by smiddy3 29 Replies latest watchtower bible
Smiddy, some people are greedy, narcissistic, selfish, treacherous, tricky others are trustworthy, sincerely, kind, generous, loyal. Who would you choose as a friend and who would you stay away from?
Having feelings of empathy and compassion you may go out of your way to try to help someone with bad traits hoping that they will respond to love.
Fisherman ,
My point is GOD only dealt with one tribe of people and chose them as his nation / people whereas other tribes and nations never got this same favouritism .
In fact GOD actually supported Israel in wars against other nations .
GOD never gave all of mankind the same treatment he gave Israel he judged them without giving them the same opportunities he gave to Israel.
It was never a level playing field as the saying goes.
You said it : Having feelings of empathy and compassion you may go out of your way to try to help someone with bad traits hoping that they will respond to love.
He didnt do that with these other tribes of people or nations.
Quote mining aside Sea Breeze. No one I know challenges that early Christians believed either they themselves or others had had a religious/numinous experience. Every religion involves dreams/visions/ uncanny coincidence/ emotional epiphanies or some such impactful experience. Even those who hold the Jesus Myth position likewise assume that someone at some early point was convinced they had experienced a vision or communication with a spirit that they understood as Christ. Paul says he had visions, I don't doubt he believed he did. The most popular "Jesus Myth" hypothesis currently is that visions of Christ are the very origins of the movement. The Gospels placing this Christ on earth are secondary to the religions origins. If that hypothesis is correct it in no way suggests people did not believe they had had a religious experience. At the same time saying someone was convinced they had communication with a spirit doesn't go far toward establishing that as historically true.
Jacob his allotted inheritance. Deut 32:8-9
Remember the early Yahwists frame Yahweh as their god exclusively, he had no jurisdiction or purview elsewhere. In time as their theological outlook globalized they saw him as the god of everywhere, but that they would always be his favorite.
My point is GOD only dealt with one tribe of people and chose them as his nation / people whereas other tribes and nations never got this same favouritism
Hi Smid!
What I was trying to show is that God needed to choose the right people for the job with the virtues I described. Bible says that the Jews were his last choice so it seems he first reached out to others but no good. God’s goal was ultimately to save humanity for sin and death and that’s what the Messianic kingdom is about. He started off with Abraham but then it got to the point in Jesus tome when the job was open to Gentiles. In the end God is all things to all. No need for rulers or kings or princes. Even Jesus returns the agency to God. We will see what Good things God has in store for everyone.
Bible says that the Jews were his last choice so it seems he first reached out to others but no good.
That`s news to me would you like to elaborate on that statement ?
Fisherman...It'll probably sound snarky but God is supposed to be able to read hearts and see the future yet your defense of the choice of Israel (from a Christian perspective) reveals no such powers. If a God refuses to use his best talents for the salvation of mankind ought I be excited to hear he will be in control of everything?
Hi Smid!
First, broadly speaking, the Bible doesn’t record all of God’s dealings with individual humans throughout human history—not enough pages and tangent to the Bible theme. It only focuses and recounts some dealings. Take for example Job who was not a Jew which is in the Bible record but why not others too that are not in the Bible. Of course we don’t know but it is logical.
I’m trying to find the verse. But says something like you were the last of all the people or the last of all the nations.
Take for example Adam and Eve, he gave them a chance. He could have created somebody else that would have been obedient. Esau didn’t want it. Look at king Saul too. The evidence is that God is fair but if you loose the opportunity it’s on you. The faith that Abraham showed was so huge that he swore by himself to bless him and his descendants. Was Abraham his first choice? We know that God first chose Saul. David was his second. Finally God rejected natural Israel and selected Gentiles to be part of the seed with Jesus.
Perhaps you're recalling Deut 7:7 : Least not last.
Perhaps you're recalling Deut 7:7 : Least not last.
Yes! There is a commentary on the verse from one of the Rabbis that explains the verse as last but the Hebrew word does not mean last. I was quoting verbatim from that commentary. It makes sense though. The Bible doesn’t actually say that God went to all the nations and his last choice was the Jews and they accepted. But that is what Rashi says God did.
