22:39 Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

[gentleJ]

The Gospel According to Saint Matthew says that when Jesus was asked about the most important of commandments he answered:

Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment.
And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

Reading through the introduction threads i can not help but notice the condemning approach towards new people. Even hate and racism make their appearance.

After registration I recieved a letter of grateful words and greetings which is a bit contradicting to the forum's slogan "UNSAVED UNWELCOME!". And seeing as we are called Unsaved Trash I feel confused. Are we not suppoused to follow these commandments and manifest humbleness and tolerance as it is said in Matthew 5:38-42 and Luke 6:27-31?

[James Hutchins]

Re: 22:39 Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

Terrific. Another Bible cherry picker. Have you actually read the entire Bible or do you just like to pick the parts that sound warm and squishy. I bet you are one of those people that suck the jelly out of donuts then put them back on the plate too.
Psalm 53:5 There were they in great fear, where no fear was: for God hath scattered the bones of him that encampeth against thee: thou hast put them to shame, because God hath despised them.
Proverbs 22:14 The mouth of strange women is a deep pit: he that is abhorred of the LORD shall fall therein.

[Pastor Ezekiel]

Re: 22:39 Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

Reading through the introduction threads i can not help but notice the condemning approach towards new people. Even hate and racism make their appearance.

That's quite true. It's sad to see the hatefulness that people direct at us, but the Holy Bible tells us that this persecution proves that we have God on our side. This is God's favorite forum, and satan sends his foul minions our way on a regular basis.

That being said, this IS your introduction thread. How about telling us who you are, what church you attend, and so on.

I wasn't aware that communist Russia even allowed Christianity to be practiced. I'll bet you fear for your life.

[Rev. M. Rodimer]

Re: 22:39 Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

The Gospel According to Saint Matthew says that when Jesus was asked about the most important of commandments he answered:

Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment.
And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

Hiya, GentleJ!

Thanks for bringing this up. I have two questions for you:

1. According to the Bible, who is "my neighbour"?

I'm going to let you research this yourself. I suggest you search the KJV for "neighbour" and read it in context, every time it is used, and figure out what meanings are assigned. Hint: In no case does it mean "everybody".

2. What does it mean, "On these . . . hang all the law and the prophets"?

I'm going to answer this for you. It means that these two things are the foundation of the Law. ALL of the Law. They do not replace the Law, God's 600+ COMMANDS. The Law is still in force.

Being loving does not give you an excuse to disobey God.

God COMMANDS us to separate ourselves from those who do not follow His Law. That's a Law. That is why "Unsaved Unwelcome" is prominently featured on this forum; we are here to share the love of Jesus, not provide a forum for hate-mongers and atheists and Muslims to insult Jesus. They have the rest of the Web for that.

God COMMANDS us to execute adulterers, fornicators, homosexuals, witches, and apostates, usually by stoning. However, He also COMMANDS us to be subject to the powers above us on Earth, because He has put them into power for His own reasons. This is why we do not execute these horrible sinners.

[gentleJ]

Re: 22:39 Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

Thank you for response. I apologize for my lack of proper manners and introduction. It is just that I view my biography insignificant at the moment. All I will say is that I was baptisized in a (Russian) Orthodox Church of Three Saints.

I understand you strive to follow the Old Testament and New Testament to the core. But even Christ could not agree to the "Eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth" passage. And because we call our selves Christians (and not Abrahamians, Isaiahians or other) how can we overlook his precise instructions on this matter:

But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you. And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloke forbid not to take thy coat also. Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again. And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.
?

[Cranky Old Man]

Re: 22:39 Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

I apologize for my lack of proper manners

You are forgiven. Russians are well known as vodka driven brutes.

[Brother V]

Re: 22:39 Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

Define "neighbour".

In the first part of Exodus, Moses tells the people to "borrow of his neighbour". Those people were the ones who lived near them. In fact, the people they were to borrow from was the Egyptians. Now, if you go back and read the story of the exodus, you'll see that the Hebrew people were to borrow jewels and gold, and silver from the Egyptians. The Egyptians thought the Jews were just going to go out into the desert to worship their God for a few days, they didn't think they were going to be leaving for ever. So, in the early part, neighbour was the Egyptians.

Later on, (like in the ten commandments part of Exodus) the word neighbour had evolved. The word then (and still) meant something like: those who are like you. It didn't mean people who were different, foreigners, people of a different skin color, pretty much anyone who wasn't Hebrew.

So, when we are told to love our "neighbour as ourselves" that means we are to love those who are like us, as we love ourselves. It doesn't mean we have to love unsaved trash, like we love ourselves.

Hope this helps,

YIC
V

[gentleJ]

Re: 22:39 Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

Yes Brother V, Rev. M. Rodimer already intimated that.

[True Disciple]

Re: 22:39 Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

My dear friend, it is clear that you know next to nothing about the Bible, or the resultant Christian Morality. Unsaved trash is unwelcome here because the Bible explicitly forbids receiving anyone who does not believe in Jesus following the right doctrine:

2 John 1:9-11:
Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.
If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed:
For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.

[gentleJ]

Re: 22:39 Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

It seems that Jesus gave differnet edifications in different periods of life or that John and Luke with Matthew had different preferences/priorities in recieving them.

2 John 1:9-11 and Luke 6:27-31, Matthew 5:38-42

I do not think it is a good idea to interpret their biddings about humility and tolerance towards neighbours and enemies in a way that only focuses on like-minded people. If we start choosing towards whom we want to realize commandments then we are only fueling our pride and in no way this promotes, more so, embodies modesty.
Thus our practice becomes like a tree that can no longer "bring forth good fruit"
(Matthew 7:18)

[Pastor William Nathaniel Sampson]

Re: 22:39 Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

The Gospel According to Saint Matthew says that when Jesus was asked about the most important of commandments he answered:

Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment.
And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

That's very nice. Let's see what Jesus is actually saying here. The Pharisees are questioning Jesus ask Him which are the most important commandments in the law. Not the 10 commandments, but out of all the law books.
Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

Deuteronomy 6:5 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.

What does Deuteronomy 6:15 say will happen if you don't love God?

(For the LORD thy God is a jealous God among you) lest the anger of the LORD thy God be kindled against thee, and destroy thee from off the face of the earth.

And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself

Leviticus 19:17-18 Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him.
Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD.

That's right. We are to rebuke them and not suffer sin upon them. That is the basis of Christian love.

[gentleJ]

Re: 22:39 Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

That's very nice. Let's see what Jesus is actually saying here. The Pharisees are questioning Jesus ask Him which are the most important commandments in the law. Not the 10 commandments, but out of all the law books.
Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

Deuteronomy 6:5 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.

What does Deuteronomy 6:15 say will happen if you don't love God?

(For the LORD thy God is a jealous God among you) lest the anger of the LORD thy God be kindled against thee, and destroy thee from off the face of the earth.

And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself

Leviticus 19:17-18 Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him.
Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD.

That's right. We are to rebuke them and not suffer sin upon them. That is the basis of Christian love.

Yes, it is another stern yet good way of edifying people with Christian teachings through appealing to conscience (when parables can't seem to manage). But this practice is only effective when you don't break Christ's teachings yourself. There is a difference between rebuking and condemning, humiliation and compassion.

Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him.

Before we preach virtue to others we have to start it from ourselves by making sure we don't bear any form of (vice) Hatred in our hearts. Yet the kind of "Christian love" I saw in the introduction forum was coming from desire to drive away people unpleasant to us (How is "executing infidels" or "unsaved unwelcome" a form of "not hating thy brother in thine heart" or "loving and blessing thy enemy"?) But I repeat myself...

[Zechariah Smyth]

Re: 22:39 Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

I still think that you are (1) confusing "hate" and "rebuke" and (2) refusing to accept the simple advice in 2 John 1:9-11.

1. My daughter tries to bring a Ouija board into my home. I refuse to let her and rebuke her because the Bible tells me that sort of thing is wrong (see Leviticus 19:31 among others).

Do I hate her? Of course not! That would be ridiculous.

2. You seem to have a problem with 2 John 1:9-11 in general, and specifically as it is involves the rules of this website. Here it is:

"9Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. 10If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: 11For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds."

There really isn't any wiggle room there: if you aren't Christian, you aren't welcome.

YiC,

Z. Smyth

[Bobby-Joe]

Re: 22:39 Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

Yes, it is another stern yet good way of edifying people with Christian teachings through appealing to conscience (when parables can't seem to manage). But this practice is only effective when you don't break Christ's teachings yourself. There is a difference between rebuking and condemning, humiliation and compassion.

We're do we not practice Christ's teachings? How are we not humble? Who are you to judge us?

[gentleJ]

Re: 22:39 Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

We're do we not practice Christ's teachings? How are we not humble? Who are you to judge us?

"2 John 1:9-11"

There really isn't any wiggle room there: if you aren't Christian, you aren't welcome.

I am sorry but the same goes with Matthew 5:38-42, 22:39 and Luke 6:27-31