Bible and feeling uncomfortable?

[ubicaritas]

The core emphasis here is on greed, wanting something or someone not rightfully yours. If you remember Solomon got in trouble after watching someone's wife and to cover up what followed David causes her husband's death. It's not that I don't see your point, you just have to take certain things in context. In Colosians 3:5 Paul makes an interesting statement along these lines,'put to death whatever belongs to your earthly nature, sexual immorality, impurity, lust, even desire and greed which is idolatry. ' nothing the mix of sexual immorality and greed.

That said, there is a sense in which women were often seen as possessions. There was a prohibition against multiplying your wives as the heatherns, all the kings of Israel did, including David.

Its also important to bear in mind we are called to serve, Jesus did wash the feet of the Apostles while they argued who will be the greatest in the kingdom. Women feature prominantly in redemptive history, Mary believed the angels message when two godly males did not. There is a reason Mary Magdalene was to first to see Jesus after the resurrection, she was his attendant, a defacto servant.

Just one more thing, when it says that women must be silent in the worship service it's because these services were in chaos. It never says they cant, parlay sing or prophecy, we know they did all those thing, they just don't get to interrupt someone else.

Indeed women had subordinate roles in ancient times but in the New Testament this is seen as having special merit. Did you know both Tamar and Rahab were prostitutes but actually appear in the genealogy of Christ. God is always flipping the script on us, the servant among us is the greatest and the celebrity is seen as the lowest. The greatest among us is the one who is servant to all and if you seen some of these working mother's they certainly fit the bill.

Grace and peace,
Mark

That's how we understand it in a modern context. Don't be greedy in general, don't scheme to deprive somebody else of their possessions, etc.

On the other hand, other churches don't read the Scriptures critically and they come away with the idea that to be a real, faithful Christian is to believe that women are in effect serfs of men. It comes from not recognizing that certain elements of the Bible are embedded in the culture of their times and are not necessarily timeless attitudes we should endorse.

 

[mark kennedy]

That's how we understand it in a modern context. Don't be greedy in general, don't scheme to deprive somebody else of their possessions, etc.

On the other hand, other churches don't read the Scriptures critically and they come away with the idea that to be a real, faithful Christian is to believe that women are in effect serfs of men. It comes from not recognizing that certain elements of the Bible are embedded in the culture of their times and are not necessarily timeless attitudes we should endorse.

That's a pretty reasonable take on the whole thing, but bear in mind God can turn the whole thing upside down on you. The letter to Philemon doesn't get a lot of attention but Onesumus was an escaped slave. He comes to visit Paul in Rome and Paul sends him back to his master with that letter. Onesumus became the pastor of Ephesus after John and the Bishop of Byzintinia. Thats a long way to go for a common slave. My experience is that women minister better from the pew then the pulpit. In the COGIC churches they are only allowed to serve as evangelists and from what I get, they are some great soul winners. During the great migration blacks moved from the deep South into every major city in the north and the east coast in search of jobs. These women went into the streets evangelizing, prayer for the sick and winning souls for Christ. When they had enough members they would send to Memphis for a pastor and COGIC would raise a church building. While they are required to be respectfully of the male leadership they don't exercise any influence on the women's ministries, that is overseen by the COGIC mother.

We don't see taking the mind of a servant as being desirable but in the kingdom of God the is power in service.

 

[dreadnought]

hello, I apologize if this doesn't belong here but I'm new. I just got saved in may it was amazing. So my Christian journey has just begun. I sometimes feel uncomfortable with some parts of the Bible. Is this normal? I know with some things I just misinterpreted it and or didn't fully understand. What do you do when it makes you feel uncomfortable?

Sometimes the Bible makes us uncomfortable because we don't understand it, and sometimes it makes us uncomfortable because it points out flaws in our character. When it points out flaws in our character, we need to change our character.

 

[Any]

That's how we understand it in a modern context. Don't be greedy in general, don't scheme to deprive somebody else of their possessions, etc.

On the other hand, other churches don't read the Scriptures critically and they come away with the idea that to be a real, faithful Christian is to believe that women are in effect serfs of men. It comes from not recognizing that certain elements of the Bible are embedded in the culture of their times and are not necessarily timeless attitudes we should endorse.

What about the whole LGBT community? It's a sin in the Bible but then some people say it was just a reference to r**ists or male prostitution. In the whole Sodom and Gomorrah story I got the strong feeling that it referenced r**pists. I know that a long time ago gay people weren't as accepted as they are now. I by no means am homophobic or hate gay people, in fact I used to be bi but I got convicted of that and realized it was just lustful. I believe it is a sin but I feel bad about that. It makes me uncomfortable I guess. It also makes me feel bad because that people can be in love and married but it' a sin.

 

[Any]

That's a pretty reasonable take on the whole thing, but bear in mind God can turn the whole thing upside down on you. The letter to Philemon doesn't get a lot of attention but Onesumus was an escaped slave. He comes to visit Paul in Rome and Paul sends him back to his master with that letter. Onesumus became the pastor of Ephesus after John and the Bishop of Byzintinia. Thats a long way to go for a common slave. My experience is that women minister better from the pew then the pulpit. In the COGIC churches they are only allowed to serve as evangelists and from what I get, they are some great soul winners. During the great migration blacks moved from the deep South into every major city in the north and the east coast in search of jobs. These women went into the streets evangelizing, prayer for the sick and winning souls for Christ. When they had enough members they would send to Memphis for a pastor and COGIC would raise a church building. While they are required to be respectfully of the male leadership they don't exercise any influence on the women's ministries, that is overseen by the COGIC mother.

We don't see taking the mind of a servant as being desirable but in the kingdom of God the is power in service.

Thanks for sharing I never heard about all the things you mentioned. I like your saying about the pew and the pulpit. I can kinda see that. Although I have no experience with that.

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

When it is a sin on the first day, it is a sin forever. When it is a sin in the Bible, it is a sin in life.
God does not change.

The world "loves its own". The world's love is opposed to God. It is not God's Love. ever. no, never.

 

[ubicaritas]

What about the whole LGBT community? It's a sin in the Bible but then some people say it was just a reference to r**ists or male prostitution. In the whole Sodom and Gomorrah story I got the strong feeling that it referenced r**pists. I know that a long time ago gay people weren't as accepted as they are now. I by no means am homophobic or hate gay people, in fact I used to be bi but I got convicted of that and realized it was just lustful. I believe it is a sin but I feel bad about that. It makes me uncomfortable I guess. It also makes me feel bad because that people can be in love and married but it' a sin.

That's a very controversial area among Christians, especially on this site.

At my church, which is part of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, everybody is welcome regardless of whether they are gay or not, though we have a somewhat conservative congregation with different views about homosexuality and different ages, we have that as policy. We are not exactly the most gay affirming church, unlike some in our denomination, but we also recognize that Jesus welcomes everyone to his table and its not our place to butt into other peoples bedrooms and private lives to check their purity card.

I really like what Rev. Nadia has to say about sex here, especially the bit about how when people are accepted and loved, they tend to make responsible, self-respecting choices:

Rev. Nadia is more my kind of Lutheran but I try to tolerate folks at my church who are more conservative. I wish I had her as a pastor, sometimes. She has a real sense of authenticity and isn't afraid to offend comfortable people, those are things that I think are more Luther-an than many Lutherans now days.

 

[mark kennedy]

Thanks for sharing I never heard about all the things you mentioned. I like your saying about the pew and the pulpit. I can kinda see that. Although I have no experience with that.

It will happen in time, just like learning to sort things out in the Scriptures.