May 10th, 2007
Buddha’s Corner
The Following is a repost of something previously written. This new posting of it was insired by the publishing of a similar question over at Stupid Church People:
Buddha’s Corner (Brought to you this time by Ha Kohen)
When I was young I was taught that only those who have asked Jesus into their hearts are saved. At the time I became very worried about a friend of mine. This friend had a rather serious speech impediment and could not pronounce the name Jesus. In my foolishness I thought that not being able to pronounce the name of God meant that he might not know the same Lord that I did.
When I was young I was taught that only those who have asked Jesus into their hearts are saved. At the time I became very worried about a friend of mine. This friend had a rather serious speech impediment and could not pronounce the name Jesus. In my foolishness I thought that not being able to pronounce the name of God meant that he might not know the same Lord that I did.
A few years ago I began to think on this subject a bit more and came up with a few more questions. I wondered, “What if a person had only the book of Matthew, but believed?” Would that person know the same Jesus that I know? Though at first that may sound odd, I genuinely believe it to be an important question. If a person only had the book of Matthew or Mark he/she would be very limited in their understanding of Jesus compared to others entrenched in the same faith tradition; this got me thinking.
What if someone had only the book of Matthew and believed, but that particular copy of the book had been altered? What if the name Jesus had been replaced with the name Buddha? Would it still be the same God? Would it still be Jesus? Do we even say Jesus correctly? Indeed we in fact, do not! What if we just said, Joshua or if when praying to the father addressed him as Yahoo (YaHWo) as many scholars have suggested? Does pronouncing or spelling the name in different ways affect what God hears or what God we reach? Does having only a very limited view of God and having his name wrong really mean that others worship a different God? Exactly how much knowledge of Jesus do you need before God knows you’re talking about Him? Does a person have to fully understand the Trinity to be saved? Most people in the pews and even in Seminary have what could technically be considered a “heretical view” of the trinity. What does this mean for our churches?
What about those people in the second century who didn’t have a developed view of the Trinity? Does God get confused simply because we do?
Lately a major problem for me has been that I see Christ in the Old Testament. Many of you are now wondering why that is a problem. After all, that seems like a basic statement of faith doesn’t it? Well yes and no. the problem comes when I read things like “Abraham was saved by grace through faith”. The normal teaching of the Christian Church has always been that Abraham was saved by faith in Jesus Christ – whom he did not yet know. After all Jesus did say that “no one gets to the Father except through me”. Is God unchanging (Ps 102:27; Mal. 3:6; James 1:17) or is He not (Ex. 32:11-14)? Is God somehow weaker now than he was in the ancient near-eastern world? Like many modern people, Abraham didn’t know the name of Jesus. He had never read Matthew or possibly anything at all for that matter. He knew no Trinity, no Spirit, no Son and most likely thought of the Father henotheisticly (a supreme deity among many gods).
I suppose now I am left with just one question in my mind… What do you think???
-Ha Kohen
dknels says:
Most christians today have not experienced the closeness that the holy men in ancient times had to God, how they heard His voice, obeyed and saw many great miracles. They have never experienced nor heard the voice and will of God as accurately as Noah, Abraham,Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Daniel, Isaiah, and many other prophets of God.It is obvious these men were filled with the Spirit of God and knew Him in an intimate way.The Angel of His Presence appeared to many of them. What does it mean to be saved anyway? Consider Noah. God saved him. The rest of mankind were not seen fit to continue in the temporal world and they were destroyed. Noah was chosen because God knew Noah’s heart and actions were righteous before God, he walked before God whole heartedly. Jer 29:13, God says if we seek Him with our whole heart we will find Him. Salvation is not about man’s twisted doctrines and denominations but about seeking God.
May 10th, 2007 at 7:41 pm
bastard bob says:
““What if a person had only the book of Matthew, but believed?” Would that person know the same Jesus that I know?”
I know my sister-in-law would argue that the gospels point an individual in the right direction so that they may enter a relationship with Jesus. For her Jesus is not found in the past in the gospels but in the present.
“Like many modern people, Abraham didn’t know the name of Jesus. He had never read Matthew or possibly anything at all for that matter. He knew no Trinity, no Spirit, no Son and most likely thought of the Father henotheisticly (a supreme deity among many gods).”
Abraham’s in hell for sure.
May 11th, 2007 at 6:20 pm
WonderingRogue says:
Is it really up to me to as to how God decides to communicate with me. As much as I still make a decision to follow Him every day I still have to realize (just as the disciples did) that He first chose me. His relentless battle for my heart requires that I allow Him to do it any way He sees fit.
May 12th, 2007 at 10:02 am
dorsey says:
You can say that you know dorsey.
You have communicated with me and I with you. We have acknowledged each other and are acquainted. Now, you don’t know much about me, nor I about you. But when you say “I know dorsey,” you’re referring to the same person as my wife when she says “I know dorsey.” The difference is a matter of degrees.
Likewise the person who has only Matthew, but believes, still knows the same Lord, although his information may be incomplete. If you must know fully before you can say “I know,” then who can truly say they know God?
Here’s a tough one. Based on my perspective above, Muslims revere the same God (of Abraham) that I do. They just believe different things about Him than I do.
May 14th, 2007 at 8:06 am