- This topic is empty.
- Posts
Hi gang,
I'm going to be taking a break from this site for awhile.
Some time back, I debated an atheist on another site. Before I did so, I was a comfortable, laid back Christian who thought he knew the “important” parts of the Bible. I was also a mainstream evangelical, and a member of Southern Baptist churches for all of my 20+ years as a Christian.
In any case, the atheist definitely stretched me. He did not make my faith waver, but he tested my knowledge of scripture, and as a result I learned so many new things that I either overlooked before or had not even thought about studying.
But I also started seeing the fallacy of the trinity. It was never a tightly held belief for me anyway, just something a good Baptist believed. I do recall always pondering certain aspects of scripture whenever I heard someone call Jesus God, but it would be a momentary thing.
My debate with the atheist gave me a new found hunger for scripture. Because of this hunger, I started seeing more and more things that I had taken for granted that were not scriptural. For me, the trinity was one of the first things that screamed out from the pages of the Bible as “wrong”.
After this, I started wondering why the New Testament seemed different than the Old. Same God after all, right? That was when I started looking into why people acted as if the OT was something to be set aside. Ken actually got me more interested in the OT because of his love for the Ten Commandments, particularly the Sabbath. So I needed to know why Christians thought that the Law was “abolished”.
Therefore, I started to study the Torah (first 5 books of the Bible).
In the meantime, I also became involved in another aspect of Yeshua's life: whether or not he pre-existed. Since he himself said that the Tanach (Old Testament) testified of him, I thought I could find some proof of pre-existence in the Tanach. As you can tell from my participation in the pre-existence thread, I have yet to find any.
But as anyone who has debated me can tell you, I'm BIG on context when studying the Bible. While studying the Tanach and focusing on passages that were supposed to be messianic so I could find clues about pre-existence, I kept discovering things that troubled me. As I did, more manmade doctrines fell away.
I am at another cross roads in my life. I have been traveling this road for some time, and with each step my eyes are opened to so many things that I just took for granted for so many years because I did not bother to check into them.
It is at this point that I must take a break from this site. It has been a great time, and you all have helped to push me in the right direction, whether the direction I went was the one you intended or not
. I am certain it is the direction that God is leading me into in any case, and that is what matters.Please pray for me as I move into the next spiritual phase of my relationship with God. I will likely check back from time to time, but my contribution will be small if anything at all. Mostly, I just want to watch and see as the rest of you grow.
Love God & Love People (LG&LP),
KevinHey Kevin,
I know I will hear fom you again. It has been good to see you grow. Go and plant seeds and may the El of Abvraham, Issiac, and Jacob bless your journey.Kejonn May God Bless you and Keep you in His Love. I wish you all the best what ever road that God will lead you on. It might be that steep read that Jesus is talking about, so keep close to God's Love. It is not always easy.
Peace and Love Mrs.:D
Thanks for all your help kejonn over the past few months,
Mucho appreciated.
Hope to hear from you again.
Take care and pray always.
Hello Kevin
I did the same thing and have just come back.
I think it's good to have our beliefs tested by an unbeliver, I like you am learning things I never even considered before.
Hope to hear from you again.
Blessings to you brother.kejonn
Wish you the best. Thanks for pushing me in the right direction too. It has been a chalenge.
Blessings! You have my prayers!
Hey Kejonn;
Thanks for all your responses to my posts. Yes, we had our times when the posts heated up, but through it all I've realized some great truths and perspectives of others that I was unaware of prior. May the good Lord bless you til we meet again.
Steven
Behold, he comes quickly!
Hi KJ:
May God Bless you and your family as you strive to obey our God. Don't stay away too long. Pray for me and I will pray for you.
My brother,
I have repected your opinon and ability to hold a debate to the truth. I have watched you grow in a very short period of time.
Kevin, let the Spirit lead you, and have fun!
Love to you, Mandy
Hey Kevin, don't forget to share the truth with us!
even when you know and are convinced of it… in all righteousness….May God bless you with the strength to resound the truth…..as you are a blessing to me… and others on this site Kevin… most refreshingDon't stay to silent please…God willing…Let it be..His will…Amen
Quote (kejonn @ Oct. 19 2007,21:37) Hi gang, I'm going to be taking a break from this site for awhile.
Some time back, I debated an atheist on another site. Before I did so, I was a comfortable, laid back Christian who thought he knew the “important” parts of the Bible. I was also a mainstream evangelical, and a member of Southern Baptist churches for all of my 20+ years as a Christian.
In any case, the atheist definitely stretched me. He did not make my faith waver, but he tested my knowledge of scripture, and as a result I learned so many new things that I either overlooked before or had not even thought about studying.
But I also started seeing the fallacy of the trinity. It was never a tightly held belief for me anyway, just something a good Baptist believed. I do recall always pondering certain aspects of scripture whenever I heard someone call Jesus God, but it would be a momentary thing.
My debate with the atheist gave me a new found hunger for scripture. Because of this hunger, I started seeing more and more things that I had taken for granted that were not scriptural. For me, the trinity was one of the first things that screamed out from the pages of the Bible as “wrong”.
After this, I started wondering why the New Testament seemed different than the Old. Same God after all, right? That was when I started looking into why people acted as if the OT was something to be set aside. Ken actually got me more interested in the OT because of his love for the Ten Commandments, particularly the Sabbath. So I needed to know why Christians thought that the Law was “abolished”.
Therefore, I started to study the Torah (first 5 books of the Bible).
In the meantime, I also became involved in another aspect of Yeshua's life: whether or not he pre-existed. Since he himself said that the Tanach (Old Testament) testified of him, I thought I could find some proof of pre-existence in the Tanach. As you can tell from my participation in the pre-existence thread, I have yet to find any.
But as anyone who has debated me can tell you, I'm BIG on context when studying the Bible. While studying the Tanach and focusing on passages that were supposed to be messianic so I could find clues about pre-existence, I kept discovering things that troubled me. As I did, more manmade doctrines fell away.
I am at another cross roads in my life. I have been traveling this road for some time, and with each step my eyes are opened to so many things that I just took for granted for so many years because I did not bother to check into them.
It is at this point that I must take a break from this site. It has been a great time, and you all have helped to push me in the right direction, whether the direction I went was the one you intended or not
. I am certain it is the direction that God is leading me into in any case, and that is what matters.Please pray for me as I move into the next spiritual phase of my relationship with God. I will likely check back from time to time, but my contribution will be small if anything at all. Mostly, I just want to watch and see as the rest of you grow.
Love God & Love People (LG&LP),
Kevin
When are you going to be taking your break Kevin?Ah…..Paul……be nice!!
I'm glad Kejonn is here! He asks questions that I would like to know the answers to. He's searching. He's trying out new beliefs and things he's learned. He's daring to have new doctrine. Some of us are so rusty from staying in one place that we couldn't even imagine a new relationship with God.
Let him speak his mind. Encourage him. Pray for him. I'm learning from him.
Thanks,
MandyQuote (Is 1:18 @ Jan. 26 2008,19:28) Quote (kejonn @ Oct. 19 2007,21:37) Hi gang, I'm going to be taking a break from this site for awhile.
Some time back, I debated an atheist on another site. Before I did so, I was a comfortable, laid back Christian who thought he knew the “important” parts of the Bible. I was also a mainstream evangelical, and a member of Southern Baptist churches for all of my 20+ years as a Christian.
In any case, the atheist definitely stretched me. He did not make my faith waver, but he tested my knowledge of scripture, and as a result I learned so many new things that I either overlooked before or had not even thought about studying.
But I also started seeing the fallacy of the trinity. It was never a tightly held belief for me anyway, just something a good Baptist believed. I do recall always pondering certain aspects of scripture whenever I heard someone call Jesus God, but it would be a momentary thing.
My debate with the atheist gave me a new found hunger for scripture. Because of this hunger, I started seeing more and more things that I had taken for granted that were not scriptural. For me, the trinity was one of the first things that screamed out from the pages of the Bible as “wrong”.
After this, I started wondering why the New Testament seemed different than the Old. Same God after all, right? That was when I started looking into why people acted as if the OT was something to be set aside. Ken actually got me more interested in the OT because of his love for the Ten Commandments, particularly the Sabbath. So I needed to know why Christians thought that the Law was “abolished”.
Therefore, I started to study the Torah (first 5 books of the Bible).
In the meantime, I also became involved in another aspect of Yeshua's life: whether or not he pre-existed. Since he himself said that the Tanach (Old Testament) testified of him, I thought I could find some proof of pre-existence in the Tanach. As you can tell from my participation in the pre-existence thread, I have yet to find any.
But as anyone who has debated me can tell you, I'm BIG on context when studying the Bible. While studying the Tanach and focusing on passages that were supposed to be messianic so I could find clues about pre-existence, I kept discovering things that troubled me. As I did, more manmade doctrines fell away.
I am at another cross roads in my life. I have been traveling this road for some time, and with each step my eyes are opened to so many things that I just took for granted for so many years because I did not bother to check into them.
It is at this point that I must take a break from this site. It has been a great time, and you all have helped to push me in the right direction, whether the direction I went was the one you intended or not
. I am certain it is the direction that God is leading me into in any case, and that is what matters.Please pray for me as I move into the next spiritual phase of my relationship with God. I will likely check back from time to time, but my contribution will be small if anything at all. Mostly, I just want to watch and see as the rest of you grow.
Love God & Love People (LG&LP),
Kevin
When are you going to be taking your break Kevin?
When was that written? In any case, now is about right to “take a break”. I've found that people on here can kinda testy when you don't believe as they do.With the Spirit, our life is in constant growth and seeking God's will keeps us from being anything but rusty.
I'm very concerned for those who have foresaken the scriptures and create new doctrine without the guidance of the truths provided there within.Arriving at truth is hard enough using God's word as our source and and with the Holy Spirit to guide us but it is perilous to strike out on your own without the truths God has provided, not that I believe that every little thing in the Bible is “God's word” but the whole of scripture is our safeguard.
My opinion – Wm
You say, “….not that I believe that every little thing in the Bible is “God's word” but the whole of scripture is our safeguard.”
Fair enough.
What “little thing in the Bible” may not be God's word then? Perhaps John 1:1? Perhaps some other major scripture that defines our common dogma?
Most are not interested in constant growth. Most are interested in banking on what they already know. If I did that (if I stayed “rusty”), I would still be a Trinitarian.
Kejonn,
Possibly Isaiah wants you to take a break because it's a bit painful when iron sharpens iron……sparks do fly!
Quote (Not3in1 @ Jan. 28 2008,15:11) You say, “….not that I believe that every little thing in the Bible is “God's word” but the whole of scripture is our safeguard.” Fair enough.
What “little thing in the Bible” may not be God's word then? Perhaps John 1:1? Perhaps some other major scripture that defines our common dogma?
Most are not interested in constant growth. Most are interested in banking on what they already know. If I did that (if I stayed “rusty”), I would still be a Trinitarian.
not3Yes of course. We wouldnt want you to not grow by staying a Trinitarian.
After all Trinitarians are stagnant, babes, who are still sucking on the bottle.
I suppose I am a little disturbed by your statement and others. Yes, I am a little defensive.
Its just disappointing that “Trinitarianism” is brought up with little jabs even when the subject is not about the trinity!
I am a little disappointed that you take this kind of view especially when it seems that you are the one struggling in your faith now.
Have you considered that maybe your faith could be wavering because you have forsaken the basics you once knew?
Even so, I do not cast judgment on you or your faith, or pretend that I know where you are in your personal growth with God based on what you may or may not believe.
May his truth and his blessings continue in your life sister!
Hey WJ,
I'm sorry I stepped on your toes! I certainly didn't mean to (I hope you know that). The reason I bring up moving from Trinitarianism to where I am now is because it took changing my faith to do so. Some would say that you shouldn't study or question to change your views and/or dogma. While that may be true, the same folks who don't want me and other's to question wouldn't have wanted me to remain a Trinitarian either. I guess that was the point I was trying to make – I didn't do a very good job.
I'm currently listening to a tape from the link that Isaiah recommended so I am a bit distracted. I just quickly thought I would check in and I saw your post.
Forgive me. I suppose we are all children of God and I believe labels will have very little to do with redemption.
Love,
MandyQuote (Not3in1 @ Jan. 28 2008,10:11) You say, “….not that I believe that every little thing in the Bible is “God's word” but the whole of scripture is our safeguard.” Fair enough.
What “little thing in the Bible” may not be God's word then? Perhaps John 1:1? Perhaps some other major scripture that defines our common dogma?
Most are not interested in constant growth. Most are interested in banking on what they already know. If I did that (if I stayed “rusty”), I would still be a Trinitarian.
By “little thing” I believe there are some translation errors, differences between observations, as well as possibly some later additions in a few places. I believe these to be minor in nature and with the whole of scripture we are still able to find truth with the guidance of the Holy Spirit. I believe that truths can be found in other writings, but I would not set conflicting doctrine based on it.My opinion – Wm
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.
