Posted by Etienne78 on January 21, 2006, at 11:12:29
In reply to Re: The end of times? Are we in the last days? » Etienne78, posted by Dena on January 13, 2006, at 22:31:51
Dear Dena,
Thank you for your reply. It was very informative. I will spend some time revising the different links. I appreciate it very much and will contact you soon once more.
Shalom,
Etienne> > Dear Dena,
> >
> > I would appreciate if you could give me some pointers as to where i can read up some more on the life of Jesus. I don't really believe the Gospels as they have been rewritten over time and have inconsistencies among them. Additionally i have read Gnostic gospels (like the Gospel of Thomas) and several texts from the Nag Hammadi Codex.
> > What other places do you know of that represent a true account of Jesus' life? As far as i know, there are none.
> >
> > Thank You,
> > Etienne
> >
> > P.S.: Regarding the end of times...the end is already here, just look at the world around you...for many it is the end everyday...eventually it will come for all.
>
>
>
> Hey Etienne -
>
> I understand your concern about the Gospels in the Bible -- it's best if you can find a "direct from Greek" translation, that takes the Bibles with "agendas" out of the equation. It also helps to understand that Scriptures didn't have the divisions of the verses in them 'til the 12th century -- the Bible was never meant to be read out of context; it's meant to be historical, cultural, and wholistic.
>
> It may help you to do a study of how the Bible came to be written, and how it was preserved over the centuries -- as well as how discovering the Dead Sea Scrolls has verified much of what has stood the test of time.
>
> As for the Da Vinci Code -- very compelling reading to be sure, but broaden your perspective by reading some of the critiques against it (the more balanced critiques, not the knee-jerk reactions).
>
> One other, rather odd, suggestion: Anne Rice (yes, she of the "horror queen" fame) has actually become a follower of Jesus herself, and has spent the past several years studying His life, and has written a novel that I'd love to read, "Out of Egypt": http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0375412018/drbobsvirte00-20 You can read plenty of readers' reviews at that Amazon.com site. It's ironic to me that she's pleasantly surprised a number of those aforementioned "knee jerk reaction" types -- few can find much to criticize about her novel.
>
> Remember - it's fiction. But it's written (from what I've heard/read) in a way that is true to history, culture and other documents. It's to be taken with a grain of salt, but I find it remarkable that meeting Jesus has transformed Anne Rice's perspective on what to write...!
>
> As for reading the book that Rayww previously recommended, that's fine -- I also checked it out once (hi Rayww!), but chose to not read it. You should be aware that it's from a Mormon (LDS) perspective, which would be a bit at odds with much of those who call themselves followers of Jesus. No offense intended, but you should be informed.
>
> Another book I enjoyed was by Philip Yancy, "The Jesus I Never Knew"
>
> I'll shop around, and see if anything else jumps into my remembrance!
>
> I commend you for asking -- you can also ask Him directly, to reveal Himself to you. He says that if we seek Him with all our heart, we will find Him.
>
> Shalom, Dena
>
>
poster:Etienne78
thread:568881
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/faith/20051105/msgs/601462.html