jar writes:
The story of Stephen is told in Acts from the point of view of someone actively trying to document the early Christian perspective, to market the new product Christianity.
The whole story makes no sense to someone who sees Jesus as just a human with a good message. You say you are a Creedal Christian....but do you believe what the Creed says? You defend the story in Genesis and claim that the serpent told the truth, yet you claim that the NT is nothing more than an attempt at selling a new religion. The reason that this new religion makes no sense to you is because you essentially let logic, reason, and reality determine your belief. So which is it?
You say you have read the Bible. You treat it like a story when it suits you, and then claim marketing when you dont understand it. The text speaks for itself.( I trust you have read the Bible)
Does the Nicene Creed suggest that Jesus is alive today? If so, what is the problem with the NT?
Matthew 15:21-28 writes:
Matt 15:21-28
21 Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. 22 A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is suffering terribly from demon-possession."
23 Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, "Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us."
24 He answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel."
25 The woman came and knelt before him. "Lord, help me!" she said.
26 He replied, "It is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to their dogs."
27 "Yes, Lord," she said, "but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table."
28 Then Jesus answered, "Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted." And her daughter was healed from that very hour.
The text tells us that Jesus was sent to Israel. You may listen to all the logic, reason, and reality that you wish, but denial of the purpose of Jesus Christ requires that you yourself redefine His purpose. You say that He is a great example of how to live. that we need to try to do what is right. That we know right from wrong. I can agree with all of this, yet I don't support your idea that there is no devil and no messiah. The text supports my belief, but you then take the very same text that proved to you this insane notion that the serpent told the truth...a notion that virtually no other Christian has mentioned.(look up the Hebrew and you will see that God never lied. You are, of course, free to belong to your preferred Chapter of Club Christian, but keep in mind that
if the book was inspired only by humans, you or I are no better than the authors....and that critics could claim that you yourself are as much a marketer of doctrine as the ones whom you accuse.
It is true that a new religion is being preached after the Gospels. The old group of people preached of a kingdom on earth. The new idea was of a people "in Heaven".
I can see that you have reason to see that this new belief was being "marketed"...but do you have any evidence that the marketing conflicted with the old product? Keep in mind that plan B never becomes important unless plan A is rejected. But of course you have allowed intellectual humanists with no god in their heart apart from human wisdom convince you that Jesus was never a Messiah rejected by Israel. Thus I can see your confusion.
™ Version 4.2
