I am frequently told that the claims of John attributed to Jesus are central to definitive Christianity.
The supposed pre-existence of Jesus in John's prologue, establishing Jesus as "Divine".
The claim that Jesus is the only way to God.
The "I AM" sayings, supposedly equating Jesus with JHVH
And others.
If these claims are central and essential to Christianity, then why are they not repeated in the other three Gospels?
If the claims of John are so important..
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If the claims of John are so important..
Post #1 My theological positions:
-God created us in His image, not the other way around.
-The Bible is redeemed by it's good parts.
-Pure monotheism, simple repentance.
-YHVH is LORD
-The real Jesus is not God, the real YHVH is not a monster.
-Eternal life is a gift from the Living God.
-Keep the Commandments, keep your salvation.
-I have accepted YHVH as my Heavenly Father, LORD and Savior.
I am inspired by Jesus to worship none but YHVH, and to serve only Him.
-God created us in His image, not the other way around.
-The Bible is redeemed by it's good parts.
-Pure monotheism, simple repentance.
-YHVH is LORD
-The real Jesus is not God, the real YHVH is not a monster.
-Eternal life is a gift from the Living God.
-Keep the Commandments, keep your salvation.
-I have accepted YHVH as my Heavenly Father, LORD and Savior.
I am inspired by Jesus to worship none but YHVH, and to serve only Him.
Post #2
Many things vary among the canonical texts, so they were not included because the Roman authors wanted to give the impression that the texts complemented one another with contributions appealing to various ideas popular among the people, or at least the Roman literati.
Post #3
Dear John,[Replying to Duvduv
I am frequently told that the claims of John attributed to Jesus are central to definitive Christianity.
The supposed pre-existence of Jesus in John's prologue, establishing Jesus as "Divine".
The claim that Jesus is the only way to God.
The "I AM" sayings, supposedly equating Jesus with JHVH
And others.
If these claims are central and essential to Christianity, then why are they not repeated in the other three Gospels?
It takes two witnesses to establish any matter (Dt 19:15, Mt 18:16, and even the self professed apostle and prophet Paul in 2 Cor 13:1).
As for Yeshua being the "Word" made flesh, he was the embodiment of the "Word" in that he lived the "Word". The same any child of God must also do.
Nothing can be established without a second first person witness. Everything must be in line with "the law & the testimony". (Is 8:20)
The only first person witness of the apostolic fathers of the "Christian" church, who established the articles of faith, was the bishop of Hereciea, who described his fellows as illiterate, simple creatures who understood nothing. (Nicaea Council)
Bishop of Hereclea, who was in attendance, said, "Excepting Constantine himself and Eusebius Pamphilius, they were a set of illiterate, simple creatures who understood nothing" (Secrets of the Christian Fathers, Bishop J. W. Sergerus, 1685, 1897 reprint). http://loveforlife.com.au/content/07/07 ... ony-bushby
Re: If the claims of John are so important..
Post #4Elijah John wrote: I am frequently told that the claims of John attributed to Jesus are central to definitive Christianity.
The supposed pre-existence of Jesus in John's prologue, establishing Jesus as "Divine".
The claim that Jesus is the only way to God.
The "I AM" sayings, supposedly equating Jesus with JHVH
And others.
If these claims are central and essential to Christianity, then why are they not repeated in the other three Gospels?
Hi good to meet you.
Why do you suppose it is necessary that absolutely every theme in the bible be repeated wherever you think it should? Not meaning this in any negative way, it is just an honest question. You could just as justifiably ask Why didn't Shakespeare kill off Romeo and Juliet earlier on.
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Re: If the claims of John are so important..
Post #5Perhaps because all four are allegedly reporting the teachings of jesus.Wolfbitn wrote:Elijah John wrote: I am frequently told that the claims of John attributed to Jesus are central to definitive Christianity.
The supposed pre-existence of Jesus in John's prologue, establishing Jesus as "Divine".
The claim that Jesus is the only way to God.
The "I AM" sayings, supposedly equating Jesus with JHVH
And others.
If these claims are central and essential to Christianity, then why are they not repeated in the other three Gospels?
Hi good to meet you.
Why do you suppose it is necessary that absolutely every theme in the bible be repeated wherever you think it should? Not meaning this in any negative way, it is just an honest question. You could just as justifiably ask Why didn't Shakespeare kill off Romeo and Juliet earlier on.
What's with believers quoting fiction and fictional characters in support of their bible?
What the world needs now
Is love sweet love
It's the only thing
That there's just to little of.
No not just for some
But for everyone
Jackie Deshannon
Is love sweet love
It's the only thing
That there's just to little of.
No not just for some
But for everyone
Jackie Deshannon
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Re: If the claims of John are so important..
Post #6[Replying to post 1 by Elijah John]
I've certainly asked this question myself. I don't understand how Christians can view John as anything but a different gospel entirely. It's not the same message at all. It's not merely a different perspective. If what John says is true, it's absolutely 100% vital information such that anyone expressing Jesus' message would be absolutely foolish to have forgotten to mention. Such things would have to be in the other 3 gospels. But they're not. John is most definitely religious foul-play.
I've certainly asked this question myself. I don't understand how Christians can view John as anything but a different gospel entirely. It's not the same message at all. It's not merely a different perspective. If what John says is true, it's absolutely 100% vital information such that anyone expressing Jesus' message would be absolutely foolish to have forgotten to mention. Such things would have to be in the other 3 gospels. But they're not. John is most definitely religious foul-play.
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Re: If the claims of John are so important..
Post #7Hi good to meet you.
Why do you suppose it is necessary that absolutely every theme in the bible be repeated wherever you think it should? Not meaning this in any negative way, it is just an honest question. You could just as justifiably ask Why didn't Shakespeare kill off Romeo and Juliet earlier on.
You arent sure what a quote is? You give this impression because No one "quoted" Shakespeare. A quote is when one actually repeats word for word something that was previously stated or written.Perhaps because all four are allegedly reporting the teachings of jesus.
What's with believers quoting fiction and fictional characters in support of their bible?
And if you want to ask why Shakespeare didnt kill off Romeo and Juliet sooner, I guess that is your prerogative. I suggest not 2nd guessing Stephen King though... He is still alive and might take offense and write something very nasty about you. Then your life will be a Stephen King book with a John Carpenter sound track.
Ok, final thought here, you are certainly grasping at straws. Just because any particular theme does not occur when you determine it should, it is a ridiculous thought that thus debunks anything... it simply means you are criticizing literature you actually know very little about.
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Re: If the claims of John are so important..
Post #8The people that compiled the New Testament didn't see a problem. Why do you?Elijah John wrote: I am frequently told that the claims of John attributed to Jesus are central to definitive Christianity.
The supposed pre-existence of Jesus in John's prologue, establishing Jesus as "Divine".
The claim that Jesus is the only way to God.
The "I AM" sayings, supposedly equating Jesus with JHVH
And others.
If these claims are central and essential to Christianity, then why are they not repeated in the other three Gospels?
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Re: If the claims of John are so important..
Post #9Welcome, Wolfbitn.Wolfbitn wrote:Elijah John wrote: I am frequently told that the claims of John attributed to Jesus are central to definitive Christianity.
The supposed pre-existence of Jesus in John's prologue, establishing Jesus as "Divine".
The claim that Jesus is the only way to God.
The "I AM" sayings, supposedly equating Jesus with JHVH
And others.
If these claims are central and essential to Christianity, then why are they not repeated in the other three Gospels?
Hi good to meet you.
Why do you suppose it is necessary that absolutely every theme in the bible be repeated wherever you think it should? Not meaning this in any negative way, it is just an honest question. You could just as justifiably ask Why didn't Shakespeare kill off Romeo and Juliet earlier on.
Most scholars have concluded that John was the last of the four to be written. And humans DO have a tendency to deify, glorify, and mythologize their heroes. I suspect that is what happened with John in writing about Jesus, and I think the claims attributed to Jesus in that Gospel were most likely NOT from Jesus himself, but from the evangelist John. I think John is dramatizing what Jesus meant to him and making a case of what Jesus SOULD mean to others.
And remember, the four Gospels were written independently of each other, each for a different audience. And John is VERY different from the first three, and makes claims that have become vital to the whole Christian religion which are NOT included in Matthew, Mark and Luke.
So if those claims are SO important to Christianity, why would Matthew Mark or Luke have left them out of THEIR preaching, not knowing John would come along later and make those claims?
It seems to me that the whole foundation of Roman based (Protestant and Orthodox are also Roman council, Trinitarian based) Christianity is based on the least reliable Gospel, the one furthest removed from the events and teachings of Jesus' life.
Last edited by Elijah John on Fri Feb 21, 2014 10:53 am, edited 2 times in total.
My theological positions:
-God created us in His image, not the other way around.
-The Bible is redeemed by it's good parts.
-Pure monotheism, simple repentance.
-YHVH is LORD
-The real Jesus is not God, the real YHVH is not a monster.
-Eternal life is a gift from the Living God.
-Keep the Commandments, keep your salvation.
-I have accepted YHVH as my Heavenly Father, LORD and Savior.
I am inspired by Jesus to worship none but YHVH, and to serve only Him.
-God created us in His image, not the other way around.
-The Bible is redeemed by it's good parts.
-Pure monotheism, simple repentance.
-YHVH is LORD
-The real Jesus is not God, the real YHVH is not a monster.
-Eternal life is a gift from the Living God.
-Keep the Commandments, keep your salvation.
-I have accepted YHVH as my Heavenly Father, LORD and Savior.
I am inspired by Jesus to worship none but YHVH, and to serve only Him.
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Re: If the claims of John are so important..
Post #10It is fair for interested persons to criticize a work, (even a work of the most fantastical fiction) if that work is inconsistent: ie if it does not adhere to its own internal logic.99percentatheism wrote:
The people that compiled the New Testament didn't see a problem. Why do you?
Jesus was the Son of God.
The almighty Creator of the universe sent His only-begotten Son down to earth personally, to deliver an important message to His people. The men charged with preserving and transmitting that message garbled it badly.
God, was then satisfied to have a set of mutually-contradictory and garbled accounts pass as His Holy Word for the next two thousand years..
I would expect better than this from any reasonably-competent author, whether of supposed histories or genre fantasy..
So yes, I see a problem with the NT. That the authors/editors of the work didn't see the problem is indicative of their level of critical thought, not ours.