Jesus said, "And Few There Be That Find It" Matthew 7:14

[Sonnet]

How do you reconcile this dilemma?

I can't...or at least it is baffling why there is no explanation for such an important point of trust in God.

It is possible that David was making the best of a bad situation...

One the most astonishing incongruities is the Song of Solomon...supposedly a beautiful story about love - until you reach chapter 6 verse 8 and realise that he already has 60 queens and 80 concubines.

Love? Really?

Adultery, for sure.

 

[jamie]

The article on adultery in the Jewish Encyclopedia says, "But the ancient Jewish law, as well as other systems of law which grew out of a patriarchal state of society, does not recognize the husband's infidelity to his marriage vows as a crime."

 

[jamie]

1 Kings 15:5
For David had done what was right in the eyes of the Lord and had not failed to keep any of the Lord’s commands all the days of his life—except in the case of Uriah the Hittite.

David was held accountable for the death of Uriah and this was a violation of the stipulation against murder.

 

[meshak]

you cannot go strictly by the Bible when following Jesus. There is a lot that is not there. For example, how is one to deal with such things as in vitro fertilization? stem cell research? if you go strictly by the Bible you would say, none of those things is mentioned in the Bible and then think you have a license to do whatever you want. But in vitro involves destroying human life, which is against the 10 Commandments

and there are other things not mentioned in the Bible. God's word is found outside the bible also. when i pray, i get answers about my personal life, which is one of the many things not mentioned

There are many accounts in the OT hard to reconcile with Jesus' teachings.

 

[Robert Pate]

I will probably catch a lot of flak over this.

When A Christian is "In Christ" he is free from the law, Romans 6:14. God sees him as perfect and complete "In Christ", Colossians 2:10.

Where there is no law, there can be no sin, Romans 6:18. It is not possible in God's eyes for a Christian to sin. Bring it on, I have lots of scripture.

 

[jamie]

Where there is no law, there can be no sin, Romans 6:18. It is not possible in God's eyes for a Christian to sin.

What is the penalty for sin?

 

[Sonnet]

The article on adultery in the Jewish Encyclopedia says, "But the ancient Jewish law, as well as other systems of law which grew out of a patriarchal state of society, does not recognize the husband's infidelity to his marriage vows as a crime."

So Romans 7:1-3 is underlining this? Paul did not cite the woman as an example by chance?

Wherefore then did God say: thou shalt not commit adultery?

What of Jesus' - Except for marital infidelity, if a anyone puts a away his wife and marries another woman then he commits adultery (Mat 19)? Surely, Jesus is saying that the man is STILL considered married in such a case? For example, say a man divorces his wife because he no longer finds her attractive. Then, in Gods eyes, they are still married. So if he marries another, it is considered adultery. In effect, God considers him married to TWO people...polygyny - or polygamy.

Therefore polygamy is adultery.

There is provision in the OT law for marrying another, but only in special circumstances.

 

[Sonnet]

There are many accounts in the OT hard to reconcile with Jesus' teachings.

Indeed - so we can forgive the sceptic. And it is right to test scripture.

Acyts 17:11
Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.

 

[Sonnet]

Mat. 5:27-28
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart."

A married man looking lustfully at another woman commits adultery according to Jesus - so a married man who marries another woman does the same.

It remains baffling to me why God seemingly has not explicitly dealt with this. It is possible that He has though. Earlier in Matthew 18, Jesus makes an astonishing assertion:

Matthew 19:3-9
Some Pharisees came to him to test him. They asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?”

“Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”

“Why then,” they asked, “did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?”

Jesus replied, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning. I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery.”

So, in effect, Jesus is averring that the law contains elements that are NOT God's ideal. Deuteronomy 24:1 speaks of divorce.

 

[Sonnet]

David was held accountable for the death of Uriah and this was a violation of the stipulation against murder.

Nathan, speaking to David, said otherwise:

2 Samuel 12:9-10
Why did you despise the word of the Lord by doing what is evil in his eyes? You struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and took his wife to be your own. You killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. Now, therefore, the sword will never depart from your house, because you despised me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own.’

 

[Sonnet]

No one can follow or obey the law.

The law is the very nature and character of God. Jesus obeyed the law for us and in doing so justified us, Romans 4:5 also Romans 3:26.

"To him that does NO WORKS but believes on him that justifies the ungodly (Sinners) his faith (not his works or obedience) is counted for righteousness" Romans 4:5.

True. Nevertheless, the FRUIT of a true believer , one would assume, would be observance (on the whole) of God's commandments

 

[Sonnet]

Galatians 5:22-23
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

 

[Sonnet]

1 John 1:8
If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.

 

[meshak]

Nathan, speaking to David, said otherwise:

2 Samuel 12:9-10
Why did you despise the word of the Lord by doing what is evil in his eyes? You struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and took his wife to be your own. You killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. Now, therefore, the sword will never depart from your house, because you despised me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own.’

Violence is against God's will, so even though there are so many wars in the OT, it should not be used to justify our actively endorsing or joining the military.

 

[meshak]

True. Nevertheless, the FRUIT of a true believer , one would assume, would be observance (on the whole) of God's commandments

We should encourage one another to keep commandments. We should not make excuses just because we are not perfect.

 

[meshak]

Sonnet,

God bless you for your insight.

 

[meshak]

1 John 1:8
If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.

Jesus also says to be perfect.

These verses should make us humble, and strive to watch out for our conduct in everyone thing we do.

 

[Totton Linnet]

Violence is against God's will, so even though there are so many wars in the OT, it should not be used to justify our actively endorsing or joining the military.

Or living in a home provided by the military or by living on a military pension

 

[Totton Linnet]

We should encourage one another to keep commandments. We should not make excuses just because we are not perfect.

First we obey God's command to be saved then we can think about His other commands

 

[Totton Linnet]

Jesus also says to be perfect.

These verses should make us humble, and strive to watch out for our conduct in everyone thing we do.

Your first act of "obedience" was to break wedlock