#aka: there was heaven in your eyes (i was not baptized) | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

ironwoman359 · 3 years

Text

This is probably not the best place to ask, but you’re also a Christian woman too. I was wondering what you thought about what the Bible says about women and how we must submit to husbands and some other stuff that has me (a potential ace) Christain woman kind of terrified. I would go to my church but social anxiety and my church is pretty conservative. I don’t want to think that we’re just second rate citizens with this. Um…that’s all. You don’t have to answer. Love your Tumblr. It’s one of the main ones I look at. Thanks for countless enjoyment!

— — —

(I’m responding on the submission and not the ask because the ask refused to post properly, I think it was too long for Tumblr’s fancy)

So I know you just asked for my thoughts and not a biblical interpretation lesson, but I didn’t spend 3 months writing an exegesis in college for me to never use those skills again, so buckle up for something of a long answer! (literally, this is almost 3 thousand words, so....sorry about that) *rubs hands together* The thing we need to take into consideration when reading the bible is Interpretation; any truly honest biblical scholar would tell you it is a mistake to take every word in the bible at its literal face value, ESPECIALLY since most of us are reading translations of scripture, not the original ancient hebrew/greek/aramaic/whatever else. So when interpreting scripture, we must consider these things:

Author (Who wrote it?)

Audience (Who was it written for?)

Context (What is written around it?)

So the verses you’re referencing are Ephesians 5:22-23, and in the NIV, they read as follows:

22 Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.

Isolated from author, audience, and context, they sound pretty sexist, don’t they? And male authority figures have used these verses as justification for the oppression of women for centuries, just as white men used the passage only a few verses away, Ephesians 6:5, as justification for the oppression and ownership of black people (Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ). So let’s look at each of the points above in regards to Ephesians 5 and 6. First, who wrote it? Sometimes that can be a tricky question to answer, but in this case, it’s actually very easy (though there is still a bit of fuzziness/debate). Traditionally, Ephesians is one of the Apostle Paul’s letters to the early church. Specifically, to the body of believers in Ephesus, a Greek city that was a part of the Roman Empire at the time. According to two different study bibles I have, the letter of Ephesians was not addressing any particular problem that the church in Ephesus had (as was often the case with Paul’s letters), but was meant as an encouragement of faith and to increase his readers’ understanding of what it meant to be a follower of Christ. So now what about the Context? Why are the verses at the end of chapter 5 and beginning of chapter 6 so damning to our modern sensibilities? To answer that, we must look at the passages both in context to the verses around them, and in historical and cultural context (which is where 1 & 2 come into play again). Going back to the beginning of chapter 4, which is subtitled “Unity in the Body of Christ” (and remember, these subtitles and groupings were come up with LONG after they were written; we grouped sections together in a way we thought was most logical, which honestly for a book as short as Ephesians I would argue is barely even necessary), we can see that the letter from chapter 4 onward is about living a Holy and Godly life. Chapter 4 urges us to be “completely humble and gentle, be patient, bearing with one another in love” and warns us against living “as the Gentiles* do, in the futility of their thinking.” *Gentiles in this case meaning not neccesarily all non-Jews, but non-believers. AKA, we should live like Jesus lived, WWJD and all that jazz. If the Holy Spirit is in our hearts and our relationship with God is at the forefront of our lives, then that should show clearly in our actions. The very first verse of chapter 5 reads “Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” Chapters 5 and 6 especially are meant to act as a sort of guide for how a follower of Christ should act. There’s some stuff about obscenity, greed, sexual impurity, 5:15 sums it up pretty well basically, “Be very careful, then, how you live- not as unwise but as wise,” and then we reach the all important verse. Ephesians 5:21, “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.” That’s a full sentence, just that there. Submit to one another. The following three sections are all subsections of this point: one for Wives submitting to Husbands, one for Children submitting to Parents, and one for Slaves submitting to Masters. But when looking at all of these, bad shepherds (ie, racist, sexist assholes) like to ignore that first bit, submit to one another, just as they like to ignore 5:28, which says “husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself;” or they ignore 6:4 which says “Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord;” and they ignore 6:9, “Masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him.” I do highly encourage you to read chapters 4, 5, and 6 in full, or at least start at 4:17, which is where Paul starts talking about “Living as Children of Light,” because it makes the intent of these apparently damning verses much more clear. Paul is stating that as Christians, we should treat everyone around us with honor and respect. According to one of my study bibles, the grammar of the original Greek suggests that the “submission” involved in all three sections is intended to be mutual submission, and is to come from a filling of the Holy Spirit. However, to be quite frank, Paul still Lived In A Society. A highly structured, patriarchal society, in which all members of a household (women, children, slaves) were expected to submit to the patriarchal head of that household. Male children until they reached adulthood, Slaves until they were freed (remember that, while by no means a purely morally good thing, the system of Roman Slavery was VASTLY DIFFERENT from the Atlantic Slave Trade that men later used this passage to justify existing), and women, unfortunately, for their whole lives. In another one of his letters, what is now the book of Galatians, Paul says in chapter 3 verse 27-29 that “You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” This would have been radical at the time. Paul is promising all people of all genders and classes that, in the eyes of God, they are Equal, One, and all “sons,” meaning that they all have a right to the Inheritance of the Father (remember, at this time and in this culture women did not get any inheritance, and younger sons got significantly less than the firstborn. Paul assures the believers that they ALL are equal receivers of the Promises of God). But this equality that Paul speaks of was, in his eyes, a spiritual equality. He was not particularly concerned with overthrowing the earthly patriarchal society that subjugated women and lower classes, but rather instructed all members of that society who also were Believers to submit equally to one another out of love and respect, for they were all Equal in God’s eyes and would be Equal in heaven. This is why he both tells women to submit to and obey their husbands, but also husbands to love, cherish, and care for their wives. Children, obey your parents, but Fathers, don’t be dicks to your kids. Slaves should obey their masters (slavery was much more like a job that you weren’t allowed to quit until your boss said so) but Masters shouldn’t abuse their slaves. There are Societal Authorities, and Paul is telling his readers “look you can’t just go around not respecting those Authorities, but also hey, if you’re the Authority? That’s not a free pass to be an asshole.” As one of my study bibles puts it, “Paul counseled all believers to submit to one another by choice…this kind of mutual submission preserves order and harmony in the family while it increases love and respect among family members.” Paul is basically saying “it’s better for everyone if we all get along, and remember that Christ had a servant’s heart, and intentionally lowered himself for us, so we should do the same for each other.” And while a patriarchal class system is still super sucky for like 80% of the people involved, at least it’s a whole lot more bearable if everyone involved is being a Nice, Good Member of that Society. You mentioned being worried about being treated like a “second rate citizen.” The fact of the matter is that when this was written, women were second rate citizens; that is the context in which Paul is writing. And while I firmly believe that that was wrong, in every sense of the word, Paul wasn’t especially concerned about challenging that aspect of society. Priority one was “Spread the Gospel” and Priority two was “Don’t Get Killed while Spreading the Gospel.” Speaking of Paul, let’s talk a little more about Saul of Tarsus, shall we? In all literary analysis, it is important to examine the author’s beliefs and what biases may have made their way into the work. And while we believe the bible to be a Holy Book, it can and should be subject to the same rules of literary analysis as non-religious texts. First, you must ask yourself, what do you believe about the bible? There are four general ways of looking at it (which are called Theories of Inspiration).

The bible is the Divine Word of God, dictated word for word across centuries directly to its human authors by God Himself.

The bible is the Divine Word of God, written across centuries by men Inspired by the Holy Spirit. While they are writing in their own words, this Inspiration means that the bible is Wholly Perfect with no errors.

The bible is the Divine Word of God, written across centuries by men Inspired by the Holy Spirit. However, because they are imperfect, fallible men, there is a possibility of errors in the text, both in the account of events that happened and in the teaching therein.

The bible is a collection of accounts written by men, with no Divine Intervention from God. It is not Holy, God’s Word, or Infallible.

I was raised to believe theory 2, but now I personally believe theory 3. And since I’m the author of this analysis, it is through the lens and bias of theory 3 that I now present my next point: Paul was sexist. I don’t think he was maliciously so (see again, Galatians 3, and the statement in Ephesians 5 that men should honor, cherish, and care for their wives), but he was a product of his time who had ingrained ideas about women and their place in society. This does not A) mean he was right about how women should act OR B) mean that we should toss out everything he had to say, about women or otherwise, because he was Problematic. Most biblical authors were, in fact, Problematic. Either by our modern standards, due to the time in which they lived, OR by the standards of their own time, because God liked to use Imperfect People (we’re all imperfect, but He liked particularly imperfect people) in His plans. David was an adulterer and murderer. Paul happily sent dozens of Christians to their deaths. Peter was hotheaded and super prejudiced against Gentiles and Samaritans. And most of them were, in one way or another, sexist, racist, and homophobic. These biases then found their way, intentionally or not, into their writings, and then other racist, sexist, homophobic men used those writings to justify systemic oppression of anyone who was not like them. Oppression that is not Christlike. So where does that leave us, in our 21st century application of scripture to our daily lives? We must examine how it was to be read at the time (which we have done), and then see what we can apply from it to our own lives. For myself in my marriage, I look again to the original grammar of Ephesians 5, that indicates the submission is to be mutual. I “submit” to my husband, and he “submits” to me. In other words, our relationship is built on Trust, Clear Communication, and Respect for one another. Sometimes we have to compromise, and I have to put aside my own desires for his sake, or he must set aside his own desires for my sake. It is a willingness to listen to one another, to approach conflicts with an open mind, to consider each other’s feelings before we speak. It is an equal, mutual submission based on love for each other, which doesn’t contradict what Paul says at all. God created all people to be equal. Humans are stupid sometimes and try to insist that we know better, try to create hierarchies and use the bible to try and justify that, but that doesn’t mean those humans are right. If your church is trying to make you feel less than because of your gender, or if you date somebody who pushes TradWife rhetoric and tries to use Ephesians as their justification, then you Run, and feel justified in doing so. (Especially if they also try to use Paul’s words to tell you why you owe your partner sex; see again, Paul was not only sexist but also lived in a patriarchal time when women were second class citizens that had very specific expectations placed on them AND he wasn’t even in a relationship himself, forgive me if I take his advice on my sex life with a grain of salt. Without doing this whole process again, a good modern reading of “don’t deprive one another” is “don’t use sex as a weapon in your relationship/withhold it for bs reasons when you’re mad at each other, etc. Like all other relationship things, sex (or a lack thereof) with your spouse should be based on mutual trust, communication, and love, not petty arguments or the standards of others.)

Trust me, as an ace woman myself, I totally get the fear. I’ve felt it myself, in the past. But God’s intentions for you are not that you become a doormat or servant to a man. If a romantic relationship (or any other partnership) is part of His plan for you, then the bible clearly states, both in Ephesians and elsewhere, that it should be one built on Love and Trust, not Subjugation and Servitude.

I hope this helped you, and again, sorry it was so long XD. Have an amazing day! <3

#christianity #biblical analysis #religion #anti trad wife #ephesians 5 #ace things #taylor talks #for a loooong time

180 notes · View notes

naturalhairhairgrowth · 4 years

Text

“Love Not The World”

Where is your focus? Do you wake up everyday with your mind on this temporary life, giving all your thought to this world and the things in it and no time to your Creator? You know, GOD Almighty the one who made you, gave you everything you have, allowed you to wake up another day, etc etc. Are you so in love with this world and the things in it that you say you don’t have time for GOD? You know, “I don’t have time to read my bible”, “I don’t have time to attend church”. Not that attending church is necessary for you to be saved, but you sure need to know what’s written in that bible to be saved, because there is an eternal life after this temporary one! Let me tell you something about this world you love so much and are so obsessed with. The Holy Bible (a non-religious book, simply the Word of GOD) lets us know “The earth is given into the hand of the wicked: he covereth the faces of the judges thereof; if not, where, and who is he? Job 9:24 KJV and "And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.” Revelation 12:9 KJV. It also states.. “In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.” 2 Corinthians 4:4 KJV. So you better know who is running things on the earth right now and understand why there is so much violence and bad in the world.

Have you ever wondered why so much violence, vulgar language, and explicit media and music is in this world or even allowed to be aired to the public the way it is? Not to mention, children are exposed to this everyday. The media conditions you to think a certain way. For example, at one point most people thought it was disgusting that a man and a man, or a woman and woman were together; but now because of the media and lines put out there like, “love is love”, “no hate”, “gay pride”, etc. people believe it is now ok and more accepting of it. Now if you stand up for what is right and what is written in GOD’S Word then you are labeled as hating others. It doesn’t stop there, the media does the same thing with filling TV shows with lies, sex, vulgarity, nudity, violence, etc. making it seem like these things are normal and cool; all of which is clearly written in the Word of GOD that these things are sin. Are you beginning to see satan is behind all this yet? The media is controlled by the people on top, the elite; and just with a little research you will find that these people worship satan. But the Holy Bible let’s us know that already; remember what satan told Jesus Christ after He was baptized and led into the wilderness to fast…”Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.” Matthew 4:8-11 KJV

Look at all the things in the world that so easily take your mind off GOD; movies, tv series, activities, sports, relationships, social media, careers, schooling, your desires and goals, etc. etc. The list is never ending. SOME of the things mentioned above are not bad, but what is bad is that it completely takes your attention off of GOD and Jesus Christ. You also make time for all these things, right? However, still your excuse is I have no time for GOD. Let’s be honest, you make time for everything else, if you wanted to you could easily make time for GOD. Also how hard is it to read the bible during some of your down-time? When Jesus Christ came to die for our sins, He didn’t tell the Father GOD Almighty, I don’t have time to die for them; and THANK JESUS CHRIST for that!, else we would all be headed to hell with satan who is ruling this earth right now and deceiving you daily!

The world is wicked and offers you all types of sin and wickedness to get involved in. The majority of which, is fed to you through that TV aka “idiot box”, “tel-LIE-vision”, you’ve heard these terms before; cant say those terms are false. The bible tells us “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever. 1 John 2:15-17 KJV. Thats surely true, if you don’t have time for GOD you surely do not love HIM. This earth is evil; filled with trials, pain, heartache, etc. Do you really think our Righteous Creator will have such things in HIS Kingdom in Heaven? Absolutely not!

It would be in your best interest to get curious about the ‘Word of GOD’ (the KJV King James Version Holy Bible) and open it up and learn how to be righteous so you will be worthy to make it into Heaven. You may also already know about Jesus Christ and that He died for your sins, but did you know simply believing that or going to church will not get you in the gates of Heaven, that there are things required of you? So open up the KJV Holy Bible and read for yourself, but for a head start, here is what you MUST know. Jesus Christ lets us know clearly in the KJV Holy Bible that in order to enter Heaven you MUST be baptized in water, a full body immersion; not sprinkled, etc. (John 3:5 KJV) When you do this you receive the gift of the Holy Spirit which without you also cannot get into the Kingdom of Heaven as Jesus Christ lets us know. You MUST be born again to get into the Kingdom of GOD (John 3:3 KJV), this means you have turned from your sins, all the things that are against GOD and live for Jesus Christ. (Romans 6:4 KJV) Your main focus will be obeying GOD and Jesus Christ and that’s exactly what you will now do in this life. That’s how you get into Heaven. So now some light has been shed on things for you. So no longer be deceived by the enemy satan by becoming lost in this world and the cares of this world. As Ecclesiastes 12:13 KJV lets us know, "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.”

#GOD #Jesus #Jesus Christ #love not the world #worldly #set apart #KJV Holy Bible #society #god of this world #deception #Heaven #hell

2 notes · View notes

sirtravisjacksonoftexas · 4 years

Text

Was Jesus a Mythical Figure Based on Odin? Um, NO, and Here is Why:

Odin, aka Othin, aka All-Father (among many other names) was the King of the Norse gods. He was the god of the sky, his eyes symbolic of the sun and the moon (the latter willingly sacrificed). Though he often traveled and took human form, his spiritual essence was omnipresent, filling all of creation. Armed with Grungir, a magic spear that never failed to hit its target, He would ride across the sky on the back of Sleipnir, an eight-legged flying horse. Odin’s thirst for wisdom was legendary, having sacrificed an eye and even his own life in order to attain more of it. From morning to night his raven spies, Muninn (Memory) and Huginn (thought) would fly around earth, later whispering to Odin what they had witnessed. Though highly intelligence, his knowledge came with a price, for Odin knew of Ragnarok, the end times battle where both the gods and the Einherjar (souls of those who died in battle) would fight an army of monsters and damned souls led by Loki, god of fire. The gods would fall, the cosmic tree Yggdrasil would burn, and Odin would be swallowed by the giant wolf Fenrir. However, his knowledge gave him comfort as well, knowing that a new, perfect age would arise afterwards.

Odin is a perplexing character of world myth, a heroic trickster bound by fate. But was he more than this? Was he, as some Jesus Mythicists believe, the inspiration for Jesus Christ?

Let’s tear apart this hopeless boneheaded idea.

1. Creator God?

After Odin and his brothers Vili and Vey slay the frost giant Ymir, they made the world out of his body. They made plants, animals, and the first humans.

Ask, the first man, was made out of an ash tree, while Embla, the first woman, was made out of an elm tree or vine. Odin in particular gave them souls.

Jesus is likewise creator (John 1:1-3). Indeed, when he is called “Word” in a passage that talks about him creating all things (lbid), it harkens back to Genesis 1 where God creates…by speaking things into existence.

In this sense, both Jesus and Odin are creator gods, though while Odin created only some things, Jesus created ALL things.

Does the fact that both were creator gods prove that Jesus was a mythical figure based on Odin?

No.

Keep reading…

2.Born of a Virgin?

No. His parents, the god Bor or Borr and the frost giantess Bestla, had (drum roll) Sex!

Now, Bor himself seems to have been the product of a virgin birth, albeit a strange one. Buri, his father, was the first god, one whom Audhumla, the primordial cow, freed from primordial ice by licking it around him.

Right after being freed, Buri had seemingly given “birth” to Bor. This is quite similar to the birth of the frost giant Bergelmir, who was born by the six-headed frost giant Thrudgelmir. Thrudgelmir himself emerged from the feet of Ymir, the first frost giant.

More emerged from Ymir’s armpit sweat. Thrudgelmir, Bergelmir and Bor were all born by a male frost giant or god, and none of their parents had sex beforehand (they had only recently been created when they gave birth). Given the latter fact, these three births would technically qualify as virgin births. However, though Ymir is considered the mother as well as father of the frost giants, the giants who were formed out of his sweat were not born, but created. Indeed, their creation is similar to Eve’s, who was created out of Adam’s rib. In neither case is a virgin birth involved. They are created, not born. Still, as Thrudgelmir Bergelmir and Bor show us, the concept of a virgin birth was not unknown to the Norse. However, its hard to imagine a connection between these tales and that of the virgin Mary.

3. Incarnate god?

No, Odin was never a god incarnate in human flesh.

4. Son of god?

He was the son of the god Bor. Jesus was called Son of God for two reasons; his conception came about by the power of both God the Father and God the Holy Spirit, not a man (Luke 1:34-35), and he was also God the Son, one of three persons within the Trinity. Long before he was born, he was God (John 1:1-3, 8:58).

5. Trinity?

No, Odin was not a person within a divine trinity. His statue, along with one of Thor and another of Freyr, were supposedly in the Temple of Uppsala, but this doesn’t mean that they were members of a trinity; it just simply means that the temple had the statue of three gods. Besides, it’s not known for a fact that such statues were inside the temple.

6. Star proclaimed his birth?

No.

7. Wise men?

No.

8. Survived a king’s purge shortly after he was born?

No.

9. Taught in the temple as a boy?

No.

10. Baptized?

No.

11. Tempted by the Devil?

No, Loki, the Norse equivalent of the Devil, didn’t tempt Odin, let alone in a wilderness.

12. Miracle worker?

All gods were, big deal.

13. Turned water into wine?

No.

14. Multiplied bread and fish?

No.

15. Walked on water?

No.

16. Healed the sick?

Among other things, Odin was the god of healing, although he is not shown healing others in the manner that Christ did in the Gospels. He did keep Mimir’s head from rotting and thus “heals” him (see below), but this isn’t really much like Jesus’ healing miracles.

17. Raised the dead?

After Mimir, one of the Aesir gods (which Odin ruled) was decapitated by the Vanir, another race of gods, Odin used herbs to keep it from rotting and magic to enable it to speak. Thus, Odin “resurrected” Mimir.

Jesus would have called that a half-butt job (Matthew 19:23-26, Luke 7:11-17, John 11:1-44).

18. Cast out Demons?

No.

19. Betrayed? For thirty pieces of silver?

Odin was betrayed, but not for 30 pieces of silver. His son Balder had been made all but invincible, which ticked Loki off. After some investigating, Loki learned of Balder’s Achilles’ heel: Mistletoe. Only it could harm Balder, the god of light. Loki therefore tricked Hodr, the blind god of darkness, into throwing some at Balder. Balder fell, dead as a doornail. Considering that Loki was a fellow god, this was a serious betrayal. However, betrayal is too broad a category for one to conclude that Odin’s myth gave rise to the story of Christ. After all, how many people have been betrayed? How many gods and heroes in world religions have been betrayed? If I get betrayed by someone, would that mean that I am a fictional character based on Jesus or Odin?

20. Crucified?

No, he was hung on the cosmic tree Yggdrasil for nine days.

True, the Bible sometimes states that Jesus was “hung” on a cross (Acts 5:30, Acts 10:39), and metaphorically calls the cross a “tree” (Acts 10:39, 13:29, 1 Peter 2:24), these are just figures of speech, not meant to be taken literally. Now, it’s true that the myth of Odin hanging on a tree predates the New Testament. Nevertheless, the myth has nothing to do with crucifixion and everything to do with sacrificial hangings. You see, sometimes the Norse would sacrifice a person by hanging them from a gallows tree. Being hanged in this way ensured that one would go to Valhalla. This is what the Vikings had in mind when they told the story of Odin hanging 9 days on the cosmic tree Yggdrasil.

Question: why would 1rst century Jews base a hypothetical fictional Christ’s crucifixion on the Norse myth of Odin hanging from a tree (and the Norse practice of sacrificial hanging)…instead of crucifixion, which they would have been at the very least FAR more familiar with?

Now, there are other similarities between the death of Odin and that of Christ, including being stabbed with a spear (Jesus was pierced by a Roman soldier’s spear after he died (John 19:34), while Odin stabbed himself with Grungir), being offered an alcoholic beverage (Jesus was offered sour wine in a sponge (Matthew 27:48, Mark 15:36, Luke 23:36, John 19:28-30) while Odin was offered Mead) and yelling before their demise. Combined with both “hanging” from a tall wooden object…their deaths seem to be quite similar…

Does this mean that the story of Christ’s crucifixion was inspired by the myth of Odin hanging on a tree?

Nope.

Keep reading…

21. Died willingly?

Yes. Though Jesus asked God to have him avoid crucifixion if it was possible, nevertheless he said “…not my will, but yours, be done.” (Luke 22:42). Just like a soldier who doesn’t want to die, but dies willingly to protect his country, Jesus doesn’t want to die, but dies willingly to save mankind. Odin likewise dies willingly, but does so in order to gain wisdom, not save humanity.

22. Resurrected?

Yes, Odin did resurrect after hanging on Yggdrasil for 9 days. Unlike most supposed pagan candidates that Jesus Mythycists harp about, Odin at least resurrected himself.

A victory for Mythicists?

Um, nope.

Keep reading…

23. Rides a flying horse?

Odin rides the flying 8-legged horse Sleipnir. Sleipnir was born of a fling between Loki (while in the form of a mare) and the stallion Svadilfari.

A male god…taking the form of a mare…sleeping with a stallion.

I’ll give you a moment to process…that.

Jesus is depicted as riding a white horse which flies to the earth in Revelation 19:11-16 (compare with Revelation 1:9-18). Before we read too much into this, let’s remember that the Book of Revelation is rich in symbolism, being in the genre of apocalyptic. Its symbols are not meant to be taken literally. Nevertheless, its not impossible that Jesus will ride on a horse when he comes to fight at the Battle of Armageddon. Perhaps the horse is specially created for this, or perhaps it’s the soul of a horse that has died (Despite both Christian and Jewish doctrine, the Bible doesn’t teach that animals don’t have souls. Indeed, it implies that they do (see Ecclesiastes 3:18-21).

Is this proof that Jesus was a mythical figure borrowed from Odin?

Nope.

Keep reading…

24. Leads an army in an end times battle against the forces of evil?

In Norse mythology, Odin, while riding on Sleipnir, will one day lead an army of gods and Einherhar against Loki and an army of monsters and damned souls at the battle of Ragnarok.

Likewise, Jesus, while riding a white horse, will lead heaven’s armies (who are also riding white horses) against the forces of the Antichrist at the Battle of Armageddon (Revelation 19:11-21).

Sounds similar?

Yes…but there are differences as well, the most important being…

…That Jesus wins his end times battle.

Odin…loses.

The gods are nearly exterminated at Ragnarok. Odin himself meets a heroic end when he faces the giant wolf Fenrir (aka Fenris), another child of Loki. Fenris is said to be so large that when he opens his horrendous mouth, his upper jaw touches the heavens, while the lower jaw touches the earth. Despite Odin’s vast powers and his mighty spear, he is swallowed by the colossal wolf.

At the end of the battle, the fire giant Surt sets all creation on fire with his magic sword, bringing about the apocalypse. This latter aspect is strikingly similar to 2 Peter 3:1-13, which describes how the earth will on day be destroyed by fire and great heat.

Makes you wonder where the Vikings got that idea from…

Jesus, however, wins the Battle of Armageddon (Revelation 19:11-21).

Nevertheless, does the fact that both lead an army in an end times battle against the forces of evil... prove that Jesus was a mythical figure based on Odin?

Nope.

Keep reading…

25. A New Age after his battle?

Yes. While Ragnarok is followed by the creation of a new world, the Battle of Armageddon is followed by the Millennial Reign, when Christ will reign on earth for a thousand years (Revelation 20:1-4). After this (and another end times battle), a New Heavens and a New Earth are made (Revelation 21).

However, while Jesus will reign in both the Millennial kingdom and the New Earth, Odin will neither resurrect nor be resurrected to enjoy the new earth in Norse mythology.

So, Odin does have some interesting parallels with Christ, right? I mean, they share at least nine similarities (not all of them good ones), so there must be a connection, right?

Wrong!

As I mentioned in my previous articles on Thor and Balder, the Norse Myths were first put into print by Norse Christians in the so-called Dark Ages. Before then, the pagan Vikings had long been acquainted with Christians and Christianity. Plus, the New Testament was written in the first century AD, a few centuries before the Dark Ages started and around a thousand years before the Norse were known to put their myths to paper.

I also noted how Christian missionaries would take elements of Norse Myth and combine them with the biblical tale of creation, which helped in their missionary efforts. the Vikings themselves likewise borrowed aspects of Christianity and put it into their own faith. Indeed, Jesus was considered by the Vikings as another god to worship, alongside Odin, Thor and other homegrown favorites.

Now, to be fair, the only similarity between Jesus and Odin that seemingly wasn’t inspired by Christianity was the latter’s hanging on the cosmic tree Yggdrasil. This is because the myth predates Christianity (though not all scholars agree). Indeed, even the part where he is stabbed with a spear while hanging is possibly older than the New Testament (Odin was a spear god). However, not only is the latter idea not known for sure, but scholars note that the story, even if it is older than Christianity, was influenced by the story of Christ’s crucifixion. Even if it was originally as similar to Christ’s crucifixion as it seems in the originally written sources, this doesn’t prove that Jesus was a mythical figure based on Odin, any more than the similarities between the Titanic and the novella “Futility/Wreck of the Titan” by Morgan Robertson proves that the former was a fictional ship based on the latter (which was written 14 years before the Titanic disaster occurred), or the similarities between the sinking of the Mignonette and the novel “The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket” proves that the former was a fictional story based on the latter (which was written 46 years before the Mignonette sank). True, one could simply invoke pure coincidence between the story of Christ and that of Odin without also invoking Jesus Mythicist stupidity, though as we’ve seen, scholars note that Christianity influenced Norse Mythology.

Thus, Jesus wasn’t based on Odin.

Jesus isn’t mythology.

Jesus is reality.

Jesus is Lord and Savior.

Sources:

“The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Mythology” by Arthur Cotterell and Rachel Storm, 186-87, 190-91, 199, 210, 216-17, 220, 228, 246-248, 252-53

“The Prose Edda” by Snorri Sturluson (Translated with introduction by Jesse L. Byock, ix-xiv, 11-18, 24-25, 30-32, 46-48, 50-52, 65-75, 116, 119-22

“The Poetic Edda” Translated by Lee M. Hollander, ix-x, 36-37

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/vikings/religion_01.shtml

“Myths of the Norsemen: From the Eddas and Sagas” by H.A. Guerber, 3-7, 16-18, 22-26, 30-34, 329-37

“The Other Side of History: Daily Life in the Ancient World” Documentary series by Professor Robert Garland, episode 38 (”Being a Viking Raider).

“The Other Side of History: Daily Life in the Ancient World: Course Guidebook” by Professor Robert Garland, 262

https://www.ancient.eu/odin/

https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Vikings_and_Their_Age/AA7YBgAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=Odin+Thor+Freyr+three&pg=PA102&printsec=frontcover%C2%A0

https://www.google.com/books/edition/Favorite_Norse_Myths/8ia337txkBAC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=Balder%2Bodin%2Bfavorite%2Bson&pg=PA5&printsec=frontcover

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Odin-Norse-deity

“The Story of Christianity: 2000 Years of Faith” by Michael Collins and Matthew A. Price, 28-29

“In the Footsteps of Jesus: A Chronicle of His Life and the Origins of Christianity” by Jean-Pierre Isbouts, 263-67

“The Portable Seminary: A Master’s Level Overview in One Volume” by David Horton (General Editor), 281

“Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary: Completely Revised, Updated and Expanded” by Chad Brand, Charles Draper and Archie England (General editors), 79-81

“Zondervan’s Pictorial Bible Dictionary” by Merrill C. Tenney, General Editor, 49-50

https://sirtravisjacksonoftexas.tumblr.com/post/628627120722198529/was-jesus-a-mythical-figure-based-on-the-norse-god

https://sirtravisjacksonoftexas.tumblr.com/post/629088091319255040/is-jesus-a-mythical-figure-based-on-the-norse-god

https://sirtravisjacksonoftexas.tumblr.com/post/628113211750776832/do-supposed-parallels-between-the-gospels-and

“Encyclopedia of the Gods: Over 2,500 Deities of the World” by Michael Jordan, 196-97

0 notes

mariespeaksg-dsgrace · 5 years

Text

The Bible study Wednesday!!!! Praise God on high !!!!!!!! Book of Matthew 4:12-17 a. Yeshua Jesus Christ withdrew to Galilee b. Yeshua Jesus Christ travels for fills prophecy c. Yeshua Jesus Christ echoes words of John The Baptist

(b) Prophet Esaias spoke of Yeshua Jesus Christ travels. Esaias prophesied; that light would return to the people in dark places. Dark places meaning, light returning to those who although where of Jewish decent ; were not keeping with the convent of God and or practicing/living up to their faith. Faithlessness of Jews, was like faithlessness of any other religion or faith today. Simply calling ones self a Christian or a Jew is just a title with out actual life practice/faith/active participation. I think many of us can relate to this.

Whether the faithlessness being oneself for a variety of reasons, or others who we would call hypocrites. That being said; I don't buy into the somehow universal idea that there is just one form of Christian. Nor, do I accept there is one characteristics, image, or sound of a Christian. I state this because, well; God can use anyone one he wants to use. God only knows someones true heart. God only knows the plans he has played out for each and everyone one of us. We all have some part to play. We all have a role in God's Kingdom here on earth. It would not make sense for everyone person to have the same job. Just as God created a variety of life, wouldn't he have created a variety of Christians? Is God's supernatural power not limitless? So why do "we" put God into a box and or between four walls? Why do some take it upon themselves to provide additions to what God says Christian's/his children are?

Now I am not saying someone can be a serial killer by night, but praise God all day long and considered/recognized a Christian or God's person by God. But, I seriously doubt some of the judgements those who consider themselves and by others to be the BEST most Wonderful Christians ever are........truly wonderful Christians in God eyes. Did Yeshua not say the poor and sinners who make it into heaven before the Pharisees aka hypocrites? The answer is yes. Did Yeshua not say "he who is without sin cast the first stone"? The answer again is yes. So why do some label others "as not a real or good Christian?" In my opinion pride, vanity, jealousy....and who well know what those traits are considered in God's eyes.

(a) After receiving aide and ministry from Angels, Yeshua Jesus Christ hears of John The Baptist arrest. (b)Hearing of this arrest, Yeshua withdrew Galilee and left Nazareth making his home in Capernaum, which was located by the seas. This was in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali. These are were considered to be locations mainly of Jewish living persons, many of which didn't practice or living by their ancestors faith. (c) During these travel Yeshua Jesus begins teachings echoing John The Baptist," Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near".

I love how there was always a divine timing. Time for Yeshua to be born. Time for Yeshua to be baptized. And a Time for Yeshua to begin. Everything motion or act had its own place in time; God's timing. I wonder if at anytime Yeshua felt rushed or under pressure. I think most likely Yeshua was sure and stead fast having complete faith and truth not only in his place, but his mission; which of course was and is God's mission/agenda. What a blessing if that is the case; to be so certain...sooo sure of oneself. I can only pray we all get to that level of freeness. How wonderful that would be.

Today friends, I pray we not judge others so harshly. I pray we allow God to do his work in his own time and trust the plan. I pray we don't give into jealously, vanity, or small mindedness. Our God is a glorious God. With mysterious supernatural ways, we can not understand stand. I pray we recognize the value each of us have in God's kingdom here on earth. I pray, we make it to the loving arms of Yeshua Jesus Christ ratified with the world we have be untrusted with on own own mission(s). I pray, we monger be held back with thoughts of doubt and or a slave mentality. I Pray we actually live by what we have been given; freedom through Yeshua. I pray we take God out of the box. Knock those four walls. I pray we have God every where we are and am going. I pray we see God not only within, but within others. I pray this in Yeshua's Great Name. Amen.

Prayer from Feb1, 2019 God, I today I pray we too resist the tempting of the devil and evil ones. I pray, we come to you Lord for all our needs. I pray, we be humble and repent for our wrong doings in mind, body, and words. God, thank you for showing us how your ways are always for us and never against us. Although you may allow us to be tested, it's because you have faith in our love for you to pass those test. God, as your children we strive to pass each and every test set before us. We strive to ave a glorious relationship with you Lord. We aim and take care towards this relationship each and every day, in every way. That you God for sending your Angels to tend and minister to us as they did for your begotten son Yeshua. We praise you all the day long. We sing to you sweet songs of love and celebration of our living God. in Yeshua's great name. Seal with the blood of Christ. Amen.

RECAP: I will be using my Second Edition Fully revised and expanded book: The Jewish Annotated New Testament. I purchased this book from Barnes and Noble a while back. I have provided the link below incase anyone is interested. No, Im not paid or sponsor by this book, editors, or writers, or Barnes and Noble, just sharing information. (Plus, as a side note I personally don't like it when information of where to look up reference with held when I am watching others on channels etc, so I try and provide the sources of which I am gathering information.) https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-jewish-annotated-new-testament-marc-z-brettler/1125563566 This is just me doing my part to share THE GOOD NEWS, from a study Bible new Christian study person view of the world, experiences, and study bible sorts. So I completely understand any others interpretations, but this is my blog so obviously that interpretations I write with my views and applications to my life, from my life. I pray this helps others. I pray I can help further God's kingdom here on Earth. I pray God be with us in our study and guide us to wisdom, knowledge, and discernment; for our souls shake. In Yeshua Jesus loving name. Amen. I will be going through this study bible book by book, verse by verse. While comments are welcomed, any negative and evil comments will not be tolerated(towards myself or others) by me. I don't aim to divide, but bring us together as sisters and brothers in Christ. I can accept different points of view, but evil words will never be tolerated or welcomed. It is ok to disagree, but not to attack. It is ok to have a different view or interpretations, but not to curse(spiritual definition). And as always if others have information to add, or thoughts to be considered, please post in comments sections. Thank you friends and Christian family.

0 notes

sbelzinga-blog · 6 years

Text

My lifelong spiritual awakening/rebirth; how God taught Adam his plan of salvation

How Do We Enter the Kingdom of God, Be Born Again, Converted or Spiritually Awakened?

Spiritual awakening/enlightenment/mysticism, to me are also known as conversion, spiritual rebirth or spiritual transformation and is the ultimate goal of any religion. Conversion literally means to turn around. It is the positive result of an identity crisis. For various religious descriptions of conversion/awakening, see Jewish devekut https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Devekut Buddhist Boddhi https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enlightenment_in_Buddhism, Islamic Sufism https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sufism and Hindu Moksha .https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moksha

Spiritual awakening/rebirth or conversion is both an event and a lifelong journey of discovery. The conversion events are baptism by water, Spirit, and blood-a mighty change of heart.

The conversion journey is the lifelong daily process of coming to know and become like God and divine self by developing a personal relationship with God daily by sincerely and persistently conversing with God in prayer and scripture study. Then it includes following the thoughts and feelings God sends us daily by his Spirit like ideas of how to serve others and be more loving.

I like how Elder Bednar, an apostle today of Jesus Christ, compares the whole process of becoming born again to the steps required to make a pickle. "Through faith in Christ, we can be spiritually prepared and cleansed from sin, immersed in and saturated with His gospel, and purified and sealed by the Holy Spirit of Promise—even born again."

Ye Must Be Born Again

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2007/04/ye-must-be-born-again?lang=eng#p41

How God taught Adam and Eve his plan of salvation, how to become born again

To put it simply, God taught our first parents Adam and Eve in Moses 6:

"59 That by reason of transgression cometh the fall, which fall bringeth death, and inasmuch as ye were born into the world by water, and blood, and the spirit, which I have made, and so became of dust a living soul, even so ye must be born again into the kingdom of heaven, of water, and of the Spirit, and be cleansed by blood, even the blood of mine Only Begotten; that ye might be sanctified from all sin, and enjoy the words of eternal life in this world, and eternal life in the world to come, even immortal glory.

60 For by the water ye keep the commandment; by the Spirit [aka 'fire'] ye are justified [receive a personal witness of God's remission of your sins], and by the blood ye are sanctified [mighty change of heart and nature, becoming as a child, saint, purified heart with desires to do no more evil but to do good continually];

64 And it came to pass, when the Lord had spoken with Adam, our father, that Adam cried unto the Lord, and he was caught away by the Spirit of the Lord, and was carried down into the water, and was laid under the water, and was brought forth out of the water.

65 And thus he was baptized, and the Spirit of God descended upon him, and thus he was born of the Spirit, and became quickened [made alive] in the inner man [born of the blood, mighty change of heart/nature].

66 And he heard a voice out of heaven, saying: Thou art baptized with fire, and with the Holy Ghost. This is the record of the Father, and the Son, from henceforth and forever;

67 And thou art after the order [priesthood] of him [Jesus Christ] who was without beginning of days or end of years, from all eternity to all eternity.

68 Behold, thou art one in me, a son of God; and thus may all become my sons. Amen.

Wow. What a beautiful story of conversion! I can think of no better teacher than God himself to Adam and each of us by his Spirit.

Another way of describing gospel principles is this: "We believe that the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are: first, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, Repentance; third, Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; fourth, Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost."

Articles of Faith 1:4, Joseph Smith, Church of Jesus Christ of latter-day saints

https://www.lds.org/scriptures/pgp/a-of-f/1?verse=4&lang=eng#p4

Here are 3 main parts I have learned of spiritual awakening/ conversion/rebirth from my experience

1. Personal relationship/revelation

Just before He suffered for us in Gethsemane during His intercessory prayer, Jesus said "And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent."

https://www.lds.org/scriptures/nt/john/17?lang=eng Therefore, perhaps the most important part of spiritual awakening/rebirth and purification is the lifelong personal relationship building with God, getting to know God by conversing with God in mighty prayer & scripture study daily to build our faith in Christ for repentance and purification.

I think I first started really seeking that personal relationship with God when I was about 14 when my parents weren't able to take care of me because of divorce and my mom's mental breakdown. It's interesting how difficult times turn out to be positive because they turn our hearts to God. At that time I started reading the scriptures every day, specifically the Book of Mormon because someone recommended that to me to help me get through a difficult time. The Book of Mormon brought me peace, love, comfort, and joy like no other book could.

The seed of faith from reading the Book of Mormon grows up into a tree of eternal life, whose fruit is sweetest above all, full of grace, truth, love, joy, and peace to each of us personally. See Alma 32: 27-43

https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/alma/32?lang=eng

Oh, the joy and beauty of Repentance! Repentance literally means a change of mind. With our free will we decide to sacrifice or give up the desire for a particular sin or sins. We plead to God for forgiveness, confess our sin to anyone else we may have offended and do our best to stop doing that sin. As we consciously decide to sacrifice sin(s) to know God, God can forgive our sin and purify and change our heart, which literally transforms our sinful desires into righteous desires.

And how joyful and beautiful is receiving forgiveness! It is the peace we feel when we are able to let go of our sins and embrace God's love. When I was 19 headed on a mission to share the gospel of faith, repentance, and baptism I remember not feeling worthy to teach because of my past sins, even though I tried hard to repent. Sometimes the hardest person to forgive is ourself.

Then I stumbled upon this verse: "For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more." Hebrews 8:12

https://www.lds.org/scriptures/nt/heb/8?verse=12&lang=eng#p12

That verse brought tears to my eyes; I was so happy and relieved because I knew at that moment, God was speaking sweet mercy and peace to me directly, through his Spirit from reading the scriptures.

Atonement is literally at-one-ment, meaning we make a conscious decision to sacrifice our fallen nature's will to sin and then embrace God's and our divine nature's will to do good and right. Our will, desires, and needs for us become God's will, desires and needs for us and his will for us becomes ours. We become one in mind and heart with God and each other because we become pure in heart. God is intimately aware of our hopes, fears, and dreams and has a special calling and plan for each of us personally to use our talents, dreams and experience to do good in this world.

And we can find out God's will for us each day. President Russell M. Nelson of the Church of Jesus Christ of latter-day saints said in April 2018:

"Follow the example of the Prophet Joseph. Find a quiet place where you can regularly go. Humble yourself before God. Pour out your heart to your Heavenly Father. Turn to Him for answers and for comfort.

Pray in the name of Jesus Christ about your concerns, your fears, your weaknesses—yes, the very longings of your heart. And then listen! Write the thoughts that come to your mind. Record your feelings and follow through with actions that you are prompted to take. As you repeat this process day after day, month after month, year after year, you will “grow into the principle of revelation.”

Revelation for the Church, Revelation for Our Lives

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2018/04/revelation-for-the-church-revelation-for-our-lives?lang=eng

Go here to see the rest of the post

http://choosingfaithingodoverfearoftheworld.godfaithsite.com/2018/08/my-lifetime-journey-of-spiritual.html

0 notes