Well, the catholic portion of it anywayHi Dan, the issue isn't really being smart enough to decide for yourself what is canonical rather the Christian faith is a recieved system hence we recite the Nicene or Apostles Creed each week to remember the faith we were baptised into. So focus on reading the sixty-six books and perhaps buy yourself a copy of the Apocrypha too just for fun.
Well, the catholic portion of it anyway
I just wanted you to be aware that there are differing versions of Christianity.
Really that is what we believe. I can quote verse after verse of Gnostic writing to prove it, or you can simply believe that a Gnostic Pastor has no reason to lie about what he believes.
I think you are being overly simplistic here, to say that there are differing versions of Christianity ignores the development of doctrine. I would really recommend reading Catholicity and Heresy in the Early Church by Dr. Edwards.
Not to get too off topic but considering most are not smart enough (including myself) to decide what should be thrown out or added in are we safe to say its ok to read what we already have? I am smart to know that some translations are better than others but when it comes to sorting out what books may or may not be accurate - this is way over my head. Thanks,
Dan
I am certain I'm on the right track since I have rejected most doctrine of mainstream Christianity for the last few years. I guess you can call me a universalist if you want a label. I have been mostly focused on translation issues of the bible but this thread kind of made me feel even more uninformed and ignorant...but reguardless I think I'm on the right path
Strangertoo - I thought...
Eph 4:5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism,
3 baptisms? Is water baptism really necessary? I thought we were baptized in spirit - into Jesus. I realize that to stop sinning would open up many more doors but getting there is a challenge.
No, there's one baptism, just as scripture teaches. It uses water, but metaphorically we may speak of other baptisms, as Christ spoke of us being baptised into his death. To be sure, he was not suggesting that we all must be literally crucified.Strangertoo - I thought...
Eph 4:5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism,
3 baptisms? Is water baptism really necessary? I thought we were baptized in spirit - into Jesus. I realize that to stop sinning would open up many more doors but getting there is a challenge.
No, there's one baptism, just as scripture teaches. It uses water, but metaphorically we may speak of other baptisms, as Christ spoke of us being baptised into his death. To be sure, he was not suggesting that we all must be literally crucified.
That certainly is the apologetic view, but not from the historical view.
Every religion, and some subsections of each religion have what is called confessional history. No religion is really as old as it's confessional history.
I.e. Islam claim that Mohammed received his teachings from the angel Gabriel while sitting in a cave, and the Q'uran and the Haddith's ascribe many miracles to him.
However, a good scholar may be a fantastic Christian, but in the scholastic world, if he is a good scholar, he folds his beliefs up and puts them in his pocket.
Scholarship discounts all miracles unless they can be proven--- The Christmas truce of 1914 comes to mind.
So, when dealing with mohammed in the cave, scholarship at this point, and really scholarship on the islamic religion has just started, believes that Islam was started by dechristianized Sethians, who wrote a dead Warlord into a story. I'm sure this offends Islamics as much as it does Christians when they say that the Timothies and Titus are not genuine Paul but rather late forgeries written against the marcionite Christians whose praxis included just about everything written against.
At this point they are leaning toward Mark being a Gnostic text.
Praxis is your belief in action. Your praxis and mine are the same. Love. Fill yourself with it.
The Limitless Light experiencing itself means that everyone is everyone else..
Lee Martin McDonald is always worth a read! Both Biblical Canon: Its Origin, Transmission, and Authority and Forgotten Scriptures: The Selection and Rejection of Early Religious Writings.
God is more worthy of attention, for His Truth is absolute, guaranteed PURE , unlike that of sinners , which almost all men are ...
and God's Truth is free to anyone who will listen, who stops listening to Satan's persuasions and sinning against God and men [and themselves]
1 John 3:6 Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.
...
1 John 3:8 He that committeth sin is of the devil
1 John 5:18 We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not.