Mr. Diehl, You have every right in the world to reject orthodox Christian beliefs and not believe the Bible. You do not have the right to say you do not understand them when you do understand them.

You know very well that orthodox Christians, and I am talking about the wider orthodoxy and not just that of Greek, Russian and Eastern Orthodox, believe that Jesus is the Christ; the God-man; perfect man in His humanity and perfect God in His deity. The New Testament teaches that Jesus  is the Christ, is God in essence and the "Second Adam" who became a man in order to die as a perfect sacrifice on the cross.

It is why St. Luke has one family tree tracing Jesus' lineage back to Adam for it was the "seed of the woman" that would crush Satan's head. It is why St. John's Gospel has no family tree for He is presented as incarnate God or Immanuel ("God with us") as foretold by Isaiah.

The four Gospels are not four repeated biographies of Jesus, but four portraits of Jesus:

1. St. Matthew- He is Israel's Messiah King (why Matthew's lineage begins with King David).

2. St. Mark-He is the Suffering Servant of Isaiah 53 and Jeremiah (a servant has no lineage and neither does St. Mark).

3. St. Luke-He is the Son of Mary by Virgin birth with no curse on Him as a son of Adam has).

4. St. John- He is God and God has no lineage and neither does St. John. Remember John's words, "In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and the Word was God, the same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him and without Him was not anything made that was made (John 1:1-3)... and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us; and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth."

You have every right not to believe these words or to believe them, but you have no right to make them teach anything you want them to teach. You cannot do that with any other book and you cannot do that with the twenty-seven books of the New Testament. Bush is doing that already and claiming it is Christianity.

By the way, I am asked thse types of question almost every week. The questions do not offend me, make me afraid or cause alarm. Why in the world would any minister not want members in his congregation to ask them; people learn by asking questions?

 

by pratliff94 (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 972 comments) on Saturday, Jun 16, 2007 at 9:12:12 PM

I wasn't surprised by the veiled arrogance of the pastor who dimissed the original post. Those who are indoctrinated see only what they want to see.

But I say that not because I do not love the actual teachings of the Christ Jesus. I do. I just recognize that the "Christian New Testament" contains the added doctrines of men, which are not accurate, and in certain instances simply not true.

http://realprophecyunveiled.netfirms.com 

The author is a son of man who reveals the real truth.

 

by Guy Dwyer (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 30 comments) on Tuesday, Jun 19, 2007 at 11:04:01 AM

This is what the the Quran, which is Allah's Message delivered to Mohammed, Allah's Messenger, by Gabriel for delivery to all Mankind, says about the births of both Yahya (John), son of Zachariah And Eisah (Jesus), son of Mary in Chapter III, The Family of Imran (Imran being brother of Zakariyya & Mary's Father) Quote Verse 33 to verse Allah did choose Adam and Noah,the family of Abraham, and the family of Imran above all people- offsprings, one of the other: and Allah knows and hears all things. Behold! Imran's wife (mother of Mary) said: "O my Lord!I do dedicate unto you what is in my womb for your special service:so accept this of me:for ypou know and hear all things." When she was delivered she said: "O my Lord! Behold! I am delivered of a female childs!" And Allah knew best what she brought forth- "And no wise is the male is like a female. I have named her Mary and I commend her and her offspring to Your protection from Satan the Rejected." Right graciously did her Lord accept her: He made her (Mary) grow in purity and beauty: To the care of Zakariyya was she assigned.Everytime that he entered (Her) chamber to see her, he found her supplied with sustenance. He said: "O Mary! Whence (comes) this to you?" She said:"From allah: for Allah provides sustenance to whom He pleases without measure." There did Zakariyya pray to his Lord, saying: "O my Lord! Grant unto me from You a progeny that is pure: For You are He that hears prayer." While he was standing in prayer in the chamber, the angels called unto him: "Allah does give you glad tiodings of Yahya (John), confirming the truth of a Word from Allah, and (be besides) noble, chaste and a Prophet- of the (goodly) company of the righteous." He said: "O my Lord! How shall I have a son, seeing I am very old, and my wife is barren?" "Thus," was the answer, "Does Allah accomplish what He wills." He said: "O my Lord! Give me a Sign!" "Your Sign," was the answer, "Shall be that you shall speak to no man for three days but with signals, then celebrate the praises of your Lord again and again and glorify Him in the evening and in the morning." Behold! the angels said: "O Mary! Allah has chosen you and purified you- chosen you above the women of all nations O Mary!Worship your Lord devoutly: prostrate yourself and bow down (in prayer) with those who bow down." this is part of the tidings of the things unseen, which We reveal unto myou (O Messenger, i.e, Mohammed) by inspiration:you were not with them when they cast lots with arrows, as to which of them should be charged with the care of Mary (Imran, her father had passed away): nor werre you with them when they disputed (the pointing of the arrow towards Zakariyyah) Behold! the angels said: " O Mary! Allah gives you glad tidings of a Wotd from Him: his name will be Messiah Jesus, son of Mary, held in honor in this World and the Hereafter and of (the company) those nearest to Allah; "He shall speak to the people in childhood and in maturity and he shall be (of the company) of the righteous." She said: "O my Lord! How shall I have a son when no man has touched me?" HE said: "Even though, Allah creates what he wills: Whe He has decreed a Plan, He but says to it, 'Be!' and it is!" "And allah will teach him the Book and Wisdom,the Torah and the Gospel, "And appoint him a Messenger to the Children of Israel, (with the message): " I have come to you, with a Sign from your Lord, in that I make for you out of clay, a figure of a bird, and breathe into it and it becomes a bird by Allah's leave: And I heel those born blind, and the lepers and I bring the dead, to life, by Allah's leave ..... Unquote The rest and much more on the Messiah Jesus son of Mary, the Messenger of Allah and on Mary could be accessed from the English translation of the Quran made by Abdullah Yusuf Ali. AND I AM DEFINITELY NOT TRYING TO PROSETYLIZE any one here. I am just make a personal and individual effort to defend Mary and her Son from blasphemies of being a bastard son and his mother of being an adultress! This to me is plain and outright FILTH which can be sourced to the Scribes and the Pharisees of the time.

by syed mahdi (1 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 156 comments [17 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Wednesday, Jun 20, 2007 at 11:21:41 AM