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

There is no Moses. There is no Jesus. There is no heaven or hell. If I'm wrong, there's no loss as it will all just end when I die. It's all meaningless.
If you're wrong, you'll perish in a lake of fire.

Ps 53:1 The fool says in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt, and their ways are vile; there is no-one who does good.

As God, Jesus and Paul said, it is an allegory. God, Jesus, the Temple, Heaven and Hell dwell within you.

That's not what the early Christians believed.

Now read that in something other than the archaic language of the KJV.

ESV:
22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by a slave woman and one by a free woman.
23 But the son of the slave was born according to the flesh, while the son of the free woman was born through promise.
24 Now this may be interpreted allegorically: these women are two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai, bearing children for slavery; she is Hagar.
25 Now Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia; she corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children.

NIV
24 These things may be taken figuratively, for the women represent two covenants. One covenant is from Mount Sinai and bears children who are to be slaves: This is Hagar.

It's the interpretation that has 2 meanings, not the event itself.

Whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire. Matthew 5:22

And nice allusion to Pascal's Wager. It's easy to tell when Christians are defeated, they resort to Pascals Wager and threats of Hell.

If a God of Love exists, there is no Hell. A God of Love creating a Hell and consigning people to Hell is incompatible, a contradiction.

Richard, lets see what our life has destined

Well said, Sir! Merry Christmas to you and yours!

Ya gotta love that about literal Bible reading. If you don't like what it says, then you can re-interpret it so it agree's with what you want to believe. That is the very reason they wrote it in symbolic language. But what ever, carry on.

The explanation of "Why Shepards?" that was given to me when I was young was as follows:

1) Shepherds would put their flocks out into communal summer pastures and then take turns watching them. At this time of year, it was cooler and easier to watch them by night.
2) Shepherds, as a result of this, were big on watching the sky. If anything happened, they were usually the first of the common folk to notice it. Most of the rest of the populus went to bed when the sun went down and stayed inside until morning.
3) Whereas astronomers and astrologers were more systematic and rational in their observations of the heavens, the shepherds were far more into the folklore and tradition.
4) When a new "star" emerged, it had great portent to the shepherds. This was an omen, but nobody knew the meaning. It caused great consternation.
5) Somewhere in this, an angel appeared and gave them a simple, plausible optimistic explanation that vaguely fit their understanding of things.

Thank you, Dywayne, and all!!

Let's not overthink this.

Luke 9:5 And wherever they do not receive you, when you leave that town shake off the dust from your feet as a testimony against them."

That's all.

You entirely missed the point.

Back to the question about the shepherds.

The religious establishment raised sheep in the vicinity of Jerusalem for Temple sacrifices, sold them (the perfect lamb) to pilgrims making the somewhat long and torturous trip to the Temple to have their sins forgiven.

It's said that these were likely Temple sheep; the shepherds were working for the religious establishment. These shepherds were considered unclean by the priests, as they dealt with blood, dead animals, etc. They, therefore, could not go to the temple. It's been said that the only lower forms of life back then were lepers.

Seems the Lord announced the birth of His Son to these guys, a bold statement about redemption. He went to the least, not the big shots running the Temple business. And, it was big business, don't ya know. Does that sound familiar with today's religious establishment.

The meek shall inherit....

Go figure.

DF

Good points Dirtfarmer. Good post too. He did say that many who are first in this world will be last in the world to come; and the last, first.

Too many relate religion with faith.

They're not mutually inclusive, and in fact can actually be mutually exclusive.

DF

Agreed. A lotta people might be 'losing their religion'…and with good reason…but that doesn't mean that their faith is waning. At all.

What a perfect "Plan".

Along the same lines, notice how Jesus Christ as a baby is easier to accept than Jesus a their Saviour?

We will find out