Author	Thread: Following Jesus
Admin	Following Jesus Posted : 21 Apr, 2011 02:47 PM I had a very interesting conversation a few years ago with a friend about his topic and have done some research and found it very interesting. I'm not going to be quoting chapter and verse or all the sources of info but just want to set it down as simply as possible and see what your think. THe first premise is that Jesus was never a carpenter and neither was his father, Joseph. I have two reasons for believing this. First of all, the Bible never says Jesus was a carpenter but it does say that Joseph was. However, if you research this word you will find that it was a Hebrew word that meant "builder of men" and was used to describe the work of a Rabbi. What's more, Jesus stayed in the temple after his bar-mitzvah. He said he was there to go about his father's work which is what a boy would have done after coming of age. This was both him claiming His Father is God and His father (Joseph) was a teacher of the Torah. Furthermore, Jesus came into his ministry at the age of 30. This isthe age at which Rabbi's graduate and go out to start their own work by finding younger rabbinical students to be their disciples. It is believed that Joseph taught Jesus to be a rabbi in the traditional three and a half year period it takes to complete discipleship. Jesus would have been in school all of his life. As he excelled in each level He would have been allowed to move up to the next level of education. Those men who did not do well in school did not move up. At the age of 26 Jesus would have entered His discipleship and would have then gone out to gather His own disciples. In Jesus case he did not go after the brightest and the best of the rabbi students. Instead he went after His friends and family members, those who were not allowed to finish school. These men He taught for three and a half years and at the end of their discipleship he gave them the same commission given to graduating Rabbis. With all of this in mind, I wonder how it is possible that anyone ever got the idea that jesus was starting a new religion and was trying to start the church. In my reading of the NT, particularly Acts and the writings of Paul it seems that it was the most religious of the Apostles that were responsible for the starting of the church and certainly not Jesus. The work and ministry of Jesus became an organized religion built by fanatics that were more interested in religion than following the example of Jesus to continue the tradition of discipleship. Today, there is very little discipleship going on in any Christian organization. Probably because they are too organized. No one is really lead to Jesus much any more, they are lead to Christianity and often people view their decision as choosing the right or best religion and not choosing to follow Jesus. They are told they are followers of Jesus because they can manage to find their spot in the parking lost, sit in their favorite pew, get warm fuzzies with their hands raise in the air as they sing and then get their faith in their religion pumped up by a heartwarming sermon that tells them how wonderful they are because of their relationship with God. I know it sounds like I don't like churches and frankly I don't. I rarely attend church any more because I'd rather stay home and seek God myself. Whatever happened to Jesus' vision of filling the world with Jesus followers? Where has discipleship gone? What would you do if you had to go out and find 12 people to spend the next three and a half years of your life with teaching them everything you know about Jesus and His Word. Could you do it? I am not even sure I can. One other question: Was Paul really spreading the Gospel or spreading his new religion? Thunder Post Reply
View Profile History	Following Jesus Posted : 21 Apr, 2011 04:15 PM Lots of questions to think about, thunder! Post Reply
View Profile History	Following Jesus Posted : 21 Apr, 2011 05:56 PM Interesting post Thunder. The idea that Paul somehow perverted the teaching of Jesus is not a new one. In fact if you talked with a Judaizer in Paul's day they would agree. On the surface it appears we have been reached with the Gospel of Paul and not the Gospel of Jesus's disciples which at first taught you must become Jewish before you can be a Christian. However this mindset changed, not only though Paul, but by God working on Peter and John as they saw first hand Gentiles being filled with the Holy Spirit contrary to what they had believed. Here is the wild card in all of this: Jesus is still alive and working through the Holy Spirit, therefore it is the Gospel of Jesus. Post Reply
View Profile History	Following Jesus Posted : 22 Apr, 2011 09:31 AM 2Spar Shared ~ "Jesus is still alive and working through the Holy Spirit, therefore it is the Gospel of Jesus." *** AMEN !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:yay:...xo Post Reply
View Profile History	Following Jesus Posted : 22 Apr, 2011 07:05 PM The Holy Spirit never speaks anything of himself: Joh 16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. Post Reply