What is the essence of the Bible?

[Elijah John]

What brief passage best encapsulates the essence of the Bible?

Are some parts of the Bible more essential than others?

[brianbbs67]

[Replying to post 15 by PinSeeker]

There is no works based path to salvation. Our faith leads to the works. If one believes in God and the son of man, and is seeking them, the result will be good works or fruit. If we say we follow God, we will follow His rules. Can we be following God if we ignore His commands?

"Show me your faith and I will show you my works. Faith without works is dead"

In the OT, God says "draw nigh unto me and I will draw you high." How do we draw nigh? By living and doing as God would have us do.

As christians, we are supposed to be following the way of christ, as the sect the Way was called. How did christ live? Once you find this, the rest is easy and works and blessings follow.

[onewithhim]

What brief passage best encapsulates the essence of the Bible?

Are some parts of the Bible more essential than others?

The passage that probably best encapsulates the essence of the Bible is Psalm 83:18:

"May people know that you, whose name is Jehovah, You alone are the Most High over all the earth."


The most important issue in the universe is who has the right to be in charge? According to the Bible, Satan slyly made the accusation that Jehovah did not have His human creations' best interests in mind and that they would be better off running their own lives, essentially aligning their pattern of living after his thinking. They decided to go with his ideas and left Jehovah.

So it's left to the rest of mankind to decide for ourselves who we want to follow. Jehovah or Satan.

It's hard to pick out Scriptures that are "more essential." A person should familiarize himself with the entire Bible. It all harmonizes.

[onewithhim]

[Replying to post 5 by brianbbs67]

Excellent choice of Scripture, but who is "the LORD your God"? What name was removed there? Wouldn't we want to use a version that includes God's personal name where it had been originally?

[Overcomer]

This verse sums up everything:

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life (John 3:16).

That's all you really need to know.

[brianbbs67]

[Replying to post 5 by brianbbs67]

Excellent choice of Scripture, but who is "the LORD your God"? What name was removed there? Wouldn't we want to use a version that includes God's personal name where it had been originally?

YHVH as Jehovah is a 13th century Catholic monk invention. Most likely Yaveh.

[Avoice]

I'm too lazy to look up verse and chapter but I believe it's chapter 3 of Genesis.

The narrative in the Garden of Eden is the very first interaction man has with God and the adversary being in our midst.

A grand lesson is taught here:

Do what God tells us to do.
Do not listen to any other voices
Especially if they get you to believe you'll live forever even if you disobey God's law
If you disobey:
Its no one's fault but yours because you have free will
Don't try hiding behind anything. Or anyone
You were born blind. You were not born in a sinful state
The adversary opens the eyes of the blind

We have been told what the adversary can and will do. If you believe God's laws can be ignored; and that eternity will still be yours make sure the voice that tells you this is really the voice of God.. Not just a voice





L

[Avoice]

[Replying to post 7 by PinSeeker]

Isaiah doesn't say who the servent is. But he assumes we have read the chapters leading up to this. And he tells us who he speaks if. It is Israel.of course the church wants it to be about Jesus soooo they get out the scissors because if they don't it can't be about Jesus.

Where it says in the Christian Bible "...HE was stricken.." it really says THEY WERE STRIKEN.

THEY are the people if Israel. The servent. And yes they are spoken if in the singular and plural. In one passage regarding the servent it says Ye are my WITNESSES and my SERVENT whom I have chosen. (plural) and (singular). The church forgot to get the scissors here. Witnesses? That means more than one. Guess the church will have to add another head to God.

[brianbbs67]

[Replying to post 7 by PinSeeker]

Isaiah doesn't say who the servent is. But he assumes we have read the chapters leading up to this. And he tells us who he speaks if. It is Israel.of course the church wants it to be about Jesus soooo they get out the scissors because if they don't it can't be about Jesus.

Where it says in the Christian Bible "...HE was stricken.." it really says THEY WERE STRIKEN.

THEY are the people if Israel. The servent. And yes they are spoken if in the singular and plural. In one passage regarding the servent it says Ye are my WITNESSES and my SERVENT whom I have chosen. (plural) and (singular). The church forgot to get the scissors here. Witnesses? That means more than one. Guess the church will have to add another head to God.

Actually that verses of Esaias 53 was later revised by Rabbis to "we" to eliminate any possible Ha'Messiach link. The LXX(Septuigant) and earlier Hebrew and Greek read He.

[brianbbs67]

[Replying to post 28 by brianbbs67]

Zech 12 underwent the same revision.