unite for individuality....
because you were watching for a different interpretation.
INTERPRETATION that is the key word to everything said here. I have sat and listened to people render their INTERPRETATION of what the Bible says, and I have been condemned by this friend or that for believing in something different than their INTERPRETATION.
For a period of time, I participated in a Bible study led by an individual that understands Hebrew, Greek, and Latin besides English, and he would sit and discuss the DIFFERENCE in the INTERPRETATION of the Bible in the different languages through time, and believe me, there is NOT a transfer of exact meaning from one language to another. Those that believe the English version of the Bible is the one true INTERPRETATION of the Bible sadly are clueless. Not even close, that is what I learned listening to this learned man on Bible INTERPRETATION.
Best analogy I can draw, take a classroom of 50 ten year old children, the first is told a story and instructed to relay to the next person, and that person to the next until it goes through the whole classroom. By the time the story arrives to person number 50, that story is NOTHING like the original story told to the first person. That is somewhat the path of Biblical content. Just the translation and INTERPRETATION from one language to another is no different than the process of 50 children relaying a story. Now imagine 1200 pages of Bible being conveyed through the CENTURIES, actually MILLENIUM, suffering from translation from one language to another, suffering from INTERPRETATION.
Ahhh....I had a friend tell me I should tune in to this radio station that was a talk show on Christian thought, and I did one day. They were talking about the
BOOK OF THOMAS. Never heard of it before, so I went to the book store, and sure enough, there were several books addressing the Book of Thomas on the shelf. As it turns out, the Book of Thomas is virtually all words supposedly uttered by Jesus Christ, and it struck a huge chord with me. In it, Christ talks about one building their church within their heart. Well of course, the Roman Catholic church struck this book down and poo -pood it. Imagine what that mindset would do to revenues? But down to basic brass tacks, it is one's belief in their heart that matters perhaps above all else. But hey, that is just me talking. I thought the book had some simple yet profound thoughts, and it was only a few pages in length, an easy read.