Hi, I need your help (advice). A dear friend and I are involved in an exchange of views on Christianity. Ive been praying for her. It seems like shes actually searching for Truth. She sent me some most OT verses which do seems bit outlandish really. Were talking about the authority of Scripture. Of course, I believe the Bible to be The Inspired Word of God. She, on the other hand, is more or less looking for excuses not to believe. My initial response has been the following: I think various verses you sent have to be understood in reference to the culture at that time. They do seem a bit outlandish actually but Jesus came a the fulfillment of the Law. Before Jesus, everything was works based. In other words, there was still no ultimate sacrifice for sin. Jesus came and died as that Ultimate Sacrifice. Im going to Heaven not because Im just a good person but because of His Death and Resurrection at The Cross. If I have any chance before God, its all because of the Precious Blood of Jesus and nothing else. I have been washed clean in His Blood, so when God sees me, He sees what Jesus did for me because I accept His Eternal Sacrifice and have put my faith in Him. Jesus Christ is THE ONLY WAY to God. There is no other. Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:6 The Bible is more than just a book. Its Gods love letter to mankind. How else would you expect Him to communicate with mankind? Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. (Ephesians 6:17 NIV) The Word of God is described here as a Sword. The battle is spiritual and its real. Its all about good vs. evil; Heaven & hell; light & darkness. The Bible has so much to say about human nature. Read, for example, the Book of Proverbs. Its full of wisdom about life. The truths you read there are timeless. Or the Book of Ecclesiastes (Kazatel) in the Old Testament. The Byrds looked to Ecclesiastes as inspiration for their hit song Turn, turn, turn from the 60s: youtu.be/pKP4cfU28vM My question is this: I feel my explanation is severely lacking. I know theres more to say but Im not sure how to say it. Ill attach several examples of the verses she sent me. What would YOU say to her. How would YOU respond? I want to be able to give her something credible and intelligent. Thanks to those who even bother to read this and respond. Im seeking wisdom here. I dont want her to spend an eternity without God... You need only skim the following verses. I just want to give you a good idea of what shes talking about. She writes: So tell me honestly, do you follow those teachings? Do you expect me or anyone else to follow them? The thing about the bible is that according to it we cant really pick and choose what to follow and what not to follow! It says so in the bible itself If a man beats his male or female slave with a rod and the slave dies as a direct result, he must be punished, but he is not to be punished if the slave gets up after a day or two, since the slave is his property. - Exodus Chapter 21:20 Your male and female slaves are to come from the nations around you; from them you may buy slaves. You may also buy some of the temporary residents living among you and members of their clans born in your country, and they will become your property. You can will them to your children as inherited property and can make them slaves for life. - Leviticus 25:44 Women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the Law says. If they want to inquire about something, they should ask their own husbands at home; for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church. - 1 Corinthians 14 Let a woman learn in silence with all submissiveness. I permit no woman to teach or to have authority over men; she is to keep silent. - 1 Tim 2 Exodus 35:2 2 For six days, work is to be done, but the seventh day shall be your holy day, a Sabbath of rest to the LORD. Whoever does any work on it must be put to death. 1 Peter 2:18 - Slaves, submit yourselves to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh. 1 Timothy 6:1 - 1 All who are under the yoke of slavery should consider their masters worthy of full respect, so that Gods name and our teaching may not be slandered. Leviticus 25:44-46 – Your male and female slaves are to come from the nations around you; from them you may buy slaves. You may also buy some of the temporary residents living among you and members of their clans born in your country, and they will become your property. You can will them to your children as inherited property and can make them slaves for life, but you must not rule over your fellow Israelites ruthlessly. Deuteronomy 22:13-21 – If a man takes a wife and, after lying with her, dislikes her and slanders her and gives her a bad name, saying, I married this woman, but when I approached her, I did not find proof of her virginity, then the girls father and mother shall bring proof that she was a virgin to the town elders at the gate. The girls father will say to the elders, I gave my daughter in marriage to this man, but he dislikes her. Now he has slandered her and said, I did not find your daughter to be a virgin. But here is the proof of my daughters virginity. Then her parents shall display the cloth before the elders of the town, and the elders shall take the man and punish him. They shall fine him a hundred shekels of silver a and give them to the girls father, because this man has given an Israelite virgin a bad name. She shall continue to be his wife; he must not divorce her as long as he lives. If, however, the charge is true and no proof of the girls virginity can be found, she shall be brought to the door of her fathers house and there the men of her town shall stone her to death. She has done a disgraceful thing in Israel by being promiscuous while still in her fathers house. You must purge the evil from among you. Deuteronomy 22:28-29 - If a man happens to meet a virgin who is not pledged to be married and rapes her and they are discovered, he shall pay the girls father fifty shekels of silver. He must marry the girl, for he has violated her. He can never divorce her as long as he lives. Deuteronomy 21:18-21 – If a man has a stubborn and rebellious son who does not obey his father and mother and will not listen to them when they discipline him, his father and mother shall take hold of him and bring him to the elders at the gate of his town. They shall say to the elders, This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious. He will not obey us. He is a profligate and a drunkard. Then all the men of his town shall stone him to death. You must purge the evil from among you. All Israel will hear of it and be afraid. Isaiah 13:15-18 - Whoever is captured will be thrust through; all who are caught will fall by the sword. Their infants will be dashed to pieces before their eyes; their houses will be looted and their wives ravished. See, I will stir up against them the Medes, who do not care for silver and have no delight in gold. Their bows will strike down the young men; they will have no mercy on infants nor will they look with compassion on children. 1 Samuel 18:25-27 - Saul replied, Say to David, The king wants no other price for the bride than a hundred Philistine foreskins, to take revenge on his enemies. Sauls plan was to have David fall by the hands of the Philistines. When the attendants told David these things, he was pleased to become the kings son-in-law. So before the allotted time elapsed, David and his men went out and killed two hundred Philistines. He brought their foreskins and presented the full number to the king so that he might become the kings son-in-law. Then Saul gave him his daughter Michal in marriage. Deuteronomy 4:5-8 – See, I have taught you decrees and laws as the LORD my God commanded me, so that you may follow them in the land you are entering to take possession of it. Observe them carefully, for this will show your wisdom and understanding to the nations, who will hear about all these decrees and say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people. What other nation is so great as to have their gods near them the way the LORD our God is near us whenever we pray to him? And what other nation is so great as to have such righteous decrees and laws as this body of laws I am setting before you today? Matthew 5:17-19 – Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
Posted on: Fri, 05 Dec 2014 11:58:03 +0000