Your favorite moral lesson from the Bible

[Foxfyre]

Thanks for everyone's input.


Anyone have a thought towards my personal selections?

It all has to be put in context. We don't have the full context of all the pericopes (sayings) attributed to Jesus.

You have on one hand do good to those who do harm to you and/or who cannot repay. On the other you have the 'shake the dust off your sandals' and move on if you are not well received. On one hand you had him telling the rich young ruler to sell what he had and give to the poor--in that case possessions were interfering with the man's relationship with God. On the other hand you had him dining with and enjoying the hospitality of the very wealthy with no such admonition to give up their possessions.

Jesus was very good at cutting through the crap and getting to the heart of the problem. But he rarely suggested a one-size-fits-all solution to problems.

 

[Dr.Drock]

Thanks for everyone's input.


Anyone have a thought towards my personal selections?

It all has to be put in context. We don't have the full context of all the pericopes (sayings) attributed to Jesus.

You have on one hand do good to those who do harm to you and/or who cannot repay. On the other you have the 'shake the dust off your sandals' and move on if you are not well received. On one hand you had him telling the rich young ruler to sell what he had and give to the poor--in that case possessions were interfering with the man's relationship with God. On the other hand you had him dining with and enjoying the hospitality of the very wealthy with no such admonition to give up their possessions.

Jesus was very good at cutting through the crap and getting to the heart of the problem. But he rarely suggested a one-size-fits-all solution to problems.

Thanks

My main point is with these quotes, and other quotes/stories attributed to Jesus in the NT it seems to me he's against war in ALL instances, even if it's for defense or in retaliation to an attack.

 

[Luissa]

And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.”
John 8:7

 

[Sunshine]

Slavery is condoned in both the New and Old Testament. Here are quotes from the NT:

You would think that Jesus and the New Testament would have a different view of slavery, but slavery is still approved of in the New Testament, as the following passages show.



Slaves, obey your earthly masters with deep respect and fear. Serve them sincerely as you would serve Christ. (Ephesians 6:5 NLT)



Christians who are slaves should give their masters full respect so that the name of God and his teaching will not be shamed. If your master is a Christian, that is no excuse for being disrespectful. You should work all the harder because you are helping another believer by your efforts. Teach these truths, Timothy, and encourage everyone to obey them. (1 Timothy 6:1-2 NLT)



In the following parable, Jesus clearly approves of beating slaves even if they didn't know they were doing anything wrong.



The servant will be severely punished, for though he knew his duty, he refused to do it. "But people who are not aware that they are doing wrong will be punished only lightly. Much is required from those to whom much is given, and much more is required from those to whom much more is given." (Luke 12:47-48 NLT)

You can find the quotes from the OT at this link:

Slavery in the Bible

 

[CrusaderFrank]

I have 2 favorites:

And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? They say unto him, Caesar's. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's.


Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.

 

[Jos]

Genesis 16:8-9

8 And he said, "Hagar, servant of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?" "I'm running away from my mistress Sarai," she answered. 9 Then the angel of the LORD told her, "Go back to your mistress and submit to her."

 

[uscitizen]

Favorite moral lesson in the bible?

Ohh probably the one where God ordered the jews to kill all who did not flee before them in Jericho. Including women and children and even animals I think as well.

 

[Sunshine]

Favorite moral lesson in the bible?

Ohh probably the one where God ordered the jews to kill all who did not flee before them in Jericho. Including women and children and even animals I think as well.

The story of King Saul in the OT is a good one. He didn't kill his last enemy and that was eventually his undoing.

 

[Dr.Drock]

Favorite moral lesson in the bible?

Ohh probably the one where God ordered the jews to kill all who did not flee before them in Jericho. Including women and children and even animals I think as well.

I agree there's a lot of horrifying immoral stuff in the OT, respectfully though that's for another thread.

 

[uscitizen]

Favorite moral lesson in the bible?

Ohh probably the one where God ordered the jews to kill all who did not flee before them in Jericho. Including women and children and even animals I think as well.

I agree there's a lot of horrifying immoral stuff in the OT, respectfully though that's for another thread.

Not really my reply is on topic.
That was a moral lesson from the bible.
Piss poor morals but a moral lesson.

Immoral is just a moral that differs from your society's current moral standards. Still morals though.
Cutting heads off is a current moral way to execute people in some societies and was in some european ones as well in the past.

 

[uscitizen]

BTW I got in trouble for bringing up that issue about Jerico in church when I was little.
All they wanted you to know is that God knocked down the walls of Jericho.

 

[Jos]

Ezekiel 23:19-20

Yet she became more and more promiscuous as she recalled the days of her youth, when she was a prostitute in Egypt. 20 There she lusted after her lovers, whose genitals were like those of donkeys and whose emission was like that of horses.

 

[High_Gravity]

Ezekiel 23:19-20

Yet she became more and more promiscuous as she recalled the days of her youth, when she was a prostitute in Egypt. 20 There she lusted after her lovers, whose genitals were like those of donkeys and whose emission was like that of horses.

 

[Dr.Drock]

Ezekiel 23:19-20

Yet she became more and more promiscuous as she recalled the days of her youth, when she was a prostitute in Egypt. 20 There she lusted after her lovers, whose genitals were like those of donkeys and whose emission was like that of horses.

Lol wtf, i hadn't seen that before.

 

[Foxfyre]

Thanks for everyone's input.


Anyone have a thought towards my personal selections?

It all has to be put in context. We don't have the full context of all the pericopes (sayings) attributed to Jesus.

You have on one hand do good to those who do harm to you and/or who cannot repay. On the other you have the 'shake the dust off your sandals' and move on if you are not well received. On one hand you had him telling the rich young ruler to sell what he had and give to the poor--in that case possessions were interfering with the man's relationship with God. On the other hand you had him dining with and enjoying the hospitality of the very wealthy with no such admonition to give up their possessions.

Jesus was very good at cutting through the crap and getting to the heart of the problem. But he rarely suggested a one-size-fits-all solution to problems.

Thanks

My main point is with these quotes, and other quotes/stories attributed to Jesus in the NT it seems to me he's against war in ALL instances, even if it's for defense or in retaliation to an attack.

I don't believe Jesus, or any of his closest disciples for that matter, or the Apostle Paul ever commented on the morality of war. Jesus' emphasis was always on the idea to not let others determine who or what you are or the choices you will make. Love the Lord and treat your neighbor as you would treat yourself. (Some Greek scholars say a more literal translation of the ancient Greek was the intent to mean that you should love yourself so that you would be able to love your neighbor.) And Jesus was also big on the idea that no matter how bad it is for you now, there will be something wonderful waiting for you.

Still others use some of these passages to suggest a woman should stay with an abusive husband or a child with neglectful or abusive parents or that under no circumstance should anyone defend themselves.

So again we see the contradiction:

Luke 22:36 He said to them, "But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don't have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one."

And. . . .

Matthew 24:3-6:
(3) And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?
(4) And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.
(5) For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.
(6) And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.

But I never saw anything either in the 'canonized' scripture or other writings to suggest that Jesus condemned war.

 

[Dr.Drock]

It all has to be put in context. We don't have the full context of all the pericopes (sayings) attributed to Jesus.

You have on one hand do good to those who do harm to you and/or who cannot repay. On the other you have the 'shake the dust off your sandals' and move on if you are not well received. On one hand you had him telling the rich young ruler to sell what he had and give to the poor--in that case possessions were interfering with the man's relationship with God. On the other hand you had him dining with and enjoying the hospitality of the very wealthy with no such admonition to give up their possessions.

Jesus was very good at cutting through the crap and getting to the heart of the problem. But he rarely suggested a one-size-fits-all solution to problems.

Thanks

My main point is with these quotes, and other quotes/stories attributed to Jesus in the NT it seems to me he's against war in ALL instances, even if it's for defense or in retaliation to an attack.

I don't believe Jesus, or any of his closest disciples for that matter, or the Apostle Paul ever commented on the morality of war. Jesus' emphasis was always on the idea to not let others determine who or what you are or the choices you will make. Love the Lord and treat your neighbor as you would treat yourself. (Some Greek scholars say a more literal translation of the ancient Greek was the intent to mean that you should love yourself so that you would be able to love your neighbor.) And Jesus was also big on the idea that no matter how bad it is for you now, there will be something wonderful waiting for you.

Still others use some of these passages to suggest a woman should stay with an abusive husband or a child with neglectful or abusive parents or that under no circumstance should anyone defend themselves.

So again we see the contradiction:

Luke 22:36 He said to them, "But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don't have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one."

And. . . .

Matthew 24:3-6:
(3) And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?
(4) And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.
(5) For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.
(6) And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.

But I never saw anything either in the 'canonized' scripture or other writings to suggest that Jesus condemned war.

Ok maybe the exact term war wasn't used, but everything that takes place in a war he spoke against.

Killing, retaliating, not reaching out in a friendly way to your enemies, etc.

 

[Foxfyre]

Thanks

My main point is with these quotes, and other quotes/stories attributed to Jesus in the NT it seems to me he's against war in ALL instances, even if it's for defense or in retaliation to an attack.

I don't believe Jesus, or any of his closest disciples for that matter, or the Apostle Paul ever commented on the morality of war. Jesus' emphasis was always on the idea to not let others determine who or what you are or the choices you will make. Love the Lord and treat your neighbor as you would treat yourself. (Some Greek scholars say a more literal translation of the ancient Greek was the intent to mean that you should love yourself so that you would be able to love your neighbor.) And Jesus was also big on the idea that no matter how bad it is for you now, there will be something wonderful waiting for you.

Still others use some of these passages to suggest a woman should stay with an abusive husband or a child with neglectful or abusive parents or that under no circumstance should anyone defend themselves.

So again we see the contradiction:

Luke 22:36 He said to them, "But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don't have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one."

And. . . .

Matthew 24:3-6:
(3) And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?
(4) And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.
(5) For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.
(6) And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.

But I never saw anything either in the 'canonized' scripture or other writings to suggest that Jesus condemned war.

Ok maybe the exact term war wasn't used, but everything that takes place in a war he spoke against.

Killing, retaliating, not reaching out in a friendly way to your enemies, etc.

But then there is still that memorable scene of Jesus taking a whip and driving out the corrupt and dishonest money lenders from the Temple grounds.

Again morality is never a blanket theory or concept but is based on what is right to do in any given concept. For example, Jesus also said:

Mark 10:14 Suffer the little children to come unto me and forbid them not, for of such is the kingdom of God.15 Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein. 16 And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them.

Mt 18:6 But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.

Mt 18:10 Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.

Mt 18:14 Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.

Does this suggest that there will be no vengeance for those who harm children? Or that we should not protect and defend children (or the weak or the helpless) from those who would do them harm?

Would Jesus have willed the six million Jews murdered in Nazi Europe? Would he have opposed the rescue of those who were saved because other nations went to war. We didn't go to war to save the Jews. But if we had known of their plight, would it have been wrong to wage war to save them? Should we have have allowed Saddam to wreck his horrors upon a peaceful Kuwait?

And yet there are many of us struggling with the morality of an Afghanistan, Iraq, Lybia et al. There is a fine line between honest self defense, which I cannot believe Jesus opposes, and provoking an enemy so that you will have an excuse to retaliate with violence (emotional, physical, legal, etc.)

I think every incident must be evaluated for the proper context of morality that would apply. And there is often a vast difference between what is moral and what is legal.

 

[Avatar4321]

Ezekiel 23:19-20

Yet she became more and more promiscuous as she recalled the days of her youth, when she was a prostitute in Egypt. 20 There she lusted after her lovers, whose genitals were like those of donkeys and whose emission was like that of horses.

And what moral lesson did you learn from that?

 

[Jos]

Ezekiel 23:19-20

Yet she became more and more promiscuous as she recalled the days of her youth, when she was a prostitute in Egypt. 20 There she lusted after her lovers, whose genitals were like those of donkeys and whose emission was like that of horses.

And what moral lesson did you learn from that?

Read the title, "some people are never satisfied"

 

[Spud]

2 Kings 2:23-25

23He went up from there to Bethel, and while he was going up on the way, some small boys came out of the city and jeered at him, saying, "Go up, you baldhead! Go up, you baldhead!" 24And he turned around, and when he saw them, he cursed them in the name of the LORD. And two she-bears came out of the woods and tore forty-two of the boys. 25From there he went on to Mount Carmel, and from there he returned to Samaria.