What is the purpose of the Rapture doctrine?

reply to post by lambs to lions


I don't understand how you keep talking about all this editing of the Bible. I'm fairly certain that we have found copies of the text very close to the time of actual written.

Not only that, but it was very common and acceptable that scribes would add later notes in the books to give further info on what was going on.

For example what was common knowledge at the time would not be common knowledge later on and so the scribes would add "commentary" to further explain the historical context. That was how they did it in the OT.

Now the NT, we basically have the original documents. Anyway, I don't know where you are coming from, and the Rapture is definitely a theme in the NT

Originally posted by starwarsisreal
reply to post by zeddissad

 

Look are you talking to me? I'm an Anti Zionist Born Again Christian btw

I'm sorry if I misunderstood your post. While I'm agnostic (after centuries of religious wars in my homeland) I have big respect to really religious men. May I ask you few questions?
1. How do you oppose US wars in Iraq&Afghanistan? Or do you think this wars are just?
2. How do you oppose "special connection"between US administration and Israel administration?
3. What is your opinion on US MS media?

Well this guy name schofield screwed up the Bible wecogitate.net...

Originally posted by zeddissad

Originally posted by starwarsisreal
reply to post by zeddissad

 

Look are you talking to me? I'm an Anti Zionist Born Again Christian btw

I'm sorry if I misunderstood your post. While I'm agnostic (after centuries of religious wars in my homeland) I have big respect to really religious men. May I ask you few questions?
1. How do you oppose US wars in Iraq&Afghanistan? Or do you think this wars are just?
2. How do you oppose "special connection"between US administration and Israel administration?
3. What is your opinion on US MS media?

1. I believe the wars caused more terrorism and plus it is Israel that started 911

2. I'm outrage on the bombing of the US Liberty and Israeli involvement of 911

3. The US Media is the most corrupt media in the entire world

reply to post by theonlyrusty

to "scare" you into believing it is gonna happen so that you will become a sheeple and give your life, money, belief, belongings, daughters, sons, blood to the church.........

Well, not all Christians believe in a rapture/pre-trib rapture so I guess the doctrine failed it's purpose, eh?

Most people didn't even know about the rapture when they became Christians anyway. Even if they did, the rapture wouldn't scare people. It brings comfort and hope.

reply to post by trueperspective


There are many reasons to believe that the bible has been edited. Books have been written, but for unknown reasons left out. In some cases they have been left out, however, referenced in small pieces in the bible. Just one example the Book of Enoch.

The Genesis has glaring holes, and is incomplete. If you read Genesis carefully you may come away with more questions than answers. Example: who did Cain and Seth marry? Who was Cain afraid of harming him when Adam cast him from the Garden.

Constantine commissioned the Bible. He brought many together to compile all the information neccesssary to create the Bible. Some information was deemed fit, some wasn't. What were the reasons that some information was left out. Did it not fit Rome's agenda. Did it paint certain people, namely Jesus, is a bad light at times. There is a big gap in Jesus' life not documented. Why? If he is the focul point of the Christian religion why has this happened?

There is a book of Judas. What of it? Was it left out because it was pure rubbish, or because it didn't fit the storyline.

I don't know, and I don't presume to have true answers, just my own theories. But I do know one thing...the Bible has been edited.

reply to post by starwarsisreal

Well this guy name schofield screwed up the Bible

How? Scofield just wrote a study Bible. You know, sorta like Crossway put out a study Bible in 2008. He didn't change the text. He just wrote notes around an existing text (the KJV when he originally published his study Bible).

reply to post by lambs to lions


some of those answers may be in ancient egypt too, since moses was raised an egyptian and he wrote big sections of the first five books of the old testament.

IMO the rapture is when our creators return to save a few of the 'best' people on earth after a lunatic attempts to destory the world and do what the antichrist is supposed to do. This idiot will destroy the world and the aliens will save a few and then create their own kingdom here on earth with us. They will be kind kings and will restore our world once again.

IMO the rapture is when our creators return to save a few of the 'best' people on earth after a lunatic attempts to destory the world and do what the antichrist is supposed to do. This idiot will destroy the world and the aliens will save a few and then create their own kingdom here on earth with us. They will be kind kings and will restore our world once again.

reply to post by starwarsisreal

Then I'll not hesitate to call you my brother. The Truth is only one and it doesn't matter if we approach it from christian/muslim/secular view point.

Originally posted by lambs to lions
Those whom have edited the bible over and over again to bend its focus to better fit their agenda have really made it hard on someone like me. I do believe in 'GOD', that is to say a higher power and a creator. As for Jesus, I'm sad to say that I am not sure anymore about him really being the son of God. The Christians have really done a number on the Bible. Being the person that I am, I don't just take anything at face value. I have questions, things need to feel right and authentic. What a wonderful thing the Bible could have been. How many questions it would have answered, perhaps, all of them. Had only religion kept its filthy hands off of something as pure as the ideas that great men such as Jesus taught. As far as the Rapture goes. I just don't know what to believe, these believers say this, while these guys over here say no it's actually this, then this church say something different. I'm sure the devil thinks religion is a great idea, what better way to divide and conquer.

The true Christians haven't done any "number" on the Bible - that credit would go to the catholic "church" and mankind. Oh, and don't forget satan, who is behind it all.

And God has nothing to do with "religion" - mankind is responsible for not only
the creation of 99% of these so called "religions", as well as he has taken it upon himself to rewrite/add/ to the Authorized 1611 King James Bible.

God is God - He created it all - and along came mankind - and over the centuries, he has decided that *he* didn't like God's laws - or His Bible. So he/satan began the long trek of subtly making changes - enough to make a difference but not enough that anyone would really take notice.

There is a current news article I just saw online that says that some state is trying to change the phrase "Good Friday" to "Spring Break".

This kind of thing has been going on for ions - "God" and "Jesus" are slowly being removed from America, the schools, cities, football games, societies, etc.
And it isn't God's people (believers/Christians) that are doing this.


Put the blame where the blame is due.



[edit on 31-3-2010 by nomorecruelty]

reply to post by nomorecruelty


Agreed, the Catholic church has done a number on the text as well. I don't believe I ever confused religion for faith in God. I believe I stated that I am a believer in God, but not in organized religion. I do believe in His word and I believe that the bible basically conveys His word. However, trying to use the Bible as the ultimate reference book I believe is impossible due to the impact religions have had on the book.

reply to post by lambs to lions

Books have been written, but for unknown reasons left out. In some cases they have been left out, however, referenced in small pieces in the bible. Just one example the Book of Enoch.

No, it's actually really easy to explain why books were "left" out. For example, in Enoch's case, it was written during the intertestamental period and the author ascribed the name of Enoch to it so people would read it. Because it was pseudographical, and written during the period that Jews recognize that revelation from God had stopped, they didn't include it in their canon.

The Genesis has glaring holes, and is incomplete.

How is it incomplete?

If you read Genesis carefully you may come away with more questions than answers. Example: who did Cain and Seth marry? Who was Cain afraid of harming him when Adam cast him from the Garden.

Or someone could use common sense and just realize it was his sister that he married and that he was afraid of others that lived on the Earth harming him.

Constantine commissioned the Bible.

No, that's not true. The canon wasn't discussed at the Council of Nicea. The main topic was Arianism.

He brought many together to compile all the information neccesssary to create the Bible.

No, the New Testament books were written long, long before Constantine. (And widely accepted by the church at large mind you.) The church had nothing to do with the assembly of the Old Testament.

Some information was deemed fit, some wasn't.

It's not that simple.

What were the reasons that some information was left out.

How about the books that we call the apocrypha were written long after the time of the Apostles.

Did it not fit Rome's agenda.

It has nothing to do with Rome. Christianity was always more than just Rome. There was and is an Eastern Church, which has the same Bible as the RCC (minus the apocrypha). Rome couldn't have forced anything onto them even if Rome wanted.

The books of the New Testament were widely accepted by the early church, minus five or so. Eventually, the church almost universally accepted all the 27 books.

The "lost books of the Bible" that are often touted and thrown about were NEVER accepted by the church at large. The reason is that the books were written long after the time of the Apostles and where written to push an agenda and thus, weren't authentic to what was known to be true.

Did it paint certain people, namely Jesus, is a bad light at times.

If anything, the "lost books" of the Bible paint Jesus in a more God-like light. That being the case, the church, since they believe Jesus is God, should've eaten them up. But they didn't. This is because these books were written too late to actually be describing the real Jesus.

There is a big gap in Jesus' life not documented. Why? If he is the focul point of the Christian religion why has this happened?

Because what he did when he was six years old isn't as important as his teachings and sacrificial work on the cross.

There is a book of Judas. What of it? Was it left out because it was pure rubbish, or because it didn't fit the storyline.

Because it was written in like three or four hundred, by someone claiming to be Judas. The pseudographical nature aside, it was written way to far after the time of the Apostles to actually have been written by the Apostles.

I don't know, and I don't presume to have true answers, just my own theories. But I do know one thing...the Bible has been edited.

Well, you don't know that the Bible has been edited. Of all the thousands and thousands of manuscripts and fragments of the Greek New Testament that are in existance, there is between one and three percent variance. That means, that the manuscripts from Turkey are virtually the same as the ones found in Egypt. The overwhelming majority of the differences arise from spelling differences between dialects (i.e., color vs. colour).

So, how do you know the Bible has been edited?

reply to post by lambs to lions


Your position is very similar to M. Luther position, to J. Hus position or to J. Wickliffe position or to many other critics of Catholic church greed. Hopefully you will not end up at stake

Originally posted by lambs to lions
reply to

The Genesis has glaring holes, and is incomplete. If you read Genesis carefully you may come away with more questions than answers. Example: who did Cain and Seth marry? Who was Cain afraid of harming him when Adam cast him from the Garden.

My opinion, this is one of those parts of the Bible that we haven't been allowed to have knowledge - at least not right now. If you read at the beginning of Genesis, it says that God said "Let us make them in our image" - that, to me, implies there were others about the Earth/universe. As far as who Cain was afraid would harm him - he stated that the "world" would know of his sin and would kill him. Again, we haven't been given any more information than that. But remember, the domestic cat isn't listed in the Bible, yet they are here on Earth. There are probably a gazillionbillion things out there that we don't know. I.e. what we see in *our* world right now is not "everything" that is out there.

Constantine commissioned the Bible. He brought many together to compile all the information neccesssary to create the Bible. Some information was deemed fit, some wasn't. What were the reasons that some information was left out. Did it not fit Rome's agenda. Did it paint certain people, namely Jesus, is a bad light at times. There is a big gap in Jesus' life not documented. Why? If he is the focul point of the Christian religion why has this happened?

Constantine was catholic if I'm not mistaken. He was not a "Christian".

There is a book of Judas. What of it? Was it left out because it was pure rubbish, or because it didn't fit the storyline.

Again, this issue stems from the catholic "church" again. You can read more on it [url=http://www.catholic.org/featured/headline.php?ID=3175" target="_blank" class="postlink">HERE

I don't know, and I don't presume to have true answers, just my own theories. But I do know one thing...the Bible has been edited.

[edit on 31-3-2010 by nomorecruelty]