The main point of scripture is surely not the hurtful strife and
bickering we constantly see, but surely it is upliftment.
Just quoting scripture for the purpose of beating someone down, making
them feel rejected, or less knowledgable, or a heathen, that was not
the good news of the ev angelion. The gospel message of the lord jesus
was upliftment, doing good, walking humbly with god.
Like native spirituality, it was intended to be lived. It aint just
knowing a bunch of fancy theology, or knowing when, how, in what order,
all sorts of abstruse end times events are going to eschatologically
occur. NO!! It's doing the simple words of jesus in the here and now,
in the flesh, among one's fellow human beings, right herebelow.
Ironically, there are times, I believe, that the ones who most closely
are DOING the positive message of the lord jesus, are probably the
silent witnesses, the afflicted, the minorities, the outcasts, the
lowly ones, the "rejects" who the Church in its wisdom considers NOT
GOOD ENOUGH.
Look at who turns the other cheek. Look at who goes into all the world
doing good. Look at who is poor in spirit. It is minorities, outcasts,
yes, above all, no doubt, the Jews through history.
Shouldn't we learn to read the scripture for the purpose of humbling
ourselves? Shouldn't we learn to read the scripture for the purpose of
obeying?
The bible says we are beasts.
We don't like to think that. But look at Ecclesiastes, the Preacher:
dixi in corde meo de filiis hominum ut probaret eos Deus et ostenderet
similes esse bestiis
See Qoheleth 3: 18 (see 19, 20, too)
In the King James Version it says
"a man hath no preeminence above a beast"
We hate being humbled ...
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