Daily bible discussion #1

[ManBungalow]

Matthew 18

Woe unto the world because of occasions of stumbling! for it must needs be that the occasions come; but woe to that man through whom the occasion cometh!

And if thy hand or thy foot causeth thee to stumble, cut it off, and cast it from thee: it is good for thee to enter into life maimed or halt, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into the eternal fire.

And if thine eye causeth thee to stumble, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is good for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into the hell of fire.

Is this a metaphor for cutting sin from your person, or was the author of the bible simply a sadistic masochist ?

[Army of GOD]

I didn't know stumbling was such a problem in the Biblical ages. I don't think their inner ears were fully evolved back then.

[pmchugh]

I didn't know stumbling was such a problem in the Biblical ages. I don't think their inner ears were fully evolved back then.

You'd think cutting off your own foot would make you stumble more often.

[Woodruff]

Is this a metaphor for cutting sin from your person, or was the author of the bible simply a sadistic masochist?

It depends entirely on the perspective of the individual, as to whether they are someone who recognizes the sado-masochistic tendencies or someone who wants to pretend they don't exist.

[IcePack]

Is this a metaphor for cutting sin from your person, or was the author of the bible simply a sadistic masochist ?

Pretty sure there was more than one author of "the bible", unless you are specifically refering to the author of this passage.

[jonesthecurl]

NO, the bible was written by hopalong Jesus.

[notyou2]

NO, the bible was written by one-eyed hopalong Jesus.

Fixed

[Army of GOD]

Is this a metaphor for cutting sin from your person, or was the author of the bible simply a sadistic masochist ?

Pretty sure there was more than one author of "the bible", unless you are specifically refering to the author of this passage.

What are you taking about? I thought Stephen King wrote the Bible...

[jonesthecurl]

NO, the bible was written by one-eyed hopalong Jesus.

Fixed

Jesus is Long John Silver?

[shieldgenerator7]

Ok, you guys are a bunch of trolls and not taking this serious at all (not that there's anything particularly wrong with your particular style of trolling )

If taken literally this means if your foot causes you to trip cut it off, and if your eye hurts you take a fork and stab it out.

But taken metaphorically (like it's supposed to be taken), this means do not let your humanly self cause to fall (i.e. sin). For if any physical part of you causes you to sin, detach it from your body. This is used to take away the excuse "I didn't steal, my hand grabbed the unpaid for apple!"

The idea is that you can't blame your body for the sins you commit. Sin is mental and it is spiritual and it is decisive, as you control (to some extent) what you do and if you sin or not. Thus the blame is on you and not your body.

This is intended to get people to take responsibility for their sins and to repent of their sins.

Now I know you little trolls are going to eat this up like sugar-coated candy.

-SG7 ( )

[General Brock II]

Matthew 18

Woe unto the world because of occasions of stumbling! for it must needs be that the occasions come; but woe to that man through whom the occasion cometh!

And if thy hand or thy foot causeth thee to stumble, cut it off, and cast it from thee: it is good for thee to enter into life maimed or halt, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into the eternal fire.

And if thine eye causeth thee to stumble, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is good for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into the hell of fire.

Is this a metaphor for cutting sin from your person, or was the author of the bible simply a sadistic masochist ?

Shieldgenerator has it correct. Like he says, one isn't about to, and people never did, habitually cut their hands, eyes or feet from themselves after having sinned. One might note that it the verses state "better than"? It would be better for you to cut off your ligaments rather than use them to commit sin.

I think even you jokers might agree that a missing hand would be preferable to eternal suffering? However, even if one cuts one's hand off, is one guaranteed to stop sinning? Of course not - these verses, in essence, reflect Mark's instructions on the heart of man. As ShieldGenerator proclaimed, it's you who's committing the sin. Work on the heart.

[jonesthecurl]

And if the sin is in your heart, cut the heart out.

[daddy1gringo]

And if the sin is in your heart, cut the heart out.

Well,yeah. Of course we're not talking "heart" in the anatomical/medical sense, but the seat of one's desires and intentions. Ezekiel 36:26 --" I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh."

[Army of GOD]

what if the sin is in my dick?

and by sin, I mean possible STD

[pmchugh]

I think even you jokers might agree that a missing hand would be preferable to eternal suffering?

Meh I'd rather be in Hell, it would be much more my crowd. I'd miss shield though

[notyou2]

If the bible is not meant to be taken literally, then why do so many take it that way? I hear many so called Christians quote scripture in a literal sense when is suits them, but then say it is allegory when it doesn't suit them.

Homosexuality is a perfect example.

[BigBallinStalin]

So, if you're gay, you have to remove that part in your brain which makes you gay, right?


Since removing the metaphorical heart is recommended for suppressing desires, then why not get castrated to suppress homosexual desires?

[shieldgenerator7]

what if the sin is in my dick?

and by sin, I mean possible STD

well, if its syphallus, by all means!

I think even you jokers might agree that a missing hand would be preferable to eternal suffering?

Meh I'd rather be in Hell, it would be much more my crowd. I'd miss shield though

I'd miss too pmc. So why don't you get off your high horse and walk with Jesus?

[pmchugh]

I think even you jokers might agree that a missing hand would be preferable to eternal suffering?

Meh I'd rather be in Hell, it would be much more my crowd. I'd miss shield though

I'd miss too pmc. So why don't you get off your high horse and walk with Jesus?

Hey you are supposed to be the nice Christian, you should be there for me! Come join the dark side with me instead. That would be the Christian thing to do

[shieldgenerator7]

I think even you jokers might agree that a missing hand would be preferable to eternal suffering?

Meh I'd rather be in Hell, it would be much more my crowd. I'd miss shield though

I'd miss too pmc. So why don't you get off your high horse and walk with Jesus?

Hey you are supposed to be the nice Christian, you should be there for me! Come join the dark side with me instead. That would be the Christian thing to do

Yeah I'll come to the dark side. I'll come to the dark side to drag you over to the good side (stopping by the pony side on the way).

[notyou2]

ride yer pony

[daddy1gringo]

If the bible is not meant to be taken literally, then why do so many take it that way? I hear many so called Christians quote scripture in a literal sense when is suits them, but then say it is allegory when it doesn't suit them.

Because it's a very big book, containing poetry and prose, narrative and exegesis, literal and figurative, history and apologetic, positive and negative, standards and sense, the clearly stated and the deeply hidden. It was never meant to be understood outside of relationship with God, without asking "What are you saying to me through this?" and discerning his voice answering you.

[Viceroy63]

Some parts of the Bible are literal while others are metaphorical! Our job is to discern which is what. To do this it may even be required to be spiritually minded and the spiritually minded person will be the type of person who prays for guidance every day from God.

Now as to those verses quoted in the first post; Many simply miss the whole point of what Jesus was saying. Nowhere in the Bible is physical mutilation of the body endorsed and Jesus was not instructing us to cut any part of our bodies off. He was simply using a hyperbolies to demonstrate how worth it, it is to enter into the Kingdom of God.

To enter into a world so rich in love as to put the love of this world to such shame! To enter into a world where man will not learn war anymore! A world where the human evils of people killing each other and lying to one another and profiting off of the flesh and weaknesses of other human beings, Our human family for humanity is one family of beings; To enter such a world lame is better than to never know it at all.

That is the point that Jesus was making and not that we should cut off our body parts. But that we should do everything possible, even if it is to our own hurt, because the sheer joy and true loving pleasure of being there simply can not be compared to anything that this world has to offer or anything that we may have to suffer or go through in this life. It simply pales in comparison.

It will simply be more than worth it to see the Kingdom of God and to be a part of it, and all those who take it lightly will suffer more regret than anything that they can possibly imagine when they see in the final judgement just what it is that they will miss out on. It will bring tears of sorrow and regret to their very souls in that day as they will then gladly offer their body parts in order to be able to be a part of that Kingdom of Love but it may very well be too late by then as the Lord will say to them, "You just don't get it do Ya? If you do not have love in your heart, you just can't come in!"

[notyou2]

The Islamist preach of a similar place but you have to kill others to get there.

Who is right?

[shieldgenerator7]

The Islamist preach of a similar place but you have to kill others to get there.

Who is right?

You're assuming all Islams are murderous extremists. You are grossly mistaken.