Jesus confuses me

[TruePathFinder]

I've been reading the gospels of John, Mark and Mathew. I am perplexed. Jesus really believed in the obvious myths of the old testament. Jesus believed in the destruction of Sodom and Gomora (he claimed certain Jewish towns will be worse off on judgement day). He believed that Jonah spent 3 days in a fish (he told certain unbelievers that Jonah and the fish will be the only sign they will have). He believed in the flood in Noah's day (he declared that the end of the world will be like the times of the flood). He believes in the creation acount of genesis (he said it states man and woman are joined as one, quoting genesis).
What am I to make of this. Is Jesus for real?

 

[74x12]

I've been reading the gospels of John, Mark and Mathew. I am perplexed. Jesus really believed in the obvious myths of the old testament. Jesus believed in the destruction of Sodom and Gomora (he claimed certain Jewish towns will be worse off on judgement day). He believed that Jonah spent 3 days in a fish (he told certain unbelievers that Jonah and the fish will be the only sign they will have). He believed in the flood in Noah's day (he declared that the end of the world will be like the times of the flood). He believes in the creation acount of genesis (he said it states man and woman are joined as one, quoting genesis).
What am I to make of this. Is Jesus for real?

Yes He is for real. What you should do if you doubt is focus on what you can know. Knowing God better; then God will teach you things. When reading the Bible obviously you won't understand everything right away. You have to learn to put things on the back burner that you can't explain and focus on improving your knowledge . Patience is key to learning.

I've been to the dead Sea and I have a piece of sulfur I found lying there close to Masada. I brought it back with me. I believe Sodom and Gomorrah were real and were really destroyed by burning sulfur. The area is bizarre. It really is. There are very thick layers of really old ash and sulfur. Something definitely happened there in the past. You could chalk it up to a Volcano or believe the Biblical account. But you can't deny that something really happened for all that ash and sulfur to be there.

They were preying on peaceful travelers so the angels came disguised as travelers to test them and see if they would be kind or not.

 

[Orbit]

I've been reading the gospels of John, Mark and Mathew. I am perplexed. Jesus really believed in the obvious myths of the old testament. Jesus believed in the destruction of Sodom and Gomora (he claimed certain Jewish towns will be worse off on judgement day). He believed that Jonah spent 3 days in a fish (he told certain unbelievers that Jonah and the fish will be the only sign they will have). He believed in the flood in Noah's day (he declared that the end of the world will be like the times of the flood). He believes in the creation acount of genesis (he said it states man and woman are joined as one, quoting genesis).
What am I to make of this. Is Jesus for real?

Remember, Jesus was a product of his tribe, of course he believed the myths of the tribe, assuming the historicity of Jesus of course. I suggest re-reading Genesis, that helped clarify things for me. These things were never intended to be taken literally imo. It doesn't mean that they weren't important teaching devices, or important myths, but you have to remember that these things were oral traditions of a nomadic tribe that got written down much later -- note that there are TWO accounts of creation in Genesis, for example, because there were two versions of the myth and they both got recorded.

If you look into the history and archaeology of the time (I suggest reading secular historians and academic Bible scholars) you'll find that EL (God) was originally part of the Canaanite pantheon, and was a war god with a consort named Asherah (who is mentioned in the OT). Later, the tribe became monotheistic, El become Yahweh, and Asherah is obliterated (see "they destroyed their Asherah poles" in the OT). When you start looking into what history we have, you find it harder and harder to take the Bible literally (which is just a Protestant thing anyway).

Does that mean the Bible is useless? I don't think so, but I also think that the Bible can't support literal belief because it IS fallible, it does have contradictions, was nothing but a history of the myths and stories of the 12 tribes of Israel. Sola scriptura (the belief that the Bible was inerrant and the only source of information about God) only dates to the 1500s.

 

[shunyadragon]

I've been reading the gospels of John, Mark and Mathew. I am perplexed. Jesus really believed in the obvious myths of the old testament. Jesus believed in the destruction of Sodom and Gomora (he claimed certain Jewish towns will be worse off on judgement day). He believed that Jonah spent 3 days in a fish (he told certain unbelievers that Jonah and the fish will be the only sign they will have). He believed in the flood in Noah's day (he declared that the end of the world will be like the times of the flood). He believes in the creation acount of genesis (he said it states man and woman are joined as one, quoting genesis).
What am I to make of this. Is Jesus for real?

Is it Jesus or the perspective of those that wrote about him?

It is fairly well documented that most if not all the church fathers believed in a literal Genesis, and among them were likely compilers and editors of the gospels..

 

[Nakosis]

I've been reading the gospels of John, Mark and Mathew. I am perplexed. Jesus really believed in the obvious myths of the old testament. Jesus believed in the destruction of Sodom and Gomora (he claimed certain Jewish towns will be worse off on judgement day). He believed that Jonah spent 3 days in a fish (he told certain unbelievers that Jonah and the fish will be the only sign they will have). He believed in the flood in Noah's day (he declared that the end of the world will be like the times of the flood). He believes in the creation acount of genesis (he said it states man and woman are joined as one, quoting genesis).
What am I to make of this. Is Jesus for real?

It's not like Jesus had the internet available for fact checking. Why wouldn't he believe the truth as taught by his culture?

Jesus as God, I guess you'd expect him to know these things. Jesus as a prophet, a prophet can't know everything. Even Moses made mistakes.

 

[Katzpur]

I've been reading the gospels of John, Mark and Mathew. I am perplexed. Jesus really believed in the obvious myths of the old testament. Jesus believed in the destruction of Sodom and Gomora (he claimed certain Jewish towns will be worse off on judgement day). He believed that Jonah spent 3 days in a fish (he told certain unbelievers that Jonah and the fish will be the only sign they will have). He believed in the flood in Noah's day (he declared that the end of the world will be like the times of the flood). He believes in the creation acount of genesis (he said it states man and woman are joined as one, quoting genesis).
What am I to make of this. Is Jesus for real?

Maybe He was using those stories as a teaching tool. They do have some value in that regard, and were accepted by His audience. There would have been no point to His trying to get into the details of what really might have happened and how the events were perhaps "embellished" a bit over the years.

 

[Phantasman]

I've been reading the gospels of John, Mark and Mathew. I am perplexed. Jesus really believed in the obvious myths of the old testament. Jesus believed in the destruction of Sodom and Gomora (he claimed certain Jewish towns will be worse off on judgement day). He believed that Jonah spent 3 days in a fish (he told certain unbelievers that Jonah and the fish will be the only sign they will have). He believed in the flood in Noah's day (he declared that the end of the world will be like the times of the flood). He believes in the creation acount of genesis (he said it states man and woman are joined as one, quoting genesis).
What am I to make of this. Is Jesus for real?

The orthodox fathers were as mystified as the OT fathers.

Mark:
11 And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables:
12 That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them.

Fish, flood, cities are all flesh (physical). Jesus taught spirit.

John:
31 Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat.
32 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.
33 For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.

The OT god took life, the spiritual God gives life. The OT fathers said they heard god, Jesus said they have neither heard his voice nor seen his shape.

 

[stvdv]

I've been reading the gospels of John, Mark and Mathew. I am perplexed. Jesus really believed in the obvious myths of the old testament. Jesus believed in the destruction of Sodom and Gomora (he claimed certain Jewish towns will be worse off on judgement day). He believed that Jonah spent 3 days in a fish (he told certain unbelievers that Jonah and the fish will be the only sign they will have). He believed in the flood in Noah's day (he declared that the end of the world will be like the times of the flood). He believes in the creation acount of genesis (he said it states man and woman are joined as one, quoting genesis).
What am I to make of this. Is Jesus for real?

Don't forget Jesus is a Master. Meaning fully enlightened. Non Dual state, Advaita. "Jonah in the fish" is easy to explain from "non-duality" viewpoint for example.

 

[URAVIP2ME]

I've been reading the gospels of John, Mark and Mathew. I am perplexed. Jesus really believed in the obvious myths of the old testament. Jesus believed in the destruction of Sodom and Gomora (he claimed certain Jewish towns will be worse off on judgement day). He believed that Jonah spent 3 days in a fish (he told certain unbelievers that Jonah and the fish will be the only sign they will have). He believed in the flood in Noah's day (he declared that the end of the world will be like the times of the flood). He believes in the creation acount of genesis (he said it states man and woman are joined as one, quoting genesis).
What am I to make of this. Is Jesus for real?

I find Jesus did base his beliefs, his teachings, on the old Hebrew Scripture which point to Messiah coming.
Jesus, as Messiah, explained them for us, so why shouldn't he believe the old Hebrew Scriptures.
The gospel accounts have corresponding or parallel cross-reference verses or passages to the old.
Whether believed as myth or not, the internal harmony among the many writers shows they agree with each other.
Yes, as the days of Noah were (violent - Genesis 6:11; Matthew 24:37-39) so it would be in the last days of badness on Earth as described at 2 Timothy 3:1-5,13. Note: Not the last days of Earth, but the last days of wickedness on Earth before Jesus takes the action described at Isaiah 11:3-4; Revelation 19:14-16.
Then, Jesus, as Prince of Peace, will usher in global Peace on Earth among persons of goodwill.
In Genesis we are introduced to the ' tree of life ' and at Revelation 22:2 we see the return of the Genesis ' tree of life ' for the healing of earth's nations.
So, mankind's history shows that man can Not establish Peace on Earth, that is why God will have Jesus step in before a violent mankind would bring ruin to Earth.

 

[URAVIP2ME]

It's not like Jesus had the internet available for fact checking. Why wouldn't he believe the truth as taught by his culture?
Jesus as God, I guess you'd expect him to know these things. Jesus as a prophet, a prophet can't know everything. Even Moses made mistakes.

Christendom (apostate Christianity) often teaches Jesus as God, but Scripture teaches otherwise:
As Jesus believed at John 6:46 that No man has seen the Father. People saw Jesus.
As Jesus believed at John 1:18 and 1 John 4:12 that No man has seen God at any time. People saw Jesus.
As Jesus believed at John 14:28 that his God is greater than all.
As Jesus believed at John 10:29 that his God is greater than Jesus.
As Jesus believed at John 10:36 when replying as to who he was Jesus said he was the Son of God.
As Jesus believed at Revelation 3:14 B that the pre-human heavenly Jesus was the beginning of the creation by God.
As Jesus believed at John 4:23-24 that we should worship his Father.

 

[George-ananda]

What am I to make of this.

My thought on those examples is that he was talking to people where they are at. The people he was talking to were familiar with many of these stories. Whether these events were factually true or not is kind of irrelevant to the relevant points he was trying to make about spirituality.

 

[shunyadragon]

Yes He is for real. What you should do if you doubt is focus on what you can know. Knowing God better; then God will teach you things. When reading the Bible obviously you won't understand everything right away. You have to learn to put things on the back burner that you can't explain and focus on improving your knowledge . Patience is key to learning.

I've been to the dead Sea and I have a piece of sulfur I found lying there close to Masada. I brought it back with me. I believe Sodom and Gomorrah were real and were really destroyed by burning sulfur. The area is bizarre. It really is. There are very thick layers of really old ash and sulfur. Something definitely happened there in the past. You could chalk it up to a Volcano or believe the Biblical account. But you can't deny that something really happened for all that ash and sulfur to be there.

They were preying on peaceful travelers so the angels came disguised as travelers to test them and see if they would be kind or not.

The evidence indicates a natural event.

 

[Jim]

I've been reading the gospels of John, Mark and Mathew. ... Is Jesus for real?

Have you ever read any of the gospels before? How did it happen that you decided to read them now? If it isn't too personal, what's happening to you, what are you looking for? I think that everything that matters that you might find in reading the gospels, and in the whole Bible, everything that God might want us to know or to do, is in the stories themselves, and the more you worry about how historical or literal any of it is, the less you will learn about God and from God.

If you haven't already found the kind of online community you're looking for here, and you still would like to, please see my post to you in the thread you started about that.

After I wrote all that, and replied to some of your other posts, I discovered a lot more of your posts that I hadn't seen before. Now I'm not sure that anything I've said to you will matter to you, but I'm not sure it won't, so I'll post this anyway.

 

[Thief]

I've been reading the gospels of John, Mark and Mathew. I am perplexed. Jesus really believed in the obvious myths of the old testament. Jesus believed in the destruction of Sodom and Gomora (he claimed certain Jewish towns will be worse off on judgement day). He believed that Jonah spent 3 days in a fish (he told certain unbelievers that Jonah and the fish will be the only sign they will have). He believed in the flood in Noah's day (he declared that the end of the world will be like the times of the flood). He believes in the creation acount of genesis (he said it states man and woman are joined as one, quoting genesis).
What am I to make of this. Is Jesus for real?

consider the crowd He was dealing with

I have no doubt....He ALWAYS considered the people in front of Him

and He would use what they believe.....against them

you might say you believe a man could be swallowed by a fish....three days....
and live

if you can do that...you could also believe a man could lay in a tomb....three days
and walk out of it

It is all wrapped around what you declare as your belief

no one is defiled by what goes into the mouth
you are defiled by what comes out

It's not so much what Jesus believed

It's more about your declaration as you stand before God and heaven

the question will be.....WHAT do you believe?

followed by..... WHO told you THAT.....?????
and WHY did you believe it?

 

[Patrick Miron]

Have you ever read any of the gospels before? How did it happen that you decided to read them now? If it isn't too personal, what's happening to you, what are you looking for? I think that everything that matters that you might find in reading the gospels, and in the whole Bible, everything that God might want us to know or to do, is in the stories themselves, and the more you worry about how historical or literal any of it is, the less you will learn about God and from God.

If you haven't already found the kind of online community you're looking for here, and you still would like to, please see my post to you in the thread you started about that.

After I wrote all that, and replied to some of your other posts, I discovered a lot more of your posts that I hadn't seen before. Now I'm not sure that anything I've said to you will matter to you, but I'm not sure it won't, so I'll post this anyway.

Jim THANK YOU, i too have attempted to reach SerenityBlue; who does not even respond to my well intended advise. {Look at my "AM I a CHRISTIAN" series in 9 parts; where I addressed it detail, with charity and facts the 10 points raided in that OPQ.

While Blues POST are intriguing; I'm beginning to smell a SETUP here. WHAT's your take?

God Bless you,
Patrick

 

[TruePathFinder]

I read everything and accept all the help.

 

[TruePathFinder]

Jim THANK YOU, i too have attempted to reach SerenityBlue; who does not even respond to my well intended advise. {Look at my "AM I a CHRISTIAN" series in 9 parts; where I addressed it detail, with charity and facts the 10 points raided in that OPQ.

While Blues POST are intriguing; I'm beginning to smell a SETUP here. WHAT's your take?

God Bless you,
Patrick

Thank you Patrick

 

[ChanaR]

I've been reading the gospels of John, Mark and Mathew. I am perplexed. Jesus really believed in the obvious myths of the old testament. Jesus believed in the destruction of Sodom and Gomora (he claimed certain Jewish towns will be worse off on judgement day). He believed that Jonah spent 3 days in a fish (he told certain unbelievers that Jonah and the fish will be the only sign they will have). He believed in the flood in Noah's day (he declared that the end of the world will be like the times of the flood). He believes in the creation acount of genesis (he said it states man and woman are joined as one, quoting genesis).
What am I to make of this. Is Jesus for real?

Rabbi Yeshua was a Jew who practiced second temple Judaism. Why would any of this surprise you?

I wouldn't necessarily jump to the conclusions that he took things quite so literally. I discuss Adam and Eve all the time, and I believe in evolution.

 

[AlertChristians]

Jesus is for real: the word (word of God) made flesh (conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary).

 

[SonOfElElyon]

I've been reading the gospels of John, Mark and Mathew. I am perplexed. Jesus really believed in the obvious myths of the old testament. Jesus believed in the destruction of Sodom and Gomora (he claimed certain Jewish towns will be worse off on judgement day). He believed that Jonah spent 3 days in a fish (he told certain unbelievers that Jonah and the fish will be the only sign they will have). He believed in the flood in Noah's day (he declared that the end of the world will be like the times of the flood). He believes in the creation acount of genesis (he said it states man and woman are joined as one, quoting genesis).
What am I to make of this. Is Jesus for real?

Don't feel bad, you humans confuse him too. SO, you are perplexed because Christ has knowledge of things that seemingly happened before he was born? Well, the answer is this. He's been on this planet five times since Genesis 1, before Adam. He was here during the days of Noah. He on this planet when he met Abraham at the Trees at Mamre, once around 3 or 5 B.C. and he turned 31 in 2012.


As far as Jonah and the fish story, I know there’s an OT “Book of Jonah.


-Galzu