Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire The Shepards at the birth of Jesus.

just prepared a sermon on this yesterday, will go preach it here in a couple of hours.

of course, this is my opinion and a "sermon starter",.

Jesus had a habit of honoring the humble and ignoring the rich or prideful. shepherding was one of the most humbled professions of that day.

Or, maybe it was a foreshadowing of Who Jesus would be.... after all, He called Himself the Good Shepherd.
and.... He lived an humble life. He fed His sheep. He cared for His sheep. He protected His sheep. He died for His sheep.

Or, some might sarcastically they were the only people the angel came across awake and available at that time of night. (I don't buy that though)

What Shepherds? Mine says Magi.

Luke 2:8

The Shepherds and the Angels
8And there were shepherds residing in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks by night. 9Just then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid! For behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people: 11Today in the city of David a Savior has been born to you. He is Christ the Lord! 12And this will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”

The Magi were the wisemen that followed the star to Jesus’ location. The shepherds were tending their sheep when an angel told them of the birth of our Savior. Different group of guys.

You must be reading the events in Matthew. In Luke, the shepherds came the first night. The magi came as much as 2 years later. They had to travel all the way from somewhere near what's now Baghdad.

Jesus was mentioned by Roman and Jewish historians who had nothing to do with the Bible, who weren’t Christian’s, and who had no agenda.

True.

Kind of gives new meaning to errors.

Most people (including agnostic and atheists)who study non biblical evidence “did Jesus live when the Bible said he did” come to the conclusion, he did. They may or may not believe him to be God, but they agree, he did exist. And was likely crucified, as the Bible says.

The passage in Josephus's Antiquities of the Jew, Testimonium Flavianum, is clearly a forgery added by later Christian. The rest of the so called references get much later and further in time for the alleged events very quickly. They are not exactly high quality evidence to support claims of supernatural events.

Once upon a time it was accepted that Moses existed, but now all the experts except as fact that we was a purely mythical figure, like Thor or Zeus. Scholarship is moving the same direction on Jesus.

Hell will be filled with those experts.

Again, you are just presuming it exists. Christians love to trot out the threat of hell when they have no good response.

In one passage of Josephus’ Jewish Antiquities, he recounts an unlawful execution, and he identifies the victim as James, the “brother of Jesus-who-is-called-Messiah.” And very few scholars doubt this account’s authenticity.

World reknowned Biblical scholar and agnostic/atheist Bart Ehrman disagrees with you. He clearly said that "whatever else you may think about Jesus, he certainly did exist."

https://www.history.com/.amp/news/was-jesus-real-historical-evidence

https://www.npr.org/2012/04/01/149462376/did-jesus-exist-a-historian-makes-his-case

And other's disagree with him. I'm familiar with Barts work, I own several of his books and subscribe to his blog. His book attempting to "Prove" the historicity of Jesus is considered is weakest work.

Kinda busy today so perhaps I will respond later, but what you post as “undisputed fact” is not.

Just because should do not see the evidence and just because you do not understand does not make Jesus and the Bible untrue.

There are “good responses” and there justified basis for belief…. I have showed them to you before….. but you choose not to regard that info…..that is your choice.

Going by scriptures it sure looks like you are correct antelope_sniper.

Give ear, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth.

2 I will open my mouth in a PARABLE: I will utter dark sayings of old:

0 And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in PARABLES?

11 He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the MYSTERIES of the KINGDOM ( see Luke 17:20-21)(Matt 6:33) of heaven, but to them it is not given.

12 For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.

13 Therefore speak I to them in PARABLES: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.

14 And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:


22 For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman.

23 But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise.

24 Which things are an ALLEGORY: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar.

since you don't believe in it, then you should not be offended at those who do.

lol

Who are the caucasians and red heads?

Why is the threat of hell being used?