Blogging the New Testament!Blogging the New Testament!Given the fact that so many people, especially in the US, refer to the Bible and Jesus to justify their positions concerning life, society and education I thought it would be a good thing to really read this book in detail and report the oddities. I'
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Questioning Christianity.
2008-03-29 14:36:00 My blogging of the oddities of the New Testament is still on a hiatus. Mainly because of time constraints and because I'm approaching the Bible differently right now.I'd rather focus on some overarching questions regarding the Bible then simply comment every oddity in the text. So if you're interested you can read my latest comment, in this case about how the biblical God is portrayed in the book of Job: Evil also comes from God.You can of course stumble it too if you like! Thank you and have a nice day. More About: Christianity , Questioning
Matthew (compilation)
2008-02-28 13:39:00 If you're new to this blog then here's a PDF document of all my comments regarding the Gospel of Matthew . It's easier to read this way than having to read the blog backwards.There will also be a short break in my blogging activities. A matter of priorities. I will be back though. More About: Compilation
Matthew, chapter 28
2008-02-27 11:36:00 1 Now after the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to look at the grave.Compare this to the other 3 accounts. Very interesting ... and contradicting. 2 And behold, a severe earthquake had occurred, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled away the stone and sat upon it. 3 And his appearance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow.So when angels come down from heaven that'll cause earthquakes? Why? Dramatic effect? And what's an appearance like lightning? This verse also contradicts its counterparts in the other Gospels. 5 The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified.That's a quite well informed angel, isn't it? 7 "Go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead; and behold, He is going ahead of you into Galilee, there you will see Him; behold, I have told you."Going? Can't he just telepor... More About: Matthew , Chapter
Matthew, chapter 27 - part 2
2008-02-26 16:44:00 32 As they were going out, they met a man from Cyrene, named Simon, and they forced him to carry the cross.One shouldn't forget that the condemned didn't have to carry the whole cross (how would they have been able to do that?) but only the upper 't-part'. But it seems Jesus (already?) was too weak to do that. 35 When they had crucified him, they divided up his clothes by casting lots.Yet another detail invented to 'fulfill' a prophecy. 44 In the same way the robbers who were crucified with him also heaped insults on him.Unlike in other Gospels both thieves mock him. 50 And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.So Jesus has finished his job and could go home again at last. The ghost who descended upon him during his baptism has left the human body again when he did. 51 At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split.Some more supernatural mumbojumbo to 'prove' that it was indeed ... More About: Part , Matthew , Chapter
Matthew, chapter 27 - part 1
2008-02-25 10:30:00 1 Early in the morning, all the chief priests and the elders of the people came to the decision to put Jesus to death.So the author wants to make it very clear as to who's responsible in his view: all the chief priests and elders of the people3 When Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty silver coins to the chief priests and the elders. 4 "I have sinned," he said, "for I have betrayed innocent blood."What did Judas expected them to do? Or did he think they would just imprison Jesus? And since he repented, why couldn't God forgive him? Assuming that God didn't remote-control Judas the whole time anyway in order to get his plan to get Jesus crucified going.5 So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away andhanged himself.What exactly would he have wanted to accomplish by killing himself? Be judged sooner?6 The chief priests picked up the coins and said, "It is against the law to put this i... More About: Part , Matthew , Chapter
Matthew, chapter 26
2008-02-24 16:20:00 6 While Jesus was in Bethany in the home of a man known as Simon the Leper, 7 a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, which she poured on his head as he was reclining at the table. 8 When the disciples saw this, they were indignant. "Why this waste?" they asked. 9 "This perfume could have been sold at a high price and the money given to the poor." 10 Aware of this, Jesus said to them, "Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me. 11 The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me. 12 When she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial. 13 I tell you the truth, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her."More or less the same story as in Mark with some differences though. But in both stories Jesus likes to be pampered with very expensive perfume and doesn't care about the poor.18 He replied, "Go into the city to a ... More About: Matthew , Chapter
Matthew, chapter 25
2008-02-21 20:38:00 14 "For it is just like a man about to go on a journey, who called his own slaves and entrusted his possessions to them."So having slaves was quite ok for the Jews.29 "For to everyone who has, more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away."Jesus would be the ideal candidate for the Republican Party with speeches like this.30 "Throw out the worthless slave into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.So much for Christian compassion then ...31 "But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne."So the Son on Man will be coming on a flying throne? Now that must be quite a show!34 "Then the King will say to those on His right, 'Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35 'For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thi... More About: Matthew , Chapter
Matthew, chapter 24
2008-02-20 18:57:00 29 "But immediately after the tribulation of those days THE SUN WILL BE DARKENED, AND THE MOON WILL NOT GIVE ITS LIGHT, AND THE STARS ILL FALL from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.This is an extract of Jesus' big doomsday speech in this chapter. But this again clearly shows that he astronomical knowledge was very limited. The stars, being distant suns, cannot just fall from the sky. And who or what would be able to shake the sun or the moon? And how?30 "And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the SON OF MAN COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF THE SKY with power and great glory.So the Son of Man will be like the Silver Surfer?31 "And He will send forth His angels with A GREAT TRUMPET and THEY WILL GATHER TOGETHER His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to theother."A heavenly concert with angels playing trumpets? Or will all the angels play one great trumet? And where exac... More About: Matthew , Chapter
Matthew, chapter 23
2008-02-19 10:47:00 1 Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to His disciples, 2 saying: "The scribes and the Pharisees have seated themselves in the chair of Moses; 3 therefore all that they tell you, do and observe, but do not do according to their deeds; for they say things and do not do them."Another example of Jesus stating that people should follow the Law of Moses. 9 "Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven."Jesus arguing against standard family traditions again! 14 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you devour widows' houses, and for a pretense you make long prayers; therefore you will receive greater condemnation.This verse is not found in the earliest-known manuscripts. Seems like the copyist felt like adding one more accusation. 33 "You serpents, you brood of vipers, how will you escape the sentence of hell?Jesus could talk himself into a rage it seems. 34 "Therefore, behold, I am sending you prophets and wise men and scribes; so... More About: Matthew , Chapter
Matthew, chapter 22
2008-02-18 09:33:00 10 "Those slaves went out into the streets and gathered together all they found, both evil and good; and the wedding hall was filled with dinner guests. 11 "But when the king came in to look over the dinner guests, he saw a man there who was not dressed in wedding clothes, 12 and he said to him, 'Friend, how did you come in here without wedding clothes?' And the man was speechless. 13 "Then the king said to the servants, 'Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' 14 "For many are called, but few are chosen."I'm not sure that this allegory portrays the biblical God in a good light ... 29 But Jesus answered and said to them, "You are mistaken, not understanding the Scriptures nor the power of God. 30 "For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.At least there won't be any domestic quarrels in Heaven ... More About: Matthew , Chapter
Matthew, chapter 21
2008-02-17 10:38:00 6 The disciples went and did just as Jesus had instructed them, 7 and brought the donkey and the colt, and laid their coats on them; and He sat on the coats.Must have been awkward to sit on both the donkey and the colt!9 The crowds going ahead of Him, and those who followed, were shouting, "Hosanna to the Son of David; BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD; Hosanna in the highest!"Note that they don't call him Lord but the one who comes IN THE NAME of the Lord. This is understandable since this Gospel is trying to convert Jews and it would have been blasphemous for them to suggest that a human could be God.10 When He had entered Jerusalem, all the city was stirred, saying, "Who is this?"In Greek this could also be interpreted like a slight earthquake was happening at that time, thus confirming that Jesus was somebody special.12 And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all those who were buying and selling in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers an... More About: Matthew , Chapter
Matthew, chapter 20
2008-02-16 11:24:00 8 "When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, 'Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.' 9 "The workers who were hired about the eleventh hour came and each received a denarius. 10 So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius. 11 When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner. 12 'These men who were hired last worked only one hour,' they said, 'and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.' 13 "But he answered one of them, 'Friend, I am not being unfair to you. Didn't you agree to work for a denarius?14 Take your pay and go. I want to give the man who was hired last the same as I have you. 15 Don't I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?' 16 "So the last will be first, and the first will be... More About: Matthew , Chapter
Matthew, chapter 19
2008-02-15 15:01:00 3 Some Pharisees came to Jesus, testing Him and asking, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any reason at all?" 4 And He answered and said, "Have you not read that He who created them from the beginning MADE THEM MALE AND FEMALE, 5 and said, 'FOR THIS REASON A MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHERAND MOTHER AND BE JOINED TO HIS WIFE, AND THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH'? 6 "So they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate."So if it's God who joins together couples then I'd like to know his criteria. And why he selects abusing husbands or cheating wives for some people ... And this also means then that women who get beaten by their alcoholic husbands are not allowed to divorce. Which is a rather new invention anyway since women didn't have that right in the past in the first place. 7 They said to Him, "Why then did Moses command to GIVE HER A CERTIFICATE OF DIVORCE AND SEND her AWAY?" 8 He said to them, "Because of your hardne... More About: Matthew , Chapter
Matthew, chapter 18
2008-02-14 17:21:00 1 At that time the disciples came to Jesus and said, "Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" 2 And He called a child to Himself and set him before them, 3 and said, "Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 "Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.Why would there be a hierarchy in Heaven in the first place? And based on what?5 "And whoever receives one such child in My name receives Me; 6 but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.That's quite a drastic image for the alleged Prince of Peace. And why would drowning be better? And compared to what?8 "If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; it is better for you to enter life crippled or lame, than to have two hands or ... More About: Matthew , Chapter
Matthew, chapter 17
2008-02-13 16:30:00 15 "Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is a lunatic and is very ill; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water. 16 "I brought him to Your disciples, and they could not cure him." 17 And Jesus answered and said, "You unbelieving and perverted generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring him here to Me."So the disciples didn't believe enough to cure that boy? That's surprising. Why did they doubt?18 And Jesus rebuked him, and the demon came out of him, and the boy was cured at once.Oh, these demons. Always hiding in people and making them sick! 19 Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, "Why could we not drive it out?" 20 And He said to them, "Because of the littleness of your faith; for truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you.Why would the disciples of Jesus have little faith? ... More About: Matthew , Chapter
Matthew, chapter 16
2008-02-12 12:33:00 11 "How is it that you do not understand that I did not speak to you concerning bread? But beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees." 12 Then they understood that He did not say to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.The Apostles really weren't the quickest minds around ... 20 Then He warned the disciples that they should tell no one that He was theChrist.Maybe doing less miracles would also be a good way to remain secret ... 22 Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, "God forbid it, Lord! This shall never happen to You." 23 But He turned and said to Peter, "Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God's interests, but man's." Peter worries for Jesus and gets called Satan therefore. Ok ... 28 "Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom."Another empty promise. Or... More About: Matthew , Chapter
Matthew, chapter 15
2008-02-11 09:11:00 1 Then some Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said, 2 "Why do Your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread."Whether a religious ritual or not, it would always seem to be a good idea to wash your hands before eating ...19 "For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders."Seems like Jesus wasn't an expert in human biology either since the evil thoughts etc come out of the brain, and not the heart.22 And a Canaanite woman from that region came out and began to cry out, saying, "Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is cruelly demon-possessed." 23 But He did not answer her a word. And His disciples came and implored Him, saying, "Send her away, because she keeps shouting at us." 24 But He answered and said, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." 25 But she came and began to bow down before Him, saying, "Lord, help me... More About: Matthew , Chapter
Matthew, chapter 14
2008-02-10 11:51:00 1 At that time Herod the tetrarch heard the news about Jesus, 2 and said to his servants, "This is John the Baptist; he has risen from the dead, and that is why miraculous powers are at work in him."So raising from the dead and having miraculous powers really were nothing too really freak out about at the time.19 Ordering the people to sit down on the grass, He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up toward heaven, He blessed the food, and breaking the loaves He gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds, 20 and they all ate and were satisfied. They picked up what was left over of the broken pieces, twelve full baskets. 21 There were about five thousand men who ate, besides women and children.The first recorded mass cloning experiment.25 And in the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea.So Jesus is having a walk on the water at between 3 and 6 a.m. in the morning? Seems more like a dream of somebody to me ...35 And when... More About: Matthew , Chapter
Matthew, chapter 13
2008-02-09 10:25:00 2 And large crowds gathered to Him, so He got into a boat and sat down, and the whole crowd was standing on the beach. 3 And He spoke many things to themin parablesHe must really have had a loud voice ...10 And the disciples came and said to Him, "Why do You speak to them in parables?" 11 Jesus answered them, "To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted."Uh, what's that supposed to mean? He talks to the ordinary people in code so that they can't know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven? Why would he do that and why would he talk to them then in the first place?12 "For whoever has, to him more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him."That doesn't sound too nice either, does it?16 "But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear."And yet the Apostles often seem slow and dim, and not be able to understand ... More About: Matthew , Chapter
Matthew, chapter 12
2008-02-08 09:45:00 15 But Jesus, aware of this, withdrew from there. Many followed Him, and He healed them all, 16 and warned them not to tell who He was. As we know from previous accounts he probably wasn't very persuasive and those who got healed told just about everyone what had happened ... 22 Then a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute was brought to Jesus, and He healed him, so that the mute man spoke and saw.Ah, these demons. Always causing these illnesses. We really need more exorcists again. 30 "He who is not with Me is against Me"Now we know where George W. Bush got that line from ... his favorite 'philosopher'! And that statement is dumb in the first place because there's always the third option: I don't care. 31 "Therefore I say to you, any sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven people, but blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven."Seems like there are a lot of people who won't be forgiven (see Blasphemy Challenge). And if the Spirit represents the female then why, oh, w... More About: Matthew , Chapter
Matthew, chapter 11
2008-02-07 10:05:00 11 "Truly I say to you, among those born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than John the Baptist! Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heavenis greater than he."So he didn't consider himself to be born of a woman? And John the Baptists may be the greatest now but it seems like in Heaven he will be quite small. How does that make sense? 25 At that time Jesus said, "I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants.Seems like God doesn't like the wise and intelligent much. That explains a lot ... More About: Matthew , Chapter
Matthew, chapter 10
2008-02-06 11:58:00 1 Jesus summoned His twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every kind of disease and every kind of sickness.So his superpowers were transferable? But it seems like the disciples couldn't transfer them to their disciples and so on? Otherwise why don't the Pope and the Bishops have them today? Oh, and Judas got those powers as well. Either Jesus didn't know that Judas was going to be the 'bad guy' or he didn't care at that point since Judas helped healing and casting out demons.5 These twelve Jesus sent out after instructing them: "Do not go in the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter any city of the Samaritans; 6 but rather go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. So unlike Paul Jesus focussed on the Jews, not the Gentiles. In this story Jesus is described as a Jew wanting to correct Jewish behavior.8 "Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give.Raising the dead ... More About: Matthew , Chapter
Matthew, chapter 9
2008-02-05 09:12:00 15 And Jesus said to them, "The attendants of the bridegroom cannot mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them, can they? But the days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.I have to admit that Jesus had a healthy view here: Let's enjoy the party while it lasts! It wont be forever.20 And a woman who had been suffering from a hemorrhage for twelve years, came up behind Him and touched the fringe of His cloak; 21 for she was saying to herself, "If I only touch His garment, I will get well." 22 But Jesus turning and seeing her said, "Daughter, take courage; your faith has made you well." At once the woman was made well. Faith in the magic cloak heals the woman! If only more people nowadays would have such faith. Doctors would go out of business. 29 Then He touched their eyes, saying, "It shall be done to you according to your faith." 30 And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them: "Seethat no one knows about this!" 31 But they w... More About: Matthew , Chapter , Chapter 9
Matthew, chapter 8
2008-02-04 08:20:00 1 When Jesus came down from the mountain, large crowds followed Him. 2 And a leper came to Him and bowed down before Him, and said, "Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean." 3 Jesus stretched out His hand and touched him, saying, "I am willing; be cleansed." And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. 4 And Jesus said to him, "See that you tell no one; but go, show yourself to the priest and present the offering that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them." Well, it's nice that Jesus was indeed willing to heal him. And why wouldn't he? I'd heal people too if I had that super-power. But what I don't get is this: Jesus walks around in the mountains, large crowds following him. He then there heals a leper but tells him not to say anything!? What about the multitudes who followed him? Didn't they catch this healing? 16 When evening came, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed; and He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were ill.The demons really ... More About: Matthew , Chapter , Chapter 8
Matthew, chapter 7
2008-02-03 19:14:00 1 "Do not judge so that you will not be judged. 2 "For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you." Another quote that a lot of Christians seem to have forgotten. They're quite keen on judging people that do not adhere to their views or values ... Why don't they simply let their God judge those people?14 "For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it."Why doesn't God make it bigger so that more people will find it? Isn't he interested in saving them?22 "Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' 23 "And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.'" Casting out demons and doing miracles must really have been easy and common at the time. But even that apparently is not enough to be among the chosen ones. More About: Matthew , Chapter , Chapter 7
Matthew, chapter 6
2008-02-02 11:02:00 1 "Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven. 2 "So when you give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be honored by men Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. 3 "But when you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving will be in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you. 5 "When you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. 6 "But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.Seems like a lot of Christians are unaware of th... More About: Matthew , Chapter , Chapter 6
Matthew, chapter 5
2008-02-01 13:08:00 1 When Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain; and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him. 2 He opened His mouth and began to teach themHow did speakers in the ancient world address large crowds? How could they make themselves heard over these distances without microphones? Or did they have people who were relying what they've heard to the people standing behind them? This reminds me of the Life Of Brian from Monty Python and 'blessed are the cheesemakers!' ...3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.I can understand the blessings in the subsequent verses quite well and they're nice but this one doesn't make quite sense. Does it mean that the kingdom of Heaven is for the stupid? Or for the unbelievers? Depending on how you interpret 'spirit' ... Or does 'poor in spirit' mean the depressed? 17 "Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. 18 "For truly I say to you, until ... More About: Chapter 5 , Matthew , Chapter
Matthew, chapter 4
2008-01-31 08:13:00 1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.So the dove is leading him into the wilderness for a big test? If Jesus was the Messiah or even God himself then why does he need to be tested? Doesn't God know that he won't fail? Or doesn't God trust Jesus/himself? Or is this just for show again? And if the Spirit leads Jesus to the devil then isn't the devil sort of God's minion who's just doing his job?2 And after He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He then became hungry.I hope he had brought some water or found a source somewhere ... And I like the laconic statement: 'He then became hungry'. No way! After having fasted for 40 days? What a surprise. On the other hand it's quite a surprise if he only got hungry on the 40th day!3 And the tempter came and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread."4 But He answered and said, "It is written, 'MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE, BUT ON EVERY WORD ... More About: Matthew , Chapter
Matthew, chapter 3
2008-01-30 08:36:00 16 After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on HimIt's good that he came up immediately again from the water! Because people usually stay there for hours ... The heavens were opened? Like a door or a window? And the Spirit of God, solidified into a dove, came out of this opening in the sky and flew down to Earth?17 and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased." Aw, God is just like all human parents! So proud of their kids. And always thinking they're the best ... More About: Matthew , Chapter
Matthew, chapter 2
More articles from this author:2008-01-29 08:12:00 1 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem.The magi were men specialized in astronomy and astrology or, in other words, people with a great tendency to the superstitious. So much also for the 'three kings'. The number three is only extrapolated from the three gifts. It's never explicitly said that there were only three men.2 "Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him."Which star was it? And how did they know it was his star? Did it have a name tag on it?7 Then Herod secretly called the magi and determined from them the exact time the star appeared.Stars don't just appear like that. Comets or meteorites do though. Another proof that they didn't know what stars really were (distant suns).8 And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and search carefully for the Child; and when you have found Him, report to me, so that I too may come and w... More About: Matthew , Chapter , Chapter 2 1, 2 |
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