Aunty Jane
Well-Known Member
There was a reason why God relied on the written word....Jesus and his apostles quoted from the Hebrew Scriptures often...and Jesus’ response to the devil’s temptations were based on those Scriptures. He said “it is written” in each response....he also said of his Father....“your word is truth”. (John 17:17)I am raised in that belief also, I no longer believe that. Scripture is written by men, Scripture is composed by men. 1700 years ago it was decided by men, this is the Holy Bible, the Canon. There wasn't a voice from heaven -> “This is my beloved WORD, with whom I am well pleased.” On the contrary there has been, -- and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” -- Matt 3:17
We cannot rely on ”Chinese whispers” in the form of oral traditions as they are not a reliable source of truth either. Both are open to alteration......even a comma in the wrong place can change the entire meaning of a verse.
Case in point....Jesus’ words to the thief hung alongside of him.....because Greek used no punctuation, it was added to the English translations to make it read more correctly. So the meaning of this verse hinges on the correct placement of the comma....
Luke 23:42-43...NIV...
“Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
The placement of the comma suggests that Jesus was inviting this repentant thief to be with him that day in paradise.....but is that idea supported in the Bible? Was Jesus in paradise that day?....or was he in his tomb for three days after his death? (Matt 12:40) He did not in fact ascend to heaven for 40 days. So he was not promising the man what is suggested by that comma’s placement.
Was the thief promised a place in heaven, or was “paradise” a reference to something else?
Now, if we put the comma after the word “today”....the whole meaning is altered....but it ties in with the reality of what Jesus was promising this man. He made the promise that day and paradise was the earthly destination for all who come back in the resurrection that Jesus promised. (John 5:28-29)
This man was not being promised a place with Christ in heaven, but would be a subject of his Kingdom on earth when he was returned to life.
It is true that men can mess with scripture, but God also has his way of making things clear if we study his word for all the treasure it contains. The Bible explains itself.....but only if we allow it to speak for itself.
Studying the life course of Jesus Christ is of benefit to everyone, but unless we know the reason why he came....what his Kingdom is.....and what it will accomplish in the bigger picture, gleaned from the rest of the Bible, the story will not be completely clear.That's the only thing that matters, the in-depth story about Jesus, fits seamlessly. What we have (despite its errors) is all we need.
If we don’t have the whole picture, it makes it easy for satan to manipulate our thinking. We won’t be able to find the diamond in a huge pile of broken glass, unless we know what the diamond really looks like.
