The central symbol for the alternative way of Jesus
in the New Testament as a whole (and we find it in the Gospels as well) is death and resurrection.
Nor can we regard the «elders» as simply the «older men» — although it can not be denied that the term is sometimes used
in the New Testament in that quite nonofficial sense.
Churches in New Testament times were so effective and full of power because they were overwhelmed with the privilege of prayer!
is the only
place in the New Testament where homologein has en with its object, and it is hard to resist the conclusion that here, therefore, homologein is being used in a way different from the normal.
It is only then that he will be able satisfactorily to pursue his fourth aim, that of understanding the growth of Christian theology and
teaching in New Testament times.
Then
in New Testament studies the form - critical method, championed by Rudolf Bultmann and Martin Debelius, stressed the similarity of formal structure in many sections of the synoptic Gospels, a similarity attributed to oral traditions previous to the Gospels» commitment to writing.
And as we have seen,
even in the New Testament there are sayings attributed to Jesus which very probably do not originate with him and there are interpretations of him which are not consistent with what he taught.
Since no one
else in the New Testament uses this Greek word for hell to talk about hell, I surveyed a dozen texts that mention two possible outcomes of final judgment, to see what words they do use to discuss the dreadful option.
Also compare the penetrating echo of the teachings of Jesus
in the New Testament with something as mysterious and utterly confounding and void of human - to - human concern as the Dao De Jing.
Scientists even refer to these rediscovered organisms as «Lazarus species,» after the man
said in the New Testament story to be raised from the dead by Jesus Christ.
There were other interpretations of the person of Jesus which were never caught up in the main stream of Christian development, and later died out, but the fact that this amount of diversity of thought was eventually
included in the New Testament shows the willingness of the church to hold in suspension varying and sometimes conflicting viewpoints.
As soon as someone tries to set their views in stone or ground them in something outside of themselves, people start pulling out the «intolerance» card and attempting to find ways to reconcile a religion that is centered around the exclusivity of Jesus, His teachings, and the teachings of HIs disciples (as
seen in the New Testament letters) with their own assumptions.
Moreover, this attitude — Christians saved, all others damned — runs into head - on collision with the whole concept of
God in the New Testament as the merciful Father of all mankind whose will is that not a single «one of these little ones should be lost.»
Do we not
read in the New Testament epistle of First John that the antichrists were those who were formerly members of the church, who began denying that Jesus came in the fliesh?
And during the past half century a whole generation of impressive theologians has argued that Christian faith is not to be equated with assenting to the supernatural
elements in the New Testament narratives.
Let us remember the
words in the New Testament in Mark quoted by Lincoln: a house divided can not stand and a house divided is brought into destitution.»
The Apostle Paul
wrote in his New Testament epistle (I Corinthians.12) that anyone who says that «Jesus is Lord», are not only professing their allegiance to Jesus, but they were also only able to do this by the spirit of God.
One of the biggest reasons there is so much confusion about forgiveness is that there are three Greek words used
in the New Testament for forgiveness, but they often (though not consistently) get translated as «forgiveness» into English.
This question was answered by Jesus
Christ in the New Testament of The Bible, when he gave us, what is commonly refereed to now as «The Lord's Prayer».
Reminds me of when the Apostle
Paul in New Testament finds among the pagans the statue to the «unknown god» — I guess just in case they forget one (since they had so many).
We shall see how the unresolved issues
in the New Testament witness have led to centuries of further search for the meaning of the love of God.
Everybody agrees that it was his central message, yet there is nothing
in New Testament interpretation and scarcely anything in Christian theology about which opinions differ more.
The Apostle Peter wrote
in his New Testament epistle, First Peter: Judgment will begin at the house of faith, and if the righteous are scarcely saved, where will the ungodly and sinner appear [on the Day of Judgment]?
I notice the «one another» and «each other» commands
in the New Testament letters written to congregations, and I realize that a person can not obey them without being in a congregation of saints — whatever the form.