Judging myself by standards of this world

[Shroom]

I was thinking about a term which I've heard a lot about since coming here which is "of this world" and I think it might have been an aspect of my insecurities.

Just an example of what I mean, a microcosm if you will, take me and my 4 best friends. We boys have known eachother since were were like 3 so they are really close to me and our nicknames are based on inside jokes between ourselves (including mine, which is my username). Out of the 5, I'm like the sore thumb:- the dumb, ugly, straightedge one from the rest. I had a somewhat casual armchair version of a Roman Catholic upbringing being the son of a Israeli and an Italian-American immigrants to New zealand while all my friends are some degree of agnostic atheist.. 3 of my best mates are topping at least one of their classes, another one is a year advanced in front of us at school. One wants to go into medicine, one into engineering, one into law and one into science and they're all kinda smart enough to do it. I'm struggling to find part time work while my friends all have afterschool jobs they got through people they know and enjoy them. I'm kinda the outlier because at parties I don't drink or take any other recreational substances, I'm the only one of us who is still a virgin, etc.

However, since I got out of the mainstream culture of like being a day-to-day highschooler I found that maybe there's more to it than that. New Zealand sports a very liberal, secular, tolerant culture that's positive and free but I obviously don't feel I live up to the cultural expectation of what a teenager is supposed to be.

Then I came an had more than the cursory skim into the idea of God that my Roman Catholic upbringing afforded after I had a conversation with a Muslim neighbour of mine which gave me a very in depth idea about God in his every day life. After that I came to this forum and found out that not only may it be causing stress to compare myself to this culture's expectations but it might not be the best for me if I were to.

With that being said, culture isn't some identity that we have, it's the changing norms of how we do things and we're kinda indoctrinated into it so they're the standards we have. I guess my question is how are we to be free of "they standards of this world" when we're so obviously and wholely in it?

 

[r4.h]

hi Shroom, since coming to Christ at age 28, i no longer fitted in with my friends and thats hard to find out and make adjustment. But Jesus tells us to seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness and the other things will fall into place later.
In Rom 12:2 we are told not conform to the way the worlds values and attitudes etc, but to renew our mind ( by reading and adopting Gods ways ). This renewing takes time and will cost us some friendships abd even family support, but we are promised when God is finished with changing us, out enemies will either have made peace with us or are no longer to be found.

 

[tdidymas]

I was thinking about a term which I've heard a lot about since coming here which is "of this world" and I think it might have been an aspect of my insecurities.

Just an example of what I mean, a microcosm if you will, take me and my 4 best friends. We boys have known eachother since were were like 3 so they are really close to me and our nicknames are based on inside jokes between ourselves (including mine, which is my username). Out of the 5, I'm like the sore thumb:- the dumb, ugly, straightedge one from the rest. I had a somewhat casual armchair version of a Roman Catholic upbringing being the son of a Israeli and an Italian-American immigrants to New zealand while all my friends are some degree of agnostic atheist.. 3 of my best mates are topping at least one of their classes, another one is a year advanced in front of us at school. One wants to go into medicine, one into engineering, one into law and one into science and they're all kinda smart enough to do it. I'm struggling to find part time work while my friends all have afterschool jobs they got through people they know and enjoy them. I'm kinda the outlier because at parties I don't drink or take any other recreational substances, I'm the only one of us who is still a virgin, etc.

However, since I got out of the mainstream culture of like being a day-to-day highschooler I found that maybe there's more to it than that. New Zealand sports a very liberal, secular, tolerant culture that's positive and free but I obviously don't feel I live up to the cultural expectation of what a teenager is supposed to be.

Then I came an had more than the cursory skim into the idea of God that my Roman Catholic upbringing afforded after I had a conversation with a Muslim neighbour of mine which gave me a very in depth idea about God in his every day life. After that I came to this forum and found out that not only may it be causing stress to compare myself to this culture's expectations but it might not be the best for me if I were to.

With that being said, culture isn't some identity that we have, it's the changing norms of how we do things and we're kinda indoctrinated into it so they're the standards we have. I guess my question is how are we to be free of "they standards of this world" when we're so obviously and wholely in it?

By default, we try to "fit in" because we are afraid of persecution. But Jesus said when we are persecuted because of Him, we should rejoice.

The way to get free of the culture is to do everything that Jesus commanded. This requires that we read the Bible enough to be able to remember what Jesus said (and what He meant, according to the apostles' writings). Actually, the Holy Spirit helps us remember, but we still need to be familiar with the scripture. The Bible calls this type of activity "the sanctifying work of the Spirit."
TD

 

[AvgJoe]

I was thinking about a term which I've heard a lot about since coming here which is "of this world" and I think it might have been an aspect of my insecurities.

Just an example of what I mean, a microcosm if you will, take me and my 4 best friends. We boys have known eachother since were were like 3 so they are really close to me and our nicknames are based on inside jokes between ourselves (including mine, which is my username). Out of the 5, I'm like the sore thumb:- the dumb, ugly, straightedge one from the rest. I had a somewhat casual armchair version of a Roman Catholic upbringing being the son of a Israeli and an Italian-American immigrants to New zealand while all my friends are some degree of agnostic atheist.. 3 of my best mates are topping at least one of their classes, another one is a year advanced in front of us at school. One wants to go into medicine, one into engineering, one into law and one into science and they're all kinda smart enough to do it. I'm struggling to find part time work while my friends all have afterschool jobs they got through people they know and enjoy them. I'm kinda the outlier because at parties I don't drink or take any other recreational substances, I'm the only one of us who is still a virgin, etc.

However, since I got out of the mainstream culture of like being a day-to-day highschooler I found that maybe there's more to it than that. New Zealand sports a very liberal, secular, tolerant culture that's positive and free but I obviously don't feel I live up to the cultural expectation of what a teenager is supposed to be.

Then I came an had more than the cursory skim into the idea of God that my Roman Catholic upbringing afforded after I had a conversation with a Muslim neighbour of mine which gave me a very in depth idea about God in his every day life. After that I came to this forum and found out that not only may it be causing stress to compare myself to this culture's expectations but it might not be the best for me if I were to.

With that being said, culture isn't some identity that we have, it's the changing norms of how we do things and we're kinda indoctrinated into it so they're the standards we have. I guess my question is how are we to be free of "they standards of this world" when we're so obviously and wholely in it?

What exactly does it mean that Christians are “not of this world”? The phrase comes from John 18:36 where Jesus says that His kingdom is “not of this world.” As His followers, Christians are members of His kingdom which is “not of this world,” that is, heaven (Philippians 3:20). Yes, we are on earth for now, but our earthly lives are nothing but a vapor (James 4:14). But eternity, now that is a long time, and that is where a Christian’s focus should really be (1 Peter 5:10).

The things of this world, wars, famine, suffering, poverty, etc., impact Christians and non-Christians alike. By remembering that we are “not of this world,” remembering that these things are just for a little while, we can see them in a different light. We are still in this world but we are no longer of it (John 17:14). We are still surrounded by all the horrors and tragedy of this life, but this is not our life (Philippians 3:8-14). The knowledge that we are not of this world gives Christians hope even in the darkest times (1 Peter 1:6-9); hope that this will pass and at the end of it we will be in heaven with our God, face to face forever (Revelation 21:3-4). This cracked and broken place is not where we belong, and it is not where we will stay (Hebrews 13:14).

Christians are not of this world. We have been adopted as heirs of heaven by God Himself and that is our world, our citizenship (Titus 3:7). And in the meanwhile we wait (Titus 2:13), and we hope (Romans 5:5), and we do what we can to bring others into the “not of this world” relationship with Jesus Christ. But this world is not our home, and never will be.

www.gotquestions.org/not-of-this-world.html

 

[Brotherly Spirit]

What separates us from others is faith in Christ. Question I think is relevant is how do we become more Christ-like in our lives?

It's by knowing him and being with him, following him where ever he goes. He gave his flesh and blood to us, we're his body as members of him; coming to him to lead us in life. If we continue in faith to never lose hope, letting him into our lives always; then step by step we should grow to become more like him as he changes us. It's the maturing of our faith growing in Christ as we're given new life.

 

[Shroom]

@r4.h I don't think I'm likely to ditch my friends, I just used them as an example of the greater idea of standards in our culture that we don't realize we're holding ourselves to. Like take one of those friends who we have nicknamed Pete, short for Petri Dish, who got his nickname because he's our age, 16, and has already fooled around/slept with like 9 people already (of which 3 are other boys) and is probably harbouring a petridish of diseases . Now a lot of media targeted to our demographic would portray that as an expression of youth and masculinity rather than the fact that by his own admission he sucks at relationships and the high turnover and casual relationships is because sex is his way of feeling close to people without the emotional risk and investment of people you could maintain a relationship with which is something that the media portrayal would do little to help him with. That would be "of this world" yet I may subconsciously internalize that standard unto myself.

@tdidymas I don't think it's fear of pursecution but I do want to fit in. I think it's more to the fact that culture is what the society - no matter what that society is - continually enforces that we should do. You know, like people who think story tropes unfairly reinforce gender roles or that violent video games normalizes atrocities and desensitizes people.

@AvgJoe Thanks for the run down. So how do you make sure that we don't unintentionally hold ourselves to "worldly" standards in that case? Like obviously what is considered a good life in Saudi Arabia would differ to that in China, it's the unknitting of the part which is us and that which is our environment.

@Brotherly Spirit It's the knowing him which I'm working the hardest on, I hope it kinda gets easier to understand what the heck the "worldly" bits of my life there on after

 

[AvgJoe]

[USER=99910]@AvgJoe Thanks for the run down. So how do you make sure that we don't unintentionally hold ourselves to "worldly" standards in that case? Like obviously what is considered a good life in Saudi Arabia would differ to that in China, it's the unknitting of the part which is us and that which is our environment.[/USER]

To hold ourselves to Godly standards, we need to live the way the Bible instructs us to live.

 

[tdidymas]

@r4.h I don't think I'm likely to ditch my friends, I just used them as an example of the greater idea of standards in our culture that we don't realize we're holding ourselves to. Like take one of those friends who we have nicknamed Pete, short for Petri Dish, who got his nickname because he's our age, 16, and has already fooled around/slept with like 9 people already (of which 3 are other boys) and is probably harbouring a petridish of diseases . Now a lot of media targeted to our demographic would portray that as an expression of youth and masculinity rather than the fact that by his own admission he sucks at relationships and the high turnover and casual relationships is because sex is his way of feeling close to people without the emotional risk and investment of people you could maintain a relationship with which is something that the media portrayal would do little to help him with. That would be "of this world" yet I may subconsciously internalize that standard unto myself.

@tdidymas I don't think it's fear of pursecution but I do want to fit in. I think it's more to the fact that culture is what the society - no matter what that society is - continually enforces that we should do. You know, like people who think story tropes unfairly reinforce gender roles or that violent video games normalizes atrocities and desensitizes people.

@AvgJoe Thanks for the run down. So how do you make sure that we don't unintentionally hold ourselves to "worldly" standards in that case? Like obviously what is considered a good life in Saudi Arabia would differ to that in China, it's the unknitting of the part which is us and that which is our environment.

@Brotherly Spirit It's the knowing him which I'm working the hardest on, I hope it kinda gets easier to understand what the heck the "worldly" bits of my life there on after

I think it's more to the fact that culture is what the society - no matter what that society is - continually enforces that we should do.

Shroom, "enforces" how? under what consequence? Rejection, isolation, infamy, insults, ostracization, all sorts of hate that might be subtle, but persecution nonetheless. Peer pressure is a powerful fleshly force which threatens psychological misery.
TD

 

[Shroom]

To hold ourselves to Godly standards, we need to live the way the Bible instructs us to live.

Okay, let's put it in this way:- my upbringing lead me to think I was already doing this and that conversation lead me to question that I had. Reading 66 dryly worded, archaically written books published over the span of a millennium an then translated by King James in 1611 is a daunting task for a dyslexic teenager (like I sometimes use a text to voice programme with larger paragraphs) for a religion whose modern incarnation is so entwined in what is labeled as a worldly culture that its most significant dates, like Easter and Christmas, are marked by pagan festivals.

That's why I'm wondering which standards are worldly and why referring to the Bible (again, thanks for picking out verses) alone doesn't feel like the most efficient way of doing that.

Shroom, "enforces" how? under what consequence? Rejection, isolation, infamy, insults, ostracization, all sorts of hate that might be subtle, but persecution nonetheless. Peer pressure is a powerful fleshly force which threatens psychological misery.
TD

I think it's more like like is belching at the table a complement to the chef in Beijing but poor hygiene in Paris. It's taboo to eat a pig but fine to eat cattle in Cairo but the other way around in Varanasi. Today, baby boys wear blue and girld wear pink, 100 years ago it was the other way around. It doesn't take persecution, just like social norms that we internalize.

 

[tdidymas]

Okay, let's put it in this way:- my upbringing lead me to think I was already doing this and that conversation lead me to question that I had. Reading 66 dryly worded, archaically written books published over the span of a millennium an then translated by King James in 1611 is a daunting task for a dyslexic teenager (like I sometimes use a text to voice programme with larger paragraphs) for a religion whose modern incarnation is so entwined in what is labeled as a worldly culture that its most significant dates, like Easter and Christmas, are marked by pagan festivals.

That's why I'm wondering which standards are worldly and why referring to the Bible (again, thanks for picking out verses) alone doesn't feel like the most efficient way of doing that.



I think it's more like like is belching at the table a complement to the chef in Beijing but poor hygiene in Paris. It's taboo to eat a pig but fine to eat cattle in Cairo but the other way around in Varanasi. Today, baby boys wear blue and girld wear pink, 100 years ago it was the other way around. It doesn't take persecution, just like social norms that we internalize.

So then, you don't think when someone is laughed at (for derision) that it is persecution? Albeit a subtle psychological one? If someone goes against social norms, what do you think people will do about it? What makes something "taboo"? If someone does something that is "taboo" to the social norm, what do you think the "social normals" will do?
TD

 

[AvgJoe]

Okay, let's put it in this way:- my upbringing lead me to think I was already doing this and that conversation lead me to question that I had. Reading 66 dryly worded, archaically written books published over the span of a millennium an then translated by King James in 1611 is a daunting task for a dyslexic teenager (like I sometimes use a text to voice programme with larger paragraphs) for a religion whose modern incarnation is so entwined in what is labeled as a worldly culture that its most significant dates, like Easter and Christmas, are marked by pagan festivals.

That's why I'm wondering which standards are worldly and why referring to the Bible (again, thanks for picking out verses) alone doesn't feel like the most efficient way of doing that.

I'm sorry, with this being a Christian forum, I thought you were looking for the Christian answer to your question.

 

[Ridgewhen]

I'm sorry, with this being a Christian forum, I thought you were looking for the Christian answer to your question.

I was just reading through, not intending to be a member and I saw this post and I got rather miffed as somebody with a lad who too struggled with dyslexia. I'm sorry but it is actually a tall ask to slam a whole book in front of a kid and insist he stops getting subconscious messages from his culture from an instruction manual big enough to have whole new faiths spawn from the disagreement of what it says. I think it was kinda passive aggressive of you for him to state that his inexperience, youth and learning disability as to suggest he wouldn't accept a "Christian answer".

I was thinking about a term which I've heard a lot about since coming here which is "of this world" and I think it might have been an aspect of my insecurities.

Just an example of what I mean, a microcosm if you will, take me and my 4 best friends. We boys have known eachother since were were like 3 so they are really close to me and our nicknames are based on inside jokes between ourselves (including mine, which is my username). Out of the 5, I'm like the sore thumb:- the dumb, ugly, straightedge one from the rest. I had a somewhat casual armchair version of a Roman Catholic upbringing being the son of a Israeli and an Italian-American immigrants to New zealand while all my friends are some degree of agnostic atheist.. 3 of my best mates are topping at least one of their classes, another one is a year advanced in front of us at school. One wants to go into medicine, one into engineering, one into law and one into science and they're all kinda smart enough to do it. I'm struggling to find part time work while my friends all have afterschool jobs they got through people they know and enjoy them. I'm kinda the outlier because at parties I don't drink or take any other recreational substances, I'm the only one of us who is still a virgin, etc.

However, since I got out of the mainstream culture of like being a day-to-day highschooler I found that maybe there's more to it than that. New Zealand sports a very liberal, secular, tolerant culture that's positive and free but I obviously don't feel I live up to the cultural expectation of what a teenager is supposed to be.

Then I came an had more than the cursory skim into the idea of God that my Roman Catholic upbringing afforded after I had a conversation with a Muslim neighbour of mine which gave me a very in depth idea about God in his every day life. After that I came to this forum and found out that not only may it be causing stress to compare myself to this culture's expectations but it might not be the best for me if I were to.

With that being said, culture isn't some identity that we have, it's the changing norms of how we do things and we're kinda indoctrinated into it so they're the standards we have. I guess my question is how are we to be free of "they standards of this world" when we're so obviously and wholely in it?

You're right about culture mate, it can get in the way of God. I looked at your profile's other post to get a better idea about your story you alluded to and I think the answer can be found in your friend there. His trust in God allowed him to escape the judgement of his worldly standards (if this is the the same person you described you emigrated from Iran).

As a recovering Catholic myself, I think my answer to you is to look yourself in the mirror and realize "that there is the image of God. That there doesn't need to change for anyone around me". Now how you described your more secular friends and how you're different tells me that the Holy Spirit is whispering into your ear, seeing you actively resisted what many teenagers would have capitulated to. Listen to your conscience, if seems like it's coming from a good place. That other voice you have of envy, that chains your pride to things you see on TV and what not, that is your enemy.

Have the self confidence that you know right from wrong. The Bible can definitely help but you're right about it being rather dry. I gathered that you only have a KJV to make matters worse. I have six boys, 2 of them are interested in God's deal including one that is also dyslexic. What I read is a printed version of this, take your text to speech programme to that should you need.

I know myself what it's like to find out you're being lied to by any which way, but your story convinces me that you have in your heart the tools to discern the truth

 

[Sketcher]

Decent people won't pressure you to live against Godly standards of behavior. If you make Biblical morals your own, they will generally respect your choice. This is to balance out my next piece of advice, so you don't go overboard with it and needlessly offend people: Be fine with giving ungodly standards the finger. There should be strength in your convictions to follow Jesus. There is an identity in being a born-again follower of Jesus, and dignity in it. Embrace it.

 

[Ronald]

I was thinking about a term which I've heard a lot about since coming here which is "of this world" and I think it might have been an aspect of my insecurities.

Just an example of what I mean, a microcosm if you will, take me and my 4 best friends. We boys have known eachother since were were like 3 so they are really close to me and our nicknames are based on inside jokes between ourselves (including mine, which is my username). Out of the 5, I'm like the sore thumb:- the dumb, ugly, straightedge one from the rest. I had a somewhat casual armchair version of a Roman Catholic upbringing being the son of a Israeli and an Italian-American immigrants to New zealand while all my friends are some degree of agnostic atheist.. 3 of my best mates are topping at least one of their classes, another one is a year advanced in front of us at school. One wants to go into medicine, one into engineering, one into law and one into science and they're all kinda smart enough to do it. I'm struggling to find part time work while my friends all have afterschool jobs they got through people they know and enjoy them. I'm kinda the outlier because at parties I don't drink or take any other recreational substances, I'm the only one of us who is still a virgin, etc.

However, since I got out of the mainstream culture of like being a day-to-day highschooler I found that maybe there's more to it than that. New Zealand sports a very liberal, secular, tolerant culture that's positive and free but I obviously don't feel I live up to the cultural expectation of what a teenager is supposed to be.

Then I came an had more than the cursory skim into the idea of God that my Roman Catholic upbringing afforded after I had a conversation with a Muslim neighbour of mine which gave me a very in depth idea about God in his every day life. After that I came to this forum and found out that not only may it be causing stress to compare myself to this culture's expectations but it might not be the best for me if I were to.

With that being said, culture isn't some identity that we have, it's the changing norms of how we do things and we're kinda indoctrinated into it so they're the standards we have. I guess my question is how are we to be free of "they standards of this world" when we're so obviously and wholely in it?

First of all, you aren't dumb.
Second, your upbringing had some influence but not enough. It seems you are on the fence. What I mean is, the world has its norms and Christianity is somewhat apart from those norms, but has influenced the world, unbeknownst to them. In other words, whatever is good in life comes from God. We are given knowledge of good and evil and you simply must follow and embrace what is good and discard the rest. That is just what we do outwardly.
The inner self needs cleansing. If you truly believe that Jesus died for your sins and rose on the third day, you will be saved. But how do you believe? Faith comes by the WORD. So, you either read it (newer version like NKJV or NASB) or get an audio versuin, sit back and start with the New Testament.
Faith is like a seed that needs to be nourished with water. The word nourishes us, otherwise our faith will remain weak at best OR DIE. The attitude of it being archaic and dry, etc., reflects your lack of being inspirated by it. If you are looking for answers outside of the Bible to life, you won't find them. Christians, (when you become born again), are hungry for the WORD, ITS FOOD THAT THEY CRAVE IT, BUT YOU DONT - YET.
Do you want a closer relationship to God?
Do you desire not to be of the world?
Do you pray and that is talk to God and ask Him these things?
God will transform your mind, will, emotions and cleanse your spirit if you ask Him to. It seems like you want to want which is a second order of abilities. God enables us to have spiritual enlightenment. When you are born again, (meaning when you truly believe in Jesus, have turned to God and asked for forgiveness), He will give you the Holy Spirit who will dwell in you. THEN YOU WILL FOCUS ON THINGS ABOVE AND NOT ON THINGS BELOW. We have to live in the world, but we don't have to conform to it. Its a daily decision to say no to each and every thing that is not good. God enables us, and we actually do go from blindness to being able to see the world with a different perspective. We begin to hate sin in it and in our lives. We die to ourselves - our old ways.
So, do you want to want this?

 

[AvgJoe]

I was just reading through, not intending to be a member and I saw this post and I got rather miffed as somebody with a lad who too struggled with dyslexia. I'm sorry but it is actually a tall ask to slam a whole book in front of a kid and insist he stops getting subconscious messages from his culture from an instruction manual big enough to have whole new faiths spawn from the disagreement of what it says. I think it was kinda passive aggressive of you for him to state that his inexperience, youth and learning disability as to suggest he wouldn't accept a "Christian answer".

If you read through, then you saw that Shroom asked, "So how do you make sure that we don't unintentionally hold ourselves to "worldly" standards in that case?" and my answer was, "To hold ourselves to Godly standards, we need to live the way the Bible instructs us to live."

The way God wants Christian's to live is found in the Bible.

 

[Ridgewhen]

If you read through, then you saw that Shroom asked, "So how do you make sure that we don't unintentionally hold ourselves to "worldly" standards in that case?" and my answer was, "To hold ourselves to Godly standards, we need to live the way the Bible instructs us to live."

The way God wants Christian's to live is found in the Bible.

And he asked you "can you help me in an easier way to do that" in so many words, he was very honest with personal flaws that obstructed that and you gave an answer which had a tone that could be taken as rather snarky.

He's a new [actual] believer, that he admitted that he probably wouldn't cope in the deep end of the pool shouldn't have been met with sarcasm; it should have been met with elaboration and direction.

Shroom, I don't intend to post here again so if you have Discord, Google+, Messenger or Skype, private message your account details to me and we'll have a chat if you do

 

[Shroom]

@tdidymas Not really, I see persecution as more like going after a collective identity: an ethnic, political, etc. group. Not so much day to day social backlash.

@AvgJoe No, I mean, as an example that I turned my own old bible onto a random page:

“And he arose from thence, and cometh into the coasts of Judaea by the farther side of Jordan: and the people resort unto him again; and, as he was wont, he taught them again.” (Mark 10:1.)

I don't know what that's supposed to say, my brain gains no comprehension of the message of that, the more I read that the less sense it makes and the words are so weird that the letters are even harder to focus on that usual. Like what is cometh? What is wont? What is resort unto? 66 BOOKS OF THAT?! That's the context I'm working with, and seeing I can't have my computer talk for me with a book like it did Ronald's paragraph-less post, it wasn't that your answer was too Christian.

@Ridgewhen I don't think AvgeJoe meant it like that, he might have misunderstood me or maybe had a less harsh tone. I'll definitly shoot you my outlook name, you can find me on skype through that.

I suppose I am also set apart because I hesitate when something "feels" wrong, I never thought it anything more than that. Yeah, that neighbour is the same guy from Iran.

Thanks a heap for the webpage, it's way easier to read AND listen to.

@Sketcher Well my friends often tell eachother "you're not my real mum, you can't tell me what to do" so I think that I can do. I suppose it kinda helps me justify how I feel about things rather than feel like I'm somehow weird.

@Ronald Yours was actually really helpful, Like REALLY helpful. I think I'll have to work at what this thread is about first before getting good at your suggestions though

 

[AvgJoe]

And he asked you "can you help me in an easier way to do that" in so many words, he was very honest with personal flaws that obstructed that and you gave an answer which had a tone that could be taken as rather snarky.

He's a new [actual] believer, that he admitted that he probably wouldn't cope in the deep end of the pool shouldn't have been met with sarcasm; it should have been met with elaboration and direction.

Shroom, I don't intend to post here again so if you have Discord, Google+, Messenger or Skype, private message your account details to me and we'll have a chat if you do

My posts were not meant in the manner you perceived them and I did not understand Shroom's posts in the way that you did.

 

[AvgJoe]

@AvgJoe No, I mean, as an example that I turned my own old bible onto a random page:

“And he arose from thence, and cometh into the coasts of Judaea by the farther side of Jordan: and the people resort unto him again; and, as he was wont, he taught them again.” (Mark 10:1.)

I don't know what that's supposed to say, my brain gains no comprehension of the message of that, the more I read that the less sense it makes and the words are so weird that the letters are even harder to focus on that usual. Like what is cometh? What is wont? What is resort unto? 66 BOOKS OF THAT?! That's the context I'm working with, and seeing I can't have my computer talk for me with a book like it did Ronald's paragraph-less post, it wasn't that your answer was too Christian.

I understand your point now, I have the hardest time trying to understand the King James Version, as well. Read it over and over and my mind goes in circles trying to figure it out. Personally, I use 3 Bible versions, the New King James Version/NKJV (uses modern language), the New Living Translation/NLT (very easy to read) and the Amplified Bible/AMP (brings out the full meaning of the text). When I'm just reading the Bible, I'll use either the NLT or the NKJV but when I'm studying or trying to figure something out, I'll use all 3, comparing each one to the other to get the full meaning.

Using the same verse, Mark 10:1, here is the NKJV,

10 Then He arose from there and came to the region of Judea by the other side of the Jordan. And multitudes gathered to Him again, and as He was accustomed, He taught them again.
​

here is the NLT,

10 Then Jesus left Capernaum and went down to the region of Judea and into the area east of the Jordan River. Once again crowds gathered around him, and as usual he was teaching them.
​

and here is the AMP,

10 Getting up, He left there (Capernaum) and went to the region of Judea and beyond the Jordan; and crowds gathered around Him again and accompanied Him, and as was His custom, He once more began to teach them.
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You can get these 3 versions on biblegateway .com~~~> Bible Gateway passage: Mark 10 - New Living Translation . On that page, there are 2 search boxes at the top of the page. In the search box on the left, input any book/chapter or book/chapter/verse combo to search and click on the search box on the right to find the 3 Bible versions listed above, plus many more. Also, look at the small symbols at the right end of the grey box, that is right above the Bible text. Click on the first symbol to the right, the speaker, and it will read the book that is presented there. (Just noticed that the NLT has the speaker but the NKJV and AMP do not)

Concerning Godly standards we should live by, maybe this will help~~~> What Does the Bible Say About Living A Christian Life?

 

[Shroom]

I had no idea there were so many ways to translate a book 0_o