How can I relate to and live by a book written centuries ago?

[Bananafish]

Well...? How can I relate to and live by a book written centuries ago?

I'm interested in any answers you can give me, because this is something I really struggle with.

 

[salida]

Well...? How can I relate to and live by a book written centuries ago?

I'm interested in any answers you can give me, because this is something I really struggle with.

Well, God is eternal and He related to us when Jesus died on the cross and He doesn't exist in time at all.

The Bible has stronger manuscript support than any work of classical history which includes Homer, Plato, Aristotle, Caesar and Tacitus. And its been unaltered since the original writing as is attested by scholars who have compared the earliest manuscripts with manuscripts written centuries later.

The reliability of the Bible is validated by the testimony of its authors, who were eyewitnesses or close associates of the eyewitnesses to the recorded events and by secular historians who confirm the events, people, culture and places organized in the scripture.

Plus, its not just a history book but hundreds of prophesies have come true in it - detailed prophesies and more will come true. Its a prophetic, legal, wise, poem, song, has science in it, archaeological book all rolled into one. Archaeologically - more and more findings have resulted with continually prove the Bibles validation. Muncaster who was an athiest but now a christian - has a book called Examine the Evidence, and Lee Strobel is a great author with the same experience of going from athiest to christian. He wrote, The Case for Faith and many others.

**Most importantly, its a spiritual decision. If people chose on intellectual facts alone - people would be running to the Bible.

 

[l0v3n]

I was lisening to a sermon on the radio. You can liev and relate to this book because God is the same person as he was when this book was first written.

 

[ebia]

Well...? How can I relate to and live by a book written centuries ago?

You could start by reading it and taking note of the bits that do speak to you in your situation. Don't worry about the bits that don't seem to - at least to begin with.

 

[Key]

Well...? How can I relate to and live by a book written centuries ago?

I'm interested in any answers you can give me, because this is something I really struggle with.

Because, Even today, it holds timeless truths, had it been written yesterday, it could have been no better or more suited for the world today.

Human struggles do not change, only how we view them.

God Bless

Key

 

[£amb]

Well...? How can I relate to and live by a book written centuries ago?

I'm interested in any answers you can give me, because this is something I really struggle with.

Read Genesis 25:19-Genesis 32....it's about Jacob and it's quite a story that will make you think it could be a script for Jerry Springer. It is something we can relate to because we see these people struggling with some of the same things we struggle with now in this time and age.

 

[Harlan Norris]

Well...? How can I relate to and live by a book written centuries ago?

I'm interested in any answers you can give me, because this is something I really struggle with.

The gospel is timeless.If followed,it will change ones life completely,and believe it or not,for the better.It boils down to the two commandments of Christ.Love God with all your heart and all your strength and all your mind,and love your neighbor as yourself.Do these and enter heaven,which is the goal of Christianity.Enter heaven and avoid hell.Give it some consideration.It won't cost you anything you can't afford to lose,and you will be rid of things you can't afford to keep.It's a whole new world,and frankly quite an adventure.

 

[Adstar]

Well...? How can I relate to and live by a book written centuries ago?

I'm interested in any answers you can give me, because this is something I really struggle with.

The truth never grows old. It matters not if a truth was written yesterday, last week or 10,000 years ago. If it is right and true then it will remain so and will stand the test of time. The scriptures have survived for thousands of years and moved countless numbers of people over those ages. Great kingdoms rise and great empires fall, nations come and go. But the truth has outlived them all and it has moved me in our days. There is a reason it moves people to this very day, because it is the wisdom of our Creator. It's powerful stuff and it is very unwise to dismiss it as some people flippantly do.


All Praise The Ancient Of Days

 

[Robinsegg]

Well, you could start with the 2nd greatest commandment (as spoken by Jesus): Love your neighbor as yourself. That should be easily made relevant in your life.

However, there are many things that may be contributing to your struggle. Do any of these apply to you?
1. Language
2. Culture (those spoken of in Scripture)/ culture references
3. Simple reading ability (my husband doesn't enjoy reading which makes things like this more difficult for him)
4. A mental block because of the time difference
5. A difference in how we understand government

There are probably several other issues that may come up. If you let me know what your main struggles with it are, I may be able to find you something that would help.

Rachel

 

[Adventist Dissident]

Well...? How can I relate to and live by a book written centuries ago?

I'm interested in any answers you can give me, because this is something I really struggle with.

are you saying you don't believe it is revelant? Have you readed the Bible?

 

[dvd_holc]

You live in the USA which foundation is rooted in a document more than 200 hunderd years ago. The political problems of the USA have expounded since then but we define this kingdom by the principles and rules of that document.

Still, the best way that you can learn about the bible is getting together with a leader in a church to teach you. The bible is rooted in a historical eviroment not understood unlessed study. If we don't go back to its foundations of cultural settings and mindsets, then we are endanger of making the bible be set in 21st century.

I once went to a mayan temple area. There was a game played by warriors there to be a sacrifice to their gods. It envolved rackets. When I heard this, I thought about the rackets being like a tennis racket for specific physical propreties needed for the ball. Then, to find out later the racket was in the shape of a snake because it had a symbolic meaning to their gods.

So...find out the history of bible and you will find much more dimensions to the bible because the bible is more than a code of morals and behaviors.

 

[The Virginian]

Well...? How can I relate to and live by a book written centuries ago?

I'm interested in any answers you can give me, because this is something I really struggle with.

I do not know if this is really an answer, but here goes!

How can you relate to a book that is continually revised, edited, and updated, and continually changing it's author. I'm talking about a textbook.

We would rather believe the verities of the seen which constantly change, than those of the unseen which remain stable after so many centuries. Detractors the world over are continually saying that the Church has to change to reach modern man. Baloney! Everyone of us have the need for stability in our lives; and yet, we're so dumb as to reject the one unchanging Rock of stability, because we want to play god about our eternity. Go figure!

 

[Im_A]

Well...? How can I relate to and live by a book written centuries ago?

I'm interested in any answers you can give me, because this is something I really struggle with.

"critically examine everything and hold on to the good."

 

[Bananafish]

"critically examine everything and hold on to the good."

This is one of the only posts that actually makes sense to me.

However, how can I put my faith in a religion but only believe some of it? That's hard to do. As a feminist and as an intelligent person, I find it hard to swallow some of the things in the bible. Yet, I want to believe. It's very frustrating.

 

[ebia]

This is one of the only posts that actually makes sense to me.

However, how can I put my faith in a religion but only believe some of it? That's hard to do. As a feminist and as an intelligent person, I find it hard to swallow some of the things in the bible. Yet, I want to believe. It's very frustrating.

You need to remember that the bible was written by people trying to pass on their encounters and experiences of God (individually or collectively). It's all useful for learning about God, but that doesn't mean that any given part is accurate or complete. It's a rich library of different types of literature that collectively builds up a picture of God.

Remember, also, that the bible is not at the heart of the Christian faith; that place belongs to Christ. Christians are people who believe in, and try to follow the Way of, Christ. The bible is one means for him to speak to us; nothing more (nor less) than that.

As a feminist and as an intelligent person, I find it hard to swallow some of the things in the bible.

And that's the point when you need people you can discuss those things with. Not people who will say "you have to believe it, or else", nor people who will try and prove it's true, nor people who will try to tell you the answer, but people with whom you can have a frank discussion and who are as open to the possibility that you might teach them something as the other way around.

 

[christianmomof3]

However, how can I put my faith in a religion but only believe some of it? That's hard to do. As a feminist and as an intelligent person, I find it hard to swallow some of the things in the bible. Yet, I want to believe. It's very frustrating.

Don't put your faith in a religion.
Put your faith in God.
I am glad that you really want to believe. The Lord will honor that.

Talk to God. Talk out loud to Him. He will hear you. Don't worry if you feel silly - just try it. Say something like "Lord Jesus, I want to believe in you, but I am having trouble with points a, b, and c. Lord Jesus, if you are God, then help me to know You." Speak whatever concerns and questions you have. The Lord will hear you and He will reveal Himself to you if you ask Him to.

Read the Bible. Don't worry about when it was written or if you understand it all or if you agree with it all. Ask the Lord to guide you in your reading and understanding of it and just read it. If nothing else happens, you will see how much of our culture is affected by and based upon the Bible.

I pray that you will open your entire being to the Lord and that you will come to know Him and His love.

 

[hlaltimus]

Well...? How can I relate to and live by a book written centuries ago?

I'm interested in any answers you can give me, because this is something I really struggle with.

Why would you respect any other kind of author? Suppose that the Bible showed up only 22 years ago, now how would you feel about the limitation of the mercy of that author? Why then did He cheat all of those other previous generations of the knowledge which they badly needed for salvation? A very, very old revelation is just the kind we do want!!

 

[Rafael]

The simple truths of the Bible are the most profound. Jesus told us that His words were spirit and life to those who would hear them. What can be more relevant than life and death? We experience our conscious being through no effort of our own, as a gift, each day, and see ourselves surrounded by awesomely intelligent design, yet the whole experience and vision is marred by sin and death. Read the news papers or see the evening news - what does it and life say to us and then compare the words of old pertaining to life and death in the scriptures - they ring the pure truth of mankinds condition. The awesome and wonderful gift of life has been stained with the horrors of death, brought about by sin.
Every answer is in the scriptures, but the greatest thing is mercy and forgiveness so that we can have back that eternal life lost so long ago by our forefather, Adam.
A great battle rages upon this earth between good and evil, and the whole srory, even the future, is written in the Bible for us to view. Ever hear of Israel? The Bible tracks those people and speaks of them and a promised land right up to the end in Revelations. Since 1948 and the new formation of the nation Israel, big things have happened very fast, and the Bible is once again truthful in that the prophets all foretold that Israel would once again be a nation after the people were scattered into the world. Knowing who Israel is and how the history of the the world relates to it is all in the Bible, too.... So here we have the world's focus on the Middle East and Israel and the Bible says it all began there and will end there in a final great war called Armageddon..... Seems amazingly relevant for today, to me.

 

[desert_island_1]

As many have said before me, God is timeless and does not exist in the concept of time so therefore the Bible is timeless. A word of advoce, if you are having trouble realting to the old scripts (perhaps the KJV) try reading the NLT. It is the Bible translated by many scholars into a more modern language.

Kristy

 

[Im_A]

This is one of the only posts that actually makes sense to me.

However, how can I put my faith in a religion but only believe some of it? That's hard to do. As a feminist and as an intelligent person, I find it hard to swallow some of the things in the bible. Yet, I want to believe. It's very frustrating.

i think the choice is up to you tho. you can believe and be a feminist, at least imho you can be.

reasons?

let's remember that the good apostle was instructing the churches at that time. let's also remember that there were good reasons for Paul saying what He had to say. Paul was dealing with the issues of the churches at the time were dealing with.

now i do believe that every dot of the scripture is useful for instruction, but when the problems that Paul was addressing isn't happening in your life or your surrounding, you be a good holy feminist if you want to be.

personally i see every reason to switch Paul's verses over to keep men that are abusing their freedom in Christ in positions in the church, and not just women.

i'm going to try to think of some things specifically with Paul about women that you "could" be mentioning here if you don't mind
i do believe that if a woman is causing harm in the church, she shoud remain silent, but i believe if a man is doing the same? he should be silenced just as well.

let's say a woman being submissive to her husband issue. well, Paul said something i think gets overlooked here..."Husbands, love your wives as Christ loved the church." that's a TREMENDOUS calling on the husband, as well as a tremendous calling on the wife. i believe if a man is loving his wife as Christ loved the church, why wouldn't a woman want to submit herself to that man? we know what Christ did. Christ gave us commandments to love people as we would love ourselves, Christ lived His life to fulfill the Father's Will, which was a life of sacrifice to the most extreme extent.

now if a Christian man is abusing his position as husband, then i pray the woman fights with all her might to demand that her man will fulfill the calling He placed on himself, and that is placed on Him by the scriptures and by God. and fight with it all that she can, even if it means seperation, protection, and God forbid, i hope nothing leads to divorce but i let God judge that one.

let's look back at the Old Testament maybe? the best i can say is the same thing that ebia said. the scriptures were passing on their views of God. and we see a different societal look on the sexes than what we have today. imagine, if the Bible was written today with our ideas of the heirarchy of the sexes (which is practically equal, to which i know there is flaws in it) but i would imagine it would be written differently in it.

the best i can say is search the scriptures out the best you can, and then always keep aware of your surroundings and what you need to do in your life, in the surroundings that your social positions, or whatever your involved with society, to always examine what you need to do.

i'm not trying to tell you, you should believe like i do or anything here, i just hope that it gives you some more ideas to think about looking at the scriptures as useful as you say you want to