The Bible is not Christianity.

[T'krm]

There aren’t historical records documenting Jesus’ trial don’t lie

The first references to Jesus show up some thirty years after the alleged crucifixion. You would think for someone of such stature there would be more documentation, especially since for other cult leaders of similar periods there’s substantial records of their existence, tax receipts all that.



Theoretical pontificating is a meaningless oxymoron. Pontificating involves not having evidence. Scientific theories necessitate them. Pontificating is what Pontifs do. Pontif is a synonym pope. It’s ironic you tried to call science bullshyt by equating it to religion.


You have to be willfully ignorant to think people are comforting themselves by thinking the universe is mostly chaotic probabilities.

People comfort themselves by ascribing order to chaos, not the other way around, hence your little bed time stories are what people find comfort in. The universe being “random” is the second law of thermodynamics, knucklehead. It’s not “faith” or a “belief” like your childish charade.

 

[Professor Emeritus]

If the Bible existed as spoken word and that spoken word was authoriative as you say, then the Bible existed. It being a book (or two books) is a technical detail but not one that takes away from the fact that the Bible is Christianity. But you're right, the Bible is certainly the core of Christianity.

That's in the right direction, but I think it's overly limiting to reality to say "the Bible existed as spoken word and that is Christianity." Christianity was about the actual life and ministry and death and resurrection of Jesus (not just what was written about it, but its total fullness). Christianity was about relationships and discipleship and community. Who decided that the Bible was authoritative? Nothing in the New Testament says that you should gather together a bunch of books and make them authoritative, the New Testament always points back to the life of Christ and his teachings and the authority of those who are passing on the faith, not any book. Who decided which books to include in the Bible? Nothing in the New Testament tell you the answer to that, the Church community had to base that off of the much broader knowledge they had of what was true about Jesus's life and teachings and what was not.

How do you translate the Bible? By using knowledge of the Greek language which is found outside of the Bible. How do you put the Bible into context and understand what is being talked about? By using knowledge of culture and history that is found outside of the Bible. How do you know that you're interpreting the Bible correctly? By praying to God for wisdom, by praying that the Holy Spirit fills you with insight, by talking to other Christians and comparing and discerning with them....and all of that, the presence of God and the Spirit and the community of Christians, it all exists outside of the book, in real life.

The Bible is a tool that Christians have used to stay on point, to make sure that they weren't deviating from the faith as it was held and known since the beginning. But it isn't the end-all. The faith of the Church is a faith built on the life and teachings and death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, not just the knowledge of those things but the actual fact and reality and experience of those things. That can't fully be contained in any written word.

 

[rapbeats]

I may be inclined to agree with the premise that the Bible itself isnt christianity. It's documentation of jews events as well as others surrounding them. Obviously it's a document speaking on the one jew, the special one, the son of God(Jesus.)

the bible tells you, its not about the bible, its not about the words on paper. It about you and a relationship with christ. It's about what he taught, but its also about your heart/soul/mind. What you already know is correct and incorrect.

the laws/commandments are there as a guide for his people to show them HOW to live for their own well being. meaning the bible for the most part is just a How to Manual. Nothing more, nothing less.
If you want to know how to be righteous in the eyes of God and get into heaven. read below. Believing in christ is also apart of the 1st commandment without it expressly stating that point. Christ is a part of God. if you love God, you love Christ. it goes hand in hand.

MARK 12:28-34

28One of the scribes came and heard them arguing, and recognizing that He had answered them well, asked Him, “What commandment is the foremost of all?” 29Jesus answered, “The foremost is, ‘HEAR, O ISRAEL! THE LORD OUR GOD IS ONE LORD; 30AND YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH.’ 31“The second is this, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” 32The scribe said to Him, “Right, Teacher; You have truly stated that HE IS ONE, AND THERE IS NO ONE ELSE BESIDES HIM; 33AND TO LOVE HIM WITH ALL THE HEART AND WITH ALL THE UNDERSTANDING AND WITH ALL THE STRENGTH, AND TO LOVE ONE’S NEIGHBOR AS HIMSELF, is much more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.” 34When Jesus saw that he had answered intelligently, He said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” After that, no one would venture to ask Him any more questions.

 

[ReturnOfJudah]