Text 1085, 174 rader
Skriven 2006-05-16 05:03:58 av Bob Hoffman (8:8/2)
Ärende: We Receive as We Give
=============================
Faith's Checkbook  

Charles H. Spurgeon
May 15, 2006

 

May 16 
We Receive as We Give 

"Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy" (Matthew 5:7). 

It is not meet that the man who will not forgive should be forgiven, nor shall
he who will not give to the poor have his own wants relieved. God will measure
to us with our own bushels, and those who have been hard masters and hard
creditors will find that the LORD will deal hardly with them. "He shall have
judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy." 

This day let us try to give and to forgive. Let us mind the two bears - bear
and forbear. Let us be kind, gentle, and tender. Let us not put harsh
constructions upon men's conduct, nor drive hard bargains, nor pick foolish
quarrels, nor be difficult to please. Surely we wish to be blessed, and we also
want to obtain mercy: let us be merciful, that we may have mercy. Let us
fulfill the condition, that we may earn the beatitude. Is it not a pleasant
duty to be kind? Is there not much more sweetness in it than in being angry and
ungenerous? Why, there is a blessedness in the thing itself! Moreover, the
obtaining of mercy is a rich reward. What but sovereign grace could suggest
such a promise as this. We are merciful to our fellow mortal in pence, and the
LORD forgives us "all the debt." 

===========================================================================



The Da Vinci Code FAQ   By Stan Reeves 




Why is this important enough for a FAQ? The Da Vinci Code raises the supremely
important question of who Jesus is. Regrettably, The Da Vinci Code is full of
historical blunders and directly contradicts the best and closest historical
evidence available in the New Testament. 

Isn’t The Da Vinci Code just fiction? Yes, it is! But author Dan Brown doesn’t
think so. On the first page he says, “All descriptions of artwork,
architecture, documents, and secret rituals in this novel are accurate.ö
Various surveys show that 27-33 percent of people believe the historical
background of the story is true. Therefore, the errors in this popular work
should be pointed out. 

What is the story about? A murder at the Louvre leaves clues that point to an
ancient society entrusted with guarding a secret—a secret that if revealed
would demolish the very foundations of the Christian faith. This secret
surrounds the location and identity of the Holy Grail. In the process of
uncovering clues and breaking the secret code, we learn that Mary Magdalene and
Jesus were sexual partners and had a child together. Hints of this secret,
according to the story, can be found hidden in paintings and drawings
throughout history. 

What is wrong with a married Jesus? Jesus himself affirmed the goodness and
beauty of marriage by his teaching and his attendance at a wedding. However,
Jesus taught that his own purpose was not to start a physical family but to be
the head of a spiritual family with his true bride being the church (Matthew
12:48-49; Ephesians 5:22-23). There is no mention of a wife in any scripture
about Jesus either before, during, or after his ministry. The reference to
Jesus’ attraction to Mary Magdalene is merely an inference from a cryptic
reference from the Gospel of Philip, a document that dates from the late 3rd
century, far from the time of Jesus and no part of the New Testament. The
Gospel of Philip was never considered by Christians to have been a trustworthy
account of the life of Christ. Furthermore, this gospel is a Gnostic writing;
Gnostics had no direct eyewitness access to the life of Christ, having
developed after the time of Christ. 

What is the difference between the Gospels of the New Testament and the “Lost
Books of the Bibleö? The so-called Lost Books date from the second century and
later and never appear in any early list as authoritative Scripture. They were
written far too late to have been written by the named authors; this in itself
makes them untrustworthy and false. They often contradict the beliefs taught in
the earlier gospels of the New Testament. They were secret documents; in
contrast, the Gospels of the New Testament were public and verifiable at the
time of their writing. All four of the New Testament gospels are found in
compiled lists of Scripture as early as AD 115. 

How does this all relate to the Gospel of Judas? The Gospel of Judas is yet
another of the Gnostic gospels, reflecting a line of thinking that did not
arise until late in the 2nd century, far too late to have been written by
Judas. It was known to the early church fathers and was criticized by them for
its errors. It is of interesting historical significance but has no value in
discovering the history of Jesus’ life and ministry. 

Does the Holy Grail have any religious significance? The Holy Grail is said to
be the cup that Jesus used at the Last Supper. The Gospels, however, say very
little about the cup and place no significance on it at all. The first legends
concerning the grail appear in the 12th century and are later merged with the
Arthurian legends. 

Could Mary Magdalene be the Holy Grail? The grail (cup) has no significance in
reliable accounts of Christ’s life, and Mary Magdalene is portrayed in these
accounts as merely a faithful friend and disciple of Christ. Therefore, the
answer has no religious significance. However, there is no historical evidence
to connect Mary Magdalene or “the sacred feminineö to the concept of the grail.


Do the New Testament Gospels present a low view of women? Not at all.
Christianity brought a radical transformation to the status of women in
society. Even ancient Roman scholars agree that Christianity ushered in a new
era for the freedom and dignity of women. 

What sorts of historical inaccuracies appear in The Da Vinci Code? It
significantly misrepresents the Council of Nicea called by Constantine in AD
325. The council did not create a new belief system. Rather, it codified what
the church already believed. The primary teaching being considered was not that
Christ was God, as The Da Vinci Code claims; that had been clarified
previously. Instead, it clarified that Christ was eternal along with the
Father. The book claims that Constantine changed early Christianity into the
religion that now goes by that name. Neither the Council of Nicea nor
Constantine had any role in determining which books were included in the New
Testament. Prior to Constantine Christian churches and leaders embraced all of
the New Testament books but rejected the Gnostic Gospels. They were certainly
in a better position to know what their religion taught than Dan Brown is now! 

Are there any historical documents that can cut through this confusion and
provide some real documentation of Christ’s life? The New Testament, while
understood by Christians as a religious book, contains documents that should be
viewed as definitively historical as any other ancient manuscript. It is the
most reliable collection of books from antiquity. It has by far more manuscript
evidence and variations of less significance in the existing manuscripts than
any other ancient document. The historical books can be dated to within a
generation of Jesus himself. The authors were eyewitnesses who staked their
lives on the truthfulness of what they reported. All twelve of the apostles
were put to death for their testimony, and not one recanted his account of the
events of Christ’s life. 

How can I learn more about who Christ really was? The best source of
information is the four gospels of the New Testament. Any of the gospels can be
read at one sitting in little more than an hour. They contain the earliest and
most reliable testimony to the life of Christ and his mission. You may find a
fresh reading of these source documents to be a refreshing exercise. 

How can I learn more about The Da Vinci Code or about Christianity? We
recommend the following references: 

www.thetruthaboutDaVinci.com 

Basic questions about Christianity answered: www.waytogod.org 




Copyright C 2006 Stan Reeves 
Permission granted to copy in full, for non-profit use including all copyright
information. 
Other uses require written permission. Print copies of this FAQ at: 
www.CCWonline.org 

==============================================================================




-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
Visit My InJesus to manage your subscriptions, change your profile, or check
out thousands of other great ministry groups.  If you do not have access to the
web, you can use these addresses to unsubscribe or subscribe:
Unsubscribe: Faith-s-Checkbook-unsubscribe@MyInJesus.com Subscribe:
Faith-s-Checkbook-subscribe@MyInJesus.com

 
 

--- BBBS/NT v4.01 Flag-5
 * Origin: FamilyNet Sponsored by http://www.christian-wellness.net (8:8/2)