Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Christianity…

On several levels, those who believe that they are the product of a cosmic sh*it do stand out.

So, Imitatio Christi, yes or no…?

As best as I can, yes.

It’s first necessary to define what imitating Christ is and looks like before answering the question. There are radicals sects where it is taught that we are to be performing the same works that Christ performed. Is that what it means to imitate Christ?

Is there a scriptural teaching that tells us we are to be like Christ or is the concept of being like Christ a romanticize notion, derived from the events recorded in the book of acts?

Yes there is.
And my challenge to you is to seek it out.

What on earth do you just state....a mix of word salad mumbo-jumbo?

How about we try Loving God with all our hearts, minds and strength, and loving our neighbors as ourselves? After we master that we can move on to the fine points. Probably take me several lifetimes to work on this. Anybody else getting it right so far?

I remember Paul teaching to imitate him in matters of faith.

And I don’t accept your challenge. It’s a conversation. Where is the text? I don’t recall one that tells us to be like Him in person. Maybe being like Him in love it some such thing.

I struggle to remember any scripture that tells us to be like him in His person.

Pearls before swine. Save your breath.

There is more archaeological evidence for Jesus’ existence than for virtually any other figure from ancient history.
There’s an abundance of corroborating archaeological evidence; a great amount of the people, cities, places, etc. of Jesus’ life and ministry are established in the archaeological record. But when it comes to Jesus specifically, the best proof we have is the Bible.
Many people will object here. They will deny that the Bible can ever be used as evidence of Jesus.
But this question doesn’t get to make that objection. You asked for evidence, and the Bible fits the bill perfectly.
This wasn’t always the case. Back when the King James Version was first translated from the Greek (roughly 400 years ago in 1611 A.D/C.E.), they had reference to perhaps a dozen Greek manuscripts of the New Testament. None of these were particularly old; they were removed from the time of Jesus by many hundreds, if not a thousand, years.
In such a situation, you could imagine all sorts of changes occurring in the text between the time it was first written to the time it was translated.
But then came archaeology.
In the last 150 years, archaeologists have dug up thousands of ancient biblical manuscripts. Today we have over 10,000 manuscripts of the New Testament in the original languages, stretching back in time to the early 2nd and late 1st centuries.
In all of this, there is no evidence of the content changing over time.
There are minor scribal issues, of course. There will always be minor copy issues when human agents perform the copying. But given the abundance of manuscripts, we can easily spot and correct these changes.
The evidence is so strong that even Bart Ehrman, one of the staunchest skeptics around, agrees. Out of the nearly 8,000 verses in the New Testament,

Ha...good one.

Hard for a person to seek God when the person thinks they are God.

Raspy, this one and 9mmauser present their concepts with considerably less intellectual honesty than that of DBT, I cant be bothered with either beyond this. But you're right , pure drivel from either one.





BOOM and Boom , Thanks! I cant be reminded often enough it would seem.



and finally back to the real topic at hand....

To the extent we are able as mere mortals , yes . As difficult as it will be , and as often as it takes, it will be my attempt.

but if you come up with something easier , I'd listen?

We can't imitate Christ because we don't have his perspective. I'll get into that in a bit. First when I write something here it's based on thoughts on another aspect, and on another, justified by another. To be challenged to justify one thought expressed would take a book, and another to justify those... and another. Just read it and discard it, or let your thoughts take you where they will.

We start mortal, no preknowledge of a spiritual existence. We only know what we are. Jesus knew this about us also and that's how he approached mankind.

But he existed before being mortal, knew where he came from and where he would return to. Truly he had to have been in a prison of the body while mortal, endured it for us, to show us, encourage us, guide us.

He came, stayed only as long as he needed to and went home, escaped the prison.

While most of man, even the stanches christians, fight for every mortal breath, hang on to the prison bars not wanting to be dragged out.

Not imitating Christ.

The words of Jesus are simple, but with the perspective of the profound. If you think about what he said in his understanding of our limitations, the meanings become clearer.

His sacrifice of self as a mortal more... everything... no word for it.

If you allow it there's peace in that... and a looking forward to going home.

Kent

Do you believe that in the resurrection, the spirit and body will be reunited?

No

Kent

I don't say that lightly. Lots of folks have legitimate questions, and from the reasoning of this world, Christians do believe some weird stuff. I've no problem with those who point out that I can't scientifically prove everything I believe. I don't intend to try. Faith is sufficient for me. It's also not my job to convince my neighbor. I'm to share the Word and leave the rest to God; and love my neighbor regardless of how he responds.

Absolutely agree...Faith is all we have...lots of evidence, but no proof, just Faith alone....and I still pray, almost every day, for the souls of Mauser and DBT.

What did Jesus mean when He said, “Just as I have loved you, you must also love one another”…? And just before He gave this new commandment, Jesus got up from their meal and washed His closest followers stinkin’ feet, and then He said, “For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you.” What did Jesus mean by saying that…?

Christ's life example is the lesson we should follow. He didn't come as Master but in servitude, which in his pureness does make him the Master. Cause and effect.

I try my best to serve my fellow man, care the most I can.

I also believe Jesus was concerned for their spiritual well being, and very secondary to their humanity well being and only as an affect of the spirit.

Kent