Continuing Education

[Debp]

I did it, primarily, as a peaceful gesture.

The long version: I’m able to confess the Apostles’ Creed but unable to confess the Nicene Creed. Christianity Board is set up for those who are able to do both -> that is the historical litmus test here for who is and who isn’t a Christian. It isn’t strictly enforced. When a few members who met the litmus test objected to me being accepted as a member here, I offered a proposal to resolve the conflict and allow me to remain a member. The proposal was accepted and I voluntarily forfeited the privilege of posting in “Christians Only” forums.

The medium version: I’m a Jewish monotheist, not a trinitarian. A Jewish monotheist cannot meet the litmus test of this board which defines who is and who isn’t a Christian. My God is the God and Father of Jesus, not the Trinity. My God is only one person.

The short version: I’m a Christian who, by the definition provided by Christianity Board, isn’t a Christian. Hence, “Other Faith”.

The blunt version: For practical purposes, I’m not a Christian; I’m a believing Jew.



My faith is in Jesus of Nazareth, the Messiah, the Son of the living God. My answers are drawn from the scriptures (the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament).

Christianity began as a sect of, and within, Judaism. I’m a primitive Christian. My answers are from a 1st century Jewish (Christian sect) perspective. They will often, but not always, be the same answers that we would find given in the “Christians Only” forums.

I know we can't discuss the Trinity on this board so I will try to avoid that.

But Christians believe in one God. But I noticed you didn't mention the Holy Spirit.

I don't understand why this board allows others that are not of the traditional Christian doctrines to post freely everywhere....but you are confined elsewhere. Your posts make good Christian sense to me, the ones I've seen.

Are the members that objected to you still here?

I guess you are here for fellowship? Have you been to Worthy forums? It's slower but the owner is a pastor who ministers among Jews. I'm on staff there.

 

[Matthias]

I know we can't discuss the Trinity on this board so I will try to avoid that.

But Christians believe in one God. But I noticed you didn't mention the Holy Spirit.

I don't understand why this board allows others that are not of the traditional Christian doctrines to post freely everywhere....but you are confined elsewhere. Your posts make good Christian sense to me, the ones I've seen.

Are the members that objected to you still here?

Several of them are. Some of them made the decision to leave when I was allowed to remain a member.

I guess you are here for fellowship?

I’m primarily here to find relief from the stress that comes from working with neglected, abused and at-risk children.

Have you been to Worthy forums? It's slower but the owner is a pastor who ministers among Jews. I'm on staff there.

I’ve done some reading there.

 

[Debp]

Several of them are. Some of them made the decision to leave when I was allowed to remain a member.

I still don't understand...cult members can freely post but you can't. ???

@Matthias Can you please help me about the following? If you are familiar about this.

"Mom was a Christian (94 years old) and thankfully passed on peacefully on June 21. (See my prayer request Mom Broke Her Hip if you want to.)

The home care agency owner said I'm not responsible for any medical bills that come in after my mom's death.

Does anyone have knowledge about this situation? Should I write "deceased and return to sender" on the unopened envelope?

I already am making payments on a different medical bill for her...have 16 more months to pay it off. Will ask them if I need to keep paying. But the new bills coming in now...I wondered about those."

 

[Matthias]

I still don't understand...cult members can freely post but you can't. ???

Two things to keep in mind:

1. Because I’m a Jewish monotheist, some would say (and some have said) that I am a cult member.

2. When the problem first started, the board administrators and moderators didn’t insist that I change my registration from “Christian” to “Other Faith”. I wasn’t forced to change it. I could have remained registered as a Christian and, had I chosen to do so, I would have been allowed to post freely.

When the administrators and moderators made that decision known, members who objected to me being accepted as a “Christian” member became even more vocal. It was only then that I publicly made the proposal to change my registration; an effort to live peacefully with all men. My proposal was discussed publicly and accepted. When it was, some who were outspoken against me left; some who were outspoken against me stayed. I very seldom cross paths with those who stayed. The solution I offered solved the problem.

I don’t having posting privileges in “Christians Only” forums because I voluntarily gave them up.

@Matthias Can you please help me about the following? If you are familiar about this.

"Mom was a Christian (94 years old) and thankfully passed on peacefully on June 21. (See my prayer request Mom Broke Her Hip if you want to.)

I read it. Because it is posted in a “Christians Only” forum, I wasn’t able to comment on it. I read prayer requests and act on them without those who make them knowing about it. (We might think of it in terms of someone who isn’t a registered member but reads and prays without any registered member of the board ever knowing about it.) One of the drawbacks about the decision I made on my board registration is that I’m here but unable to offer words of comfort and support in that forum.

The home care agency owner said I'm not responsible for any medical bills that come in after my mom's death.

Does anyone have knowledge about this situation? Should I write "deceased and return to sender" on the unopened envelope?

I don’t know. You could try it and see what happens. Has her estate been settled?

I already am making payments on a different medical bill for her...have 16 more months to pay it off. Will ask them if I need to keep paying. But the new bills coming in now...I wondered about those."

I would discuss it with them and see what they have to say. You might also want to speak with an attorney about it.

 

[Debp]

Because I’m a Jewish monotheist, some would say (and some have said) that I am a cult member.

Do you mean you do not believe in the divinity of Christ? The Hypostatic Union?

Has her estate been settled?

She has no estate. I always had her on my checking account....a joint account.

I would discuss it with them and see what they have to say. You might also want to speak with an attorney about it.

I'll ask the hospital if I need to pay the rest of her bill. I did two monthly payments already.

This was a hospital bill (2022) we knew nothing about until this year....they kept sending the bill to a boulevard. We aren't on the boulevard so never received it. Also they had no apartment number.

When they finally contacted us this year, I actually had to ask them what address they were sending it to....as we weren't getting the duplicate bill either this year!!!

No use paying an attorney. Will just see what the hospital says.

 

[Matthias]

Another continuing education resource I’ve used in the past is edX. These are free online courses offered by Harvard & MIT.

One of the classes I took was on Biblical archaeology.

https://www.edx.org/learn/bible/israelx-biblical-archaeology-the-archaeology-of-ancient-israel-and-judah

They offer courses on many diverse subjects.

 

[Behold]

Two things to keep in mind:

1. Because I’m a Jewish monotheist,

So you practice Judaism.

Its unlikely that a person who practices Judaism was a "pastor" of a Christian Church, as Judaism, does not accept Jesus The Christ, as their Messiah.

Does my post agree with your Religion and Theology, regarding Yeshua? @Matthias ?

See, the "Jewish monotheist" title you gave yourself is going to confuse and veil what you believe regarding the Christian members here who are not Jews or Messianic Jews..., so as my home is in Israel, and as my Church is a Messianic Jewish Church... what you are is not veiled to me.

 

[Matthias]

So you practice Judaism.

I practice Christianity, not Judaism.

Its unlikely that a person who practices Judaism was a "pastor" of a Christian Church, as Judaism, does not accept Jesus The Christ, as their Messiah.

That’s right.

Does my post agree with your Religion and Theology, regarding Yeshua? @Matthias ?

I have very little in common with you.

See, the "Jewish monotheist" title you gave yourself is going to confuse and veil what you believe regarding the Christian members here who are not Jews or Messianic Jews...,

Jewish monotheism defines my theology. It is unitarian in nature, not trinitarian in nature. My God is only one person - Yahweh, the God and Father of Jesus of Nazareth. It shouldn’t be difficult for any member here to understand that. I’ve never concealed it from anyone, nor would I ever.

… so as my home is in Israel, and as my Church is a Messianic Jewish Church... what you are is not veiled to me.

Some Messianic Jewish Churches (the majority) are trinitarian; some (the minority) are unitarian.

Do you know Uri Marcus? (He is a leader in the unitarian branch of Messianic Judaism in Israel.) His theology is mine, but his practice and mine are radically different from one another. I haven’t seen or spoken with him for a couple of decades. I last saw him when he was visiting in Atlanta.

P.S.

Uri Marcus is also known as Uriel ben-Mordechai. You might recognize him under that name, if you don’t the other.

 

[Pancho Frijoles]

Some Messianic Jewish Churches (the majority) are trinitarian...

This is a big surprise for me. I wonder how they came to this... I mean, historically, without having gone through all the process of the first 3 centuries.

 

[Matthias]

This is a big surprise for me. I wonder how they came to this... I mean, historically, without having gone through all the process of the first 3 centuries.

Messianic Judaism is a a potential misnomer. Early Christianity was Jewish (a sect of Judaism and within Judaism) and Messianic (a Jew named Jesus is the Messiah).

The modern Messianic Jewish movement isn’t very old at all.

P.S.

I’m adding a link to an article that discusses the history of the modern Jewish Messianic movement.

”Messianic Judaism remains a relatively new movement.”

History of Messianic Judaism | Jewish Voice

 

[Matthias]

A gentle reminder to readers. This thread is not about the Trinity. I have no interest in discussing the Trinity and discussion of the Trinity is a banned topic.

This thread is about continuing education, in general.

 

[Matthias]

I completed “The Exodus Story” course this morning, four and a half hors of instruction (total), took all of the quizzes, and passed the final exam. A certificate - suitable for framing but won’t be; it will be placed in my private files - was issued by the College. I found the course to be enjoyable, learned a few new things and was reminded of many things which I already knew. I would recommend the course to others.

With that done, I now turn my divided attention to the course on C.S. Lewis.

Continuing education. I encourage all to pursue it.

 

[Matthias]

A cautionary tale.

One day a young man was speaking with an elder from his church. The young man had read the Bible for the first time, from cover to cover, and was feeling very good about it. The elder commended the young man and encouraged him to do it again. The young man replied to the elder that he thought he had a good handle on it now and didn’t see a need to read it through again anytime soon. Someday, sure. Of course. But not anytime soon.

The elder smiled at the young man and gently recounted that he’d read the Bible through many times in his life. “You’ve watched me do it.” He went on to say that he was continuing to learn and grow with each reading. The young man nodded but said nothing more. Foolish youth had a run in with elder wisdom. And the youth grew to be an elder himself one day.

The elder died one day and left his Bible to the grown up young man. The Bible contains dates when each day’s reading was done. The elder had read the Bible forward. The elder had read the Bible backward. He read the Bible forward and backward - over, and over, and over again.

When one Bible was falling apart, he purchased a new one. And the pages of the new Bible contain the dates when he read it forward and backward - over and over, and over again.

The young man actually inherited several of the Bibles that had belonged to the elder. The family wanted him to have them, for the young man, who was not so young any longer, was the only member of the family who emulated the elder in reading the Bible daily.

I have them to this day; they occupy a prominent place in my personal library. They’re worn out, fragile, falling apart, held together with masking tape. Every now and then, I will take one of them off the shelf and gently hold it in my hands. Sometimes I open and read, sometimes I open and just look at the dates - with the arrows pointing forward and backward.

The elder was my paternal grandfather. A man who never went beyond the fourth grade in school, having been forced to drop out to help put food on the family table. A man who highly valued continuing education, but none higher than the education which comes from reading the Bible every day.

The best continuing education that a follower of Messiah Jesus will ever have is found in the daily feeding on the scriptures. Day after day, month after month, year after year - until the day finally arrives when he or she closes their eyes for the final time in this present evil age.

”Have you ever actually read the Bible?” (A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.)

Yes, I’ve read the Bible; and I’m continuing my education in the scriptures. (In other fields of interest, too.) So, I hope, will my readers.

 

[PS95]

A cautionary tale.

One day a young man was speaking with an elder from his church. The young man had read the Bible for the first time, from cover to cover, and was feeling very good about it. The elder commended the young man and encouraged him to do it again. The young man replied to the elder that he thought he had a good handle on it now and didn’t see a need to read it through again anytime soon. Someday, sure. Of course. But not anytime soon.

The elder smiled at the young man and gently recounted that he’d read the Bible through many times in his life. “You’ve watched me do it.” He went on to say that he was continuing to learn and grow with each reading. The young man nodded but said nothing more. Foolish youth had a run in with elder wisdom. And the youth grew to be an elder himself one day.

The elder died one day and left his Bible to the grown up young man. The Bible contains dates when each day’s reading was done. The elder had read the Bible forward. The elder had read the Bible backward. He read the Bible forward and backward - over, and over, and over again.

When one Bible was falling apart, he purchased a new one. And the pages of the new Bible contain the dates when he read it forward and backward - over and over, and over again.

The young man actually inherited several of the Bibles that had belonged to the elder. The family wanted him to have them, for the young man, who was not so young any longer, was the only member of the family who emulated the elder in reading the Bible daily.

I have them to this day; they occupy a prominent place in my personal library. They’re worn out, fragile, falling apart, held together with masking tape. Every now and then, I will take one of them off the shelf and gently hold it in my hands. Sometimes I open and read, sometimes I open and just look at the dates - with the arrows pointing forward and backward.

The elder was my paternal grandfather. A man who never went beyond the fourth grade in school, having been forced to drop out to help put food on the family table. A man who highly valued continuing education, but none higher than the education which comes from reading the Bible every day.

The best continuing education that a follower of Messiah Jesus will ever have is found in the daily feeding on the scriptures. Day after day, month after month, year after year - until the day finally arrives when he or she closes their eyes for the final time in this present evil age.

”Have you ever actually read the Bible?” (A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.)

Yes, I’ve read the Bible; and I’m continuing my education in the scriptures. (In other fields of interest, too.) So, I hope, will my readers.

Hey, I don't see a way to PM you.

 

[Matthias]

Hey, I don't see a way to PM you.

I’ve had some bad experiences in the past with pm’s on other forums. I haven’t enabled the function on this forum. I want to be transparent and prefer to speak publicly for anyone to see. If there is a pressing reason to communicate using pm I can make an exception. (Sometimes people seek my counsel on a personal and sensitive matter. While I would recommend to such persons that they speak with a pastor they know well and trust, if they have no pastor to turn to, I’ll try to assist them privately.)

 

[PS95]

No problem bro.