My first posting. I am so in love with the Bible & yet I'm scared

[Radiant_Owl]

I've wandered the net doing research beyond what I read in scripture so as to learn the origins of the Bible and the history of our faith. And I'm scared. That sounds silly maybe but that's how I feel. I have this swelling love in my heart for the Bible and God and Jesus or Yeshua as the Hebrews call him. And this wondrous joy bubbling alive inside me comforted by the blanket of promise and my faith. And then.

I find information that makes it sounds like it is all political and man made. There are even non-Christian places that extract scriptures in order to point out how illogical it all is.

And that gets me to think and feel afraid. I know this sounds weak and whatever but I really need help in understanding .

[Deborah_]

This may sound counter-intuitive, but when you don't know much about a controversial subject (which religion always is), surfing the Internet isn't necessarily the best thing to do. Many "Christian" websites are promoting bizarre views of Scripture and even heresies. Atheist websites have seemingly persuasive arguments against Christianity and against the Bible.

I actually suggest you start with some good books (or websites) that your pastor or Christian friends could recommend. Books tend to go into the issues much deeper than internet sites.

I will recommend one website that I think is really good, in case you haven't found it yet:

http://www.reasonablefaith.org/popular-articles

[Radiant_Owl]

I sure see the point about counter intuitive. Thank you for the link.

[Radiant_Owl]

Just wanted to follow-up.   I love that site. Again, thank you so much. It is a challenge to find proper Christian teaching websites that are aligned properly with the Father's word and guidance. Can't trust the net but I'm seeking advice via the net. However, outstanding as an exceptionally informative place that I could read for days, your site linked is a glorious blessing . Thank you again.

Highly recommend Reasonable Faith to any Bible student here.

 

[missmuffet]

On 3/17/2017 at 7:59 AM, Deborah_ said:

This may sound counter-intuitive, but when you don't know much about a controversial subject (which religion always is), surfing the Internet isn't necessarily the best thing to do. Many "Christian" websites are promoting bizarre views of Scripture and even heresies. Atheist websites have seemingly persuasive arguments against Christianity and against the Bible.

I actually suggest you start with some good books (or websites) that your pastor or Christian friends could recommend. Books tend to go into the issues much deeper than internet sites.

I will recommend one website that I think is really good, in case you haven't found it yet:

http://www.reasonablefaith.org/popular-articles

Yes, a lot of Christian websites are into false doctrine and the administrators are doing nothing about it.

[missmuffet]

Satan does not like it when someone becomes a Christian. Satan also does not like it when someone is ministering the true word of God on the internet. Satan loves fear and that is his goal. Pick up that bible of yours and pray often. Put on that full armor Ephesians 6:13-17 and ask God to be in the drivers seat of your life and let Him have 100% control of your life. You will not be sorry.

[simplejeff]

On 3/17/2017 at 8:06 AM, Radiant_Owl said:

I've wandered the net doing research beyond what I read in scripture so as to learn the origins of the Bible and the history of our faith. And I'm scared. That sounds silly maybe but that's how I feel. I have this swelling love in my heart for the Bible and God and Jesus or Yeshua as the Hebrews call him. And this wondrous joy bubbling alive inside me comforted by the blanket of promise and my faith. And then.

I find information that makes it sounds like it is all political and man made. There are even non-Christian places that extract scriptures in order to point out how illogical it all is.

And that gets me to think and feel afraid. I know this sounds weak and whatever but I really need help in understanding .

Love Scripture,  read cover to cover a little bit "quickly" (within a few months or less),  praying for YHWH's(GOD's) understanding.     It is HIS WORD to us.   HE SAYS it is GOOD.  HE is PERFECT.   Man have messed up a lot.

Trust HIM as HE is full of amazing grace and seek the FATHER in HEAVEN as the disciples all did/do.

And this is HIS DELIGHT : " Then opened HE their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures,"

No matter all what you read or hear or see.  TRUST YHWH THE CREATOR and Y'SHUA(YHWH'S SALVATION).

And you shall know the TRUTH,  and the TRUTH shall set you free.  

[Reinitin]

it is a wonderful journey. God bless you.

[Radiant_Owl]

20 hours ago, missmuffet said:

Satan does not like it when someone becomes a Christian. Satan also does not like it when someone is ministering the true word of God on the internet. Satan loves fear and that is his goal. Pick up that bible of yours and pray often. Put on that full armor Ephesians 6:13-17 and ask God to be in the drivers seat of your life and let Him have 100% control of your life. You will not be sorry.

I so agree.  

20 hours ago, simplejeff said:

Love Scripture,  read cover to cover a little bit "quickly" (within a few months or less),  praying for YHWH's(GOD's) understanding.     It is HIS WORD to us.   HE SAYS it is GOOD.  HE is PERFECT.   Man have messed up a lot.

Trust HIM as HE is full of amazing grace and seek the FATHER in HEAVEN as the disciples all did/do.

And this is HIS DELIGHT : " Then opened HE their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures,"

No matter all what you read or hear or see.  TRUST YHWH THE CREATOR and Y'SHUA(YHWH'S SALVATION).

And you shall know the TRUTH,  and the TRUTH shall set you free.  

Free indeed. Amen.   

19 hours ago, Reinitin said:

it is a wonderful journey. God bless you.

It is, I agree. Thank you and may God bless you too.

[Willa]

Fear is not from God.  Lower Textual Criticism is more apt to be by Christians.  Higher Textual Criticism is often done by atheists and agnostics to prove that the Bible is not true.  So stick to lower.  It has older dates for the writing of the books (scrolls), and searches for evidence supporting Scripture.  It often also searches for the most correct rendering of the Greek and Hebrew manuscripts.  This is often but not always found in earlier writings.  

The Greek church allowed Greek speaking people to copy the scrolls.  Many did this hurriedly or made more errors, and these were usually done on papyrus (paper) so only fragments remain.  Still they are helpful in dating some scrolls that the unbelievers claim were written 50 to 80 years later.  The originals no longer exist.  But they were quoted often as people and pastors wrote to each other during and soon after the time of the apostles.  The books of the New Testament were written between 45 and 91 AD or 45 and 85 AD, the last being the Revelation written by the apostle John while he was exiled on the Island of Patmos..  One Roman emperor ordered all New Testament scrolls to be burned so it is only by God's grace and providence that any exist today.

All New Testament scrolls had to be verified by a person who was a disciple of the Apostle to be accepted as genuine.  The words of Jesus and of the apostles were often memorized prior to their writing, just as the Jews memorized the first 5 books of the Old Testament.  But we are told both by Jesus and by the apostles like Paul that it is the Holy Spirit who brings to mind what they should write.  It is that same Holy Spirit who gives you such joy in your salvation and blesses you with love and understanding His Word.

Most of the New Testament was collected within only a short time after the death of John.  A few books at the end of the New Testament were questioned because while they were circulated among a group of neighboring churches, churches in another country may not have heard of all of them.  But the acid tests were the harmony with what the Holy Spirit had said in other parts of the Bible, lack of obvious error, the testimony early on from the disciples of the author, as well as their being signed by them.   Many fake books had cropped up about the time that the genuine ones were collected and verified.  Most were written by cults and had Jesus putting curses on children or killing them when he was young, or others claimed that women are evil and that Jesus didn't come as a man.  These were obviously false and were rejected for good reason.  They do not portray the God that we know and love.  But people are always coming up with newly discovered gospels that were "left out" of the New Testament.

Halley's Bible Handbook used to be recommended by Billy Graham and other well known pastors.  I am still looking for a good source to recommend.