on remote islands in the pacific who have not yet seen a white person. Think of escimos who spend their entire lives only seeing their family, or those who live in the mountains of Tibet, below the monks in the clouds. And, I can go on, and on. There will always be those who have no access to the Gospels. I mean, look at the US. My girlfriend (who is a saint, imho), was raised by two atheists who truly hated what they saw religion doing to people when they were growing up. Judge as you might, but these are two of the nicest, most giving, moral and decent people you have ever met. I guarantee it. But, the point is that my girlfriend has no real concept of God. She asks for help from me to understand the concept and, every time she asks, I find myself reaching for words. As you have probably guessed, I am facinated by this, and we talk about it all the time, but I realized a long time ago that to an objective observer (she isn't biased against religion at all and truly is fascinated to learn more about beliefs), all supernatural beliefs are just as ridiculous. Whether it's Jesus coming back from the dead, ancient alien souls, one man with direct access to God or frogs raining down from the sky, she doesn't understand the reasoning behind them. Why do people now, who have access to so much more information and understanding of the physical universe than the authors of any scripture, believe these things dogmatically, demanding no verifiable evidence. We both want to understand why.

You've got to open your mind to reality. If it is up to Christians to make salvation available to all people ... we aren't even close yet. And, making a book available is not nearly enough (and kind of pathetic, really). Imagine a child growing up in one of the communities I spoke of, and (I'll give you this one) a Christian Missionary comes to their village. Now, their parents are only used to outsiders coming close in to take advantage of them. So, understandably, they are skeptical.

Now, do you think that the child, scared and hiding, might not "take" to Christianity, even assuming that, miraculously, was translated into their native, aborigines tongue?

And, no, I don't know anyone personally who has no access to the Bible in their own native language. But, just like you, I am sheltered.

 

[URAVIP2ME]

No one has to see a white person in order to hear about Scripture.
One person passes the information to the next person no matter what color or culture.
We are in the ' final phase ' of Matthew 24:14; Acts of the Apostles 1:8 because Scripture is avail everywhere.
Modern technology has made rapid Bible translation even in remote languages possible all over the earth.
Remember too: Scripture does Not say to every person ( after all new people are born daily ) but the ' good news message ' has been proclaimed to ALL earth's nations as Matthew 24:14 mentions before the end comes of all badness on earth.

Jesus, as the find shepherd, judges who are the humble sheep-like ones at the soon coming ' time of separation' on earth - Matthew 25:31-32,40.

 

[URAVIP2ME]

You are right, Paul was quite instrumental in spreading the Gospel. But aren't others too? Aren't we?
I don't begrudge Paul his credit, but sometimes ...Paul becomes the new Jesus, it seems. And we forget that he is talking about Jesus. You know?

I can't help but give more pause about Paul, and I found a verse - Hebrews 12:2-3 - that Paul exhorts fellow Christians to consider how zealous Jesus was. Jesus is the ' him ' and the ' himself ' mentioned there in verse 3. Consider Jesus closely so that we may not get spiritually tired and give up. - Matthew 24:13-14. So, again the answer to 'aren't we' is that we are instrumental if we do Not give up even under adverse conditions in following Jesus' good example.

 

[Deidre]

Forgive me, but you are ignoring obvious facts. Think about the aborigines in the Outback of Australia, those living in remote viliages in the Chinese countryside, and those who are on remote islands in the pacific who have not yet seen a white person. Think of escimos who spend their entire lives only seeing their family, or those who live in the mountains of Tibet, below the monks in the clouds. And, I can go on, and on. There will always be those who have no access to the Gospels. I mean, look at the US. My girlfriend (who is a saint, imho), was raised by two atheists who truly hated what they saw religion doing to people when they were growing up. Judge as you might, but these are two of the nicest, most giving, moral and decent people you have ever met. I guarantee it. But, the point is that my girlfriend has no real concept of God. She asks for help from me to understand the concept and, every time she asks, I find myself reaching for words. As you have probably guessed, I am facinated by this, and we talk about it all the time, but I realized a long time ago that to an objective observer (she isn't biased against religion at all and truly is fascinated to learn more about beliefs), all supernatural beliefs are just as ridiculous. Whether it's Jesus coming back from the dead, ancient alien souls, one man with direct access to God or frogs raining down from the sky, she doesn't understand the reasoning behind them. Why do people now, who have access to so much more information and understanding of the physical universe than the authors of any scripture, believe these things dogmatically, demanding no verifiable evidence. We both want to understand why.

You've got to open your mind to reality. If it is up to Christians to make salvation available to all people ... we aren't even close yet. And, making a book available is not nearly enough (and kind of pathetic, really). Imagine a child growing up in one of the communities I spoke of, and (I'll give you this one) a Christian Missionary comes to their village. Now, their parents are only used to outsiders coming close in to take advantage of them. So, understandably, they are skeptical.

Now, do you think that the child, scared and hiding, might not "take" to Christianity, even assuming that, miraculously, was translated into their native, aborigines tongue?

And, no, I don't know anyone personally who has no access to the Bible in their own native language. But, just like you, I am sheltered.

I don't think that any Christians can make salvation 'available' to all people...just curious as to how you mean that? I personally don't think that the Bible in and of itself will lead anyone to following Christ. It takes an experience of faith, to follow. The Bible by itself, doesn't convert people. If anything, I left the faith because of it. But, I see it differently now, because of my experience(s) That's just my take. I think this is why we see a lot of unhappy people who claim to be this or that faith, but they aren't experiencing their faith. This can be said for people of all faiths, not just Christianity.

 

[EverChanging]

My view is different than most.

I believe that Jesus is the fullness of God made manifest in flesh and all that is (the Incarnation), that his body is you and me and all things, that the silent word is the heart of all reality.

 

[Neo Deist]

A man and teacher that spoke in riddles/parables, and hardly ever gave a straight answer. His message was a positive one, and I try to live by the two commandments he handed down to us: love God, love people.

However, Jesus never wrote a single word in the Bible, and every story about him is 3rd party hearsay, written years after his death. I do not worship him as a god. Only God holds that honor.