RPFs Bible Reading and Study Thread

[moostraks]

Last question. Since the man and the woman were "naked and not ashamed", why are we now so hung up on the human body?

Ego. Being led to listen to voices from outside ourselves that we don't measure up to societies standards? Dh tells me all kinds of sweet things and I can list a mile long of my negatives and usually dismiss his comments as trying to earn some physical reward. I don't seem to take compliments as being genuine.

[Deborah K]

It's interesting that there are two different stories of creation. This has caused some confusion over the years. Some people have focused on Genesis 2's account of the creation of Eve as "proof" that Adam had a first wife named Lilith. But Genesis 2 tells the story of man and woman's creation. Also note in verse 19 it points out that the animals were made from the ground just like man in verse 7. For the longest I thought that the animals were spoken into existence while man was created from the ground by hand. In reality the difference is the two accounts in Genesis 1 and 2 and not some great difference in the creation of man and animals. For this reason some people believe animals have souls.



Last question. Since the man and the woman were "naked and not ashamed", why are we now so hung up on the human body?

Why is the tube you embedded hidden? I see it when I reply to your post, but not in your actual post?? hmmm.

Anyway....as to the question of why we are so hung up on the human body. I think the reason Adam and Eve became ashamed after they became aware of being naked, could be because to be naked, is to be vulnerable. And so they became aware of their vulnerability.

In today's world, I think nakedness has more to do with sexuality. In primitive tribes where men's and women's privates are bare, there doesn't seem to be a problem with lust, or rape, etc.. But, in western culture, nudity is synonymous with lust. Somewhere down the line in our human history, we felt the need to cover up. Some of it, I'm sure, had to do with cold climates. But even today, in the Muslim faith, some cultures make the women cover up completely. And the Victorian Era has had a great deal of influence over our attitudes about sex and nudity. /rant

[moostraks]

Why is the tube you embedded hidden? I see it when I reply to your post, but not in your actual post?? hmmm.

I had a problem with embedding a video earlier as well. Something has been changed in the easy video button also. It gives different prompts. I ended up having to go to the computer and copy and paste from the address bar rather than you tubes link they offer.

[Deborah K]

Gonna post 4 chapters today, and when I get a chance, I'll post my take on what we have so far. Feel free to correct me, disagree, or whatever. While I don't want to see the thread get tossed into 'Hot Topics', I'd still like to see some lively debate. I know a few of the non-believers have strong opinions. You're welcomed to express them.

[Deborah K]

Genesis

Chapter 5

1 This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day when God created man, He made him in the likeness of God.

2 He created them male and female, and He blessed them and named them Man in the day when they were created.

3 When Adam had lived one hundred and thirty years, he became the father of {a son} in his own likeness, according to his image, and named him Seth.

4 Then the days of Adam after he became the father of Seth were eight hundred years, and he had {other} sons and daughters.

5 So all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years, and he died.

6 Seth lived one hundred and five years, and became the father of Enosh.

7 Then Seth lived eight hundred and seven years after he became the father of Enosh, and he had {other} sons and daughters.

8 So all the days of Seth were nine hundred and twelve years, and he died.

9 Enosh lived ninety years, and became the father of Kenan.

10 Then Enosh lived eight hundred and fifteen years after he became the father of Kenan, and he had {other} sons and daughters.

11 So all the days of Enosh were nine hundred and five years, and he died.

12 Kenan lived seventy years, and became the father of Mahalalel.

13 Then Kenan lived eight hundred and forty years after he became the father of Mahalalel, and he had {other} sons and daughters.

14 So all the days of Kenan were nine hundred and ten years, and he died.

15 Mahalalel lived sixty-five years, and became the father of Jared.

16 Then Mahalalel lived eight hundred and thirty years after he became the father of Jared, and he had {other} sons and daughters.

17 So all the days of Mahalalel were eight hundred and ninety-five years, and he died.

18 Jared lived one hundred and sixty-two years, and became the father of Enoch.

19 Then Jared lived eight hundred years after he became the father of Enoch, and he had {other} sons and daughters.

20 So all the days of Jared were nine hundred and sixty-two years, and he died.

21 Enoch lived sixty-five years, and became the father of Methuselah.

22 Then Enoch walked with God three hundred years after he became the father of Methuselah, and he had {other} sons and daughters.

23 So all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty-five years.

24 Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.

25 Methuselah lived one hundred and eighty-seven years, and became the father of Lamech.

26 Then Methuselah lived seven hundred and eighty-two years after he became the father of Lamech, and he had {other} sons and daughters.

27 So all the days of Methuselah were nine hundred and sixty-nine years, and he died.

28 Lamech lived one hundred and eighty-two years, and became the father of a son.

29 Now he called his name Noah, saying, "This one will give us rest from our work and from the toil of our hands {arising} from the ground which the LORD has cursed."

30 Then Lamech lived five hundred and ninety-five years after he became the father of Noah, and he had {other} sons and daughters.

31 So all the days of Lamech were seven hundred and seventy-seven years, and he died.

32 Noah was five hundred years old, and Noah became the father of Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

Source: http://www.thestudybible.org/book.ph...apter=5&verse=

[Deborah K]

Genesis

Chapter 6

1 Now it came about, when men began to multiply on the face of the land, and daughters were born to them,

2 that the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves, whomever they chose.

3 Then the LORD said, "My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, because he also is flesh; nevertheless his days shall be one hundred and twenty years."

4 The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men, and they bore {children} to them. Those were the mighty men who {were} of old, men of renown.

5 Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

6 The LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart.

7 The LORD said, "I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, from man to animals to creeping things and to birds of the sky; for I am sorry that I have made them."

8 But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD.

9 These are {the records of} the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his time; Noah walked with God.

10 Noah became the father of three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

11 Now the earth was corrupt in the sight of God, and the earth was filled with violence.

12 God looked on the earth, and behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way upon the earth.

13 Then God said to Noah, "The end of all flesh has come before Me; for the earth is filled with violence because of them; and behold, I am about to destroy them with the earth.

14 "Make for yourself an ark of gopher wood; you shall make the ark with rooms, and shall cover it inside and out with pitch.

15 "This is how you shall make it: the length of the ark three hundred cubits, its breadth fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits.

16 "You shall make a window for the ark, and finish it to a cubit from the top; and set the door of the ark in the side of it; you shall make it with lower, second, and third decks.

17 "Behold, I, even I am bringing the flood of water upon the earth, to destroy all flesh in which is the breath of life, from under heaven; everything that is on the earth shall perish.

18 "But I will establish My covenant with you; and you shall enter the ark--you and your sons and your wife, and your sons' wives with you.

19 "And of every living thing of all flesh, you shall bring two of every {kind} into the ark, to keep {them} alive with you; they shall be male and female.

20 "Of the birds after their kind, and of the animals after their kind, of every creeping thing of the ground after its kind, two of every {kind} will come to you to keep {them} alive.

21 "As for you, take for yourself some of all food which is edible, and gather {it} to yourself; and it shall be for food for you and for them."

22 Thus Noah did; according to all that God had commanded him, so he did.

Source: http://www.thestudybible.org/book.ph...apter=6&verse=

[Deborah K]

Matthew

Chapter 5

1 When Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain; and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him.

2 He opened His mouth and {began} to teach them, saying,

3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

4 "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

5 "Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.

6 "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

7 "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

8 "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

9 "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

10 "Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 "Blessed are you when {people} insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.

12 "Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

13 "You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty {again?} It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men.

14 "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden;

15 nor does {anyone} light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.

16 "Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

17 "Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill.

18 "For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished.

19 "Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others {to do} the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches {them,} he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

20 "For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses {that} of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.

21 "You have heard that the ancients were told, 'YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT MURDER' and 'Whoever commits murder shall be liable to the court.'

22 "But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother, 'You good-for-nothing,' shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever says, 'You fool,' shall be guilty {enough to go} into the fiery hell.

23 "Therefore if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you,

24 leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering.

25 "Make friends quickly with your opponent at law while you are with him on the way, so that your opponent may not hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the officer, and you be thrown into prison.

26 "Truly I say to you, you will not come out of there until you have paid up the last cent.

27 "You have heard that it was said, 'YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY';

28 but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

29 "If your right eye makes you stumble, tear it out and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.

30 "If your right hand makes you stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to go into hell.

31 "It was said, 'WHOEVER SENDS HIS WIFE AWAY, LET HIM GIVE HER A CERTIFICATE OF DIVORCE';

32 but I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except for {the} reason of unchastity, makes her commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

33 "Again, you have heard that the ancients were told, 'YOU SHALL NOT MAKE FALSE VOWS, BUT SHALL FULFILL YOUR VOWS TO THE LORD.'

34 "But I say to you, make no oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God,

35 or by the earth, for it is the footstool of His feet, or by Jerusalem, for it is THE CITY OF THE GREAT KING.

36 "Nor shall you make an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black.

37 "But let your statement be, 'Yes, yes' {or} 'No, no'; anything beyond these is of evil.

38 "You have heard that it was said, 'AN EYE FOR AN EYE, AND A TOOTH FOR A TOOTH.'

39 "But I say to you, do not resist an evil person; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.

40 "If anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, let him have your coat also.

41 "Whoever forces you to go one mile, go with him two.

42 "Give to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you.

43 "You have heard that it was said, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR and hate your enemy.'

44 "But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,

45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on {the} evil and {the} good, and sends rain on {the} righteous and {the} unrighteous.

46 "For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?

47 "If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing {than others?} Do not even the Gentiles do the same?

48 "Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Source: http://www.thestudybible.org/book.ph...apter=5&verse=

[Deborah K]

Matthew

Chapter 6


1 "Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.

2 "So when you give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be honored by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full.

3 "But when you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,

4 so that your giving will be in secret; and your Father who sees {what is done} in secret will reward you.

5 "When you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full.

6 "But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees {what is done} in secret will reward you.

7 "And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words.

8 "So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.

9 "Pray, then, in this way: 'Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.

10 'Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven.

11 'Give us this day our daily bread.

12 'And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

13 'And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. [For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.']

14 "For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.

15 "But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.

16 "Whenever you fast, do not put on a gloomy face as the hypocrites {do,} for they neglect their appearance so that they will be noticed by men when they are fasting. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full.

17 "But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face

18 so that your fasting will not be noticed by men, but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees {what is done} in secret will reward you.

19 "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.

20 "But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal;

21 for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

22 "The eye is the lamp of the body; so then if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light.

23 "But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!

24 "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.

25 "For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, {as to} what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, {as to} what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?

26 "Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and {yet} your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?

27 "And who of you by being worried can add a {single} hour to his life?

28 "And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin,

29 yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these.

30 "But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is {alive} today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, {will He} not much more {clothe} you? You of little faith!

31 "Do not worry then, saying, 'What will we eat?' or 'What will we drink?' or 'What will we wear for clothing?'

32 "For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.

33 "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

34 "So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Source: http://www.thestudybible.org/book.ph...apter=6&verse=

[Deborah K]

My take on Genesis Chapters 2 - 6. My take on Matthew Chapters 2 - 6 are forthcoming:

Genesis Chapter 2 is basically a review of what God has created, and it is also where God makes Eve for Adam, so he won't be lonely. In Chapter 3, I see Adam and Eve refusing to accept responsibility for what they have done. Now, even if one views this story as nothing more than a metaphor, I think you can still get something from it because it clearly has a moral : Dudes! You need to man-up and stop letting your women push you around!! Quit being whiney bit_ _es and blaming US for everything. (Just kidding! sort of) What happens here? He blames her, she blames the snake. No one admits fault or asks for forgiveness. They both give in to temptation. Did God set them up to fail on purpose? I don't think so, this story is one of many which lead me to believe in "free will". He gave them the ability to choose to obey him. They were told what the consequences would be, and yet they gave in to their temptations. Temptation is a HUGE issue for humans. Jesus knew this well. He was tempted by Satan, and when he gave us the Lord's Prayer, it says right in it:... Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

Every time I'm tempted to do something I shouldn't do (like eat something I really shouldn't, etc.), or don't do something I should do (like exercise, etc.), I always first try to justify it to myself, I make excuses for why it's okay. And, later I regret it. I'm not sinning per se, but I'm not 'respecting my temple' either. How often do you give in to temptations? And, would you be better off if you didn't? If the Holy Spirit resides in our souls, he probably talks our consciences, you know, that tiny voice that nags at you to do the right thing? Yeah, that's probably him. Imagine how much better our lives would be if we even listened half the time?

In Chapter 4, their children arrive on the scene, Cain and Abel. And, immediately Cain decides to do things his way, instead of God's way. The Lord accepts Abel's offerings, but not Cain's and this makes him angry and full of rage. And God tells him his life will be full of light if he would just obey. He warns him that sin is ready to attack and destroy him, but that he can conquer it - if he would just listen! But, what does he do instead? He kills his brother. Seems the world hasn't learned anything.

In Chapter 5 we have more genealogy, but Chapter 6 is where it really starts to get interesting. The Nephilim arrive on the scene and start mating with human women and creating a hybrid human. It is debatable as to what the Nephilim were. Some translations say 'spiritual beings', some people think it's another word for 'Giant', but I don't think so, based on other Scripture (a topic for the future). So anyway, around the same time, things start to get really bad on earth - lots of criminal behavior going on and God isn't happy at all about it and wants to destroy everything he created because he is sorry for creating them. This brings us to a big question: Can God make mistakes, have regrets, etc.? The Bible says he does, and I give my take on it in a couple of different threads: http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthr...=1#post5674696 Erowe has a response below this one, for those interested in an opposing view on whether God has regrets. Also in Chapter 6 is Noah, and God is pleased with him because Noah obeys him. And God tells Noah he's going to flood the earth and gives Noah the blueprint for the Ark.

[Christian Liberty]

Arnold Murray is a false preacher.
Following are some of the aberrant teachings by Arnold Murray:
Unorthodox False Teachings:

1. Denies the Trinity and teaches that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are really three offices held by the one God.
2. Denies the existence of eternal hell.
3. Denies the doctrine of the Rapture.
4. Denies physical resurrection of believers. We will be raised spiritually.
5. Teaches annihilationism: non-existence after death for sinners.
6. Teaches that certain Old Testament kosher laws regarding meat should be followed.
7. Teaches Serpent Seed doctrine: Eve had literal sexual relations with the serpent.
8. The offspring of Eve's impregnation resulted in Cain, Satan's offspring.
9. The Kenites are the tares of the parable of the wheat and the tares in Matthew 13.
10. Satan's fallen angels impregnated women around the time of Noah.
11. Interracial marriage is wrong.
12. Being born again is to enter into this body from a spiritual body of another age.
13. America and Britain are the lost tribes of Israel.
14. People were alive in a pre-existence.
15. There was an earth age prior to Adam where a race of people lived.
16. The Rapture is a false doctrine.


https://www.raptureready.com/who/Arnold_Murray.html

Not all of those doctrines are heresies. Some are, but some are not.

[Deborah K]

My take on Matthew Chapters 2 - 6.

Chapter Two goes into Christ's birth and talks about Herod massacring all infants under the age of two. There are debates as to whether or not the massacre is accurate history. I found this article on the subject interesting and plausible: http://www.biblearchaeology.org/post...y-Fiction.aspx

Chapter Three has an interesting verse that speaks to the ongoing debate in this forum on whether salvation is to be had through faith only, or through faith and works. It's verse 8: 8 "Therefore bear fruit in keeping with repentance;" Basically, John the Baptist is saying (when put into context): Before being baptized, prove that you have turned from sin by doing worthy deeds.

Chapter Four talks about Jesus's preparation for his ministry and his 40 day retreat and fast in the desert. Again, we learn about temptation. And this is where we understand that temptation is not a sin - even Jesus was tempted, by Satan. We also learn that the nations of the world are Satan's to give.

In Five there are the BE - attitudes: Jesus's sermon on the mount. This is one of the most beautiful chapters to be found in the NT. One verse that really stands out for me is this one:

13 "You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty {again?} It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men.

Jesus is saying to us Christians that we are the world's seasoning, to make it tolerable, and if we lose our flavoring, what will happen to the world?

In Chapter Six, what stands out for me the most is that as Christians, we shouldn't 'pretend' to be pious and tell everyone every nice thing we do for others. I think it's okay to promote a charitable act that you support in an effort to bring more support, but it's not okay to develop a resume of charitable acts as a way to self-promote. As Jesus states - it's all the glory you'll ever get. And it's the same with prayer, and fasting; some people only pray at Church, and they try to come off like they're so pious, but behind closed doors, they're moody and rude, and they're basically hypocrites. I'm sure we all have known someone like that.

This chapter also gives us the Lord's Prayer, and while Jesus tells us not to recite the same prayers over and over, he gives us the Lord's Prayer, and wants us to be mindful of exactly what we ask for in that prayer: to be fed (probably both spiritually and physically); to be forgiven, and to forgive others; not to be led into temptation; to be delivered from evil; and we also declare God to be Holy, and that His will be done here as well as in heaven, and that His kingdom will come to earth.

At the end of this chapter he tells us not to worry about tomorrow but to live one day at a time. That, to me, just reinforces that I need to trust in Him, He will take care of tomorrow.

There's so much more to these Chapters but these are the things that stand out the most for me. I invite any and all input. I'll put up the next few chapters of both testaments soon. Blessings be upon you, the reader, and blessings be upon RPFs.

[Miss Annie]

Genesis

Chapter 3


1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, "Indeed, has God said, 'You shall not eat from any tree of the garden'?"

2 The woman said to the serpent, "From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat;

3 but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, 'You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.'"

4 The serpent said to the woman, "You surely will not die!

5 "For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."

6 When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make {one} wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate.

7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings.

8 They heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden.

9 Then the LORD God called to the man, and said to him, "Where are you?"

10 He said, "I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself."

11 And He said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?"

12 The man said, "The woman whom You gave {to be} with me, she gave me from the tree, and I ate."

13 Then the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this you have done? And the woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate.""

14 The LORD God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this, Cursed are you more than all cattle, And more than every beast of the field; On your belly you will go, And dust you will eat All the days of your life;

15 And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel."

16 To the woman He said, "I will greatly multiply Your pain in childbirth, In pain you will bring forth children; Yet your desire will be for your husband, And he will rule over you."

17 Then to Adam He said, "Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree about which I commanded you, saying, 'You shall not eat from it'; Cursed is the ground because of you; In toil you will eat of it All the days of your life.

18 "Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you; And you will eat the plants of the field;

19 By the sweat of your face You will eat bread, Till you return to the ground, Because from it you were taken; For you are dust, And to dust you shall return."

20 Now the man called his wife's name Eve, because she was the mother of all {the} living.

21 The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife, and clothed them.

22 Then the LORD God said, "Behold, the man has become like one of Us, knowing good and evil; and now, he might stretch out his hand, and take also from the tree of life, and eat, and live forever--"

23 therefore the LORD God sent him out from the garden of Eden, to cultivate the ground from which he was taken.

24 So He drove the man out; and at the east of the garden of Eden He stationed the cherubim and the flaming sword which turned every direction to guard the way to the tree of life.

Source: http://www.thestudybible.org/book.ph...apter=2&verse=

It was Satan, in the first part of the chapter that taught us to "question things". It did not come as a gift from God. Satan, at the beginning statement questioned God's word.
His first action was to cast doubt on the Word of God.
The tree was called "the knowledge of good and evil". I believe this is where the shame of nakedness came into play. Shame came from the knowledge of evil, and not from God.

[Miss Annie]

Genesis

Chapter 3


1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, "Indeed, has God said, 'You shall not eat from any tree of the garden'?"

2 The woman said to the serpent, "From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat;

3 but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, 'You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.'"

4 The serpent said to the woman, "You surely will not die!

5 "For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."

6 When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make {one} wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate.

7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings.

8 They heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden.

9 Then the LORD God called to the man, and said to him, "Where are you?"

10 He said, "I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself."

11 And He said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?"

12 The man said, "The woman whom You gave {to be} with me, she gave me from the tree, and I ate."

13 Then the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this you have done? And the woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate.""

14 The LORD God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this, Cursed are you more than all cattle, And more than every beast of the field; On your belly you will go, And dust you will eat All the days of your life;

15 And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel."

16 To the woman He said, "I will greatly multiply Your pain in childbirth, In pain you will bring forth children; Yet your desire will be for your husband, And he will rule over you."

17 Then to Adam He said, "Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree about which I commanded you, saying, 'You shall not eat from it'; Cursed is the ground because of you; In toil you will eat of it All the days of your life.

18 "Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you; And you will eat the plants of the field;

19 By the sweat of your face You will eat bread, Till you return to the ground, Because from it you were taken; For you are dust, And to dust you shall return."

20 Now the man called his wife's name Eve, because she was the mother of all {the} living.

21 The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife, and clothed them.

22 Then the LORD God said, "Behold, the man has become like one of Us, knowing good and evil; and now, he might stretch out his hand, and take also from the tree of life, and eat, and live forever--"

23 therefore the LORD God sent him out from the garden of Eden, to cultivate the ground from which he was taken.

24 So He drove the man out; and at the east of the garden of Eden He stationed the cherubim and the flaming sword which turned every direction to guard the way to the tree of life.

Source: http://www.thestudybible.org/book.ph...apter=2&verse=

The bolded part, I see as the first piece of prophecy in the Bible. I believe that Satan has a great hatred for women and that this will be demonstrated through the Anti Christ as shown in this verse from Daniel :
Da 11:37 Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desires of women, nor care for any God: for he shall magnifie himselfe aboue all

[jmdrake]

It's interesting that Satan tried to have Moses killed as a baby and Jesus killed. Same attempt. Same failure.

My take on Matthew Chapters 2 - 6.

Chapter Two goes into Christ's birth and talks about Herod massacring all infants under the age of two. There are debates as to whether or not the massacre is accurate history. I found this article on the subject interesting and plausible: http://www.biblearchaeology.org/post...y-Fiction.aspx

Chapter Three has an interesting verse that speaks to the ongoing debate in this forum on whether salvation is to be had through faith only, or through faith and works. It's verse 8: 8 "Therefore bear fruit in keeping with repentance;" Basically, John the Baptist is saying (when put into context): Before being baptized, prove that you have turned from sin by doing worthy deeds.

Chapter Four talks about Jesus's preparation for his ministry and his 40 day retreat and fast in the desert. Again, we learn about temptation. And this is where we understand that temptation is not a sin - even Jesus was tempted, by Satan. We also learn that the nations of the world are Satan's to give.

In Five there are the BE - attitudes: Jesus's sermon on the mount. This is one of the most beautiful chapters to be found in the NT. One verse that really stands out for me is this one:



Jesus is saying to us Christians that we are the world's seasoning, to make it tolerable, and if we lose our flavoring, what will happen to the world?

In Chapter Six, what stands out for me the most is that as Christians, we shouldn't 'pretend' to be pious and tell everyone every nice thing we do for others. I think it's okay to promote a charitable act that you support in an effort to bring more support, but it's not okay to develop a resume of charitable acts as a way to self-promote. As Jesus states - it's all the glory you'll ever get. And it's the same with prayer, and fasting; some people only pray at Church, and they try to come off like they're so pious, but behind closed doors, they're moody and rude, and they're basically hypocrites. I'm sure we all have known someone like that.

This chapter also gives us the Lord's Prayer, and while Jesus tells us not to recite the same prayers over and over, he gives us the Lord's Prayer, and wants us to be mindful of exactly what we ask for in that prayer: to be fed (probably both spiritually and physically); to be forgiven, and to forgive others; not to be led into temptation; to be delivered from evil; and we also declare God to be Holy, and that His will be done here as well as in heaven, and that His kingdom will come to earth.

At the end of this chapter he tells us not to worry about tomorrow but to live one day at a time. That, to me, just reinforces that I need to trust in Him, He will take care of tomorrow.

There's so much more to these Chapters but these are the things that stand out the most for me. I invite any and all input. I'll put up the next few chapters of both testaments soon. Blessings be upon you, the reader, and blessings be upon RPFs.

[Terry1]

What's interesting in this thread is that I'm seeing a lot of typology or *types and shadows*. I think it's important for many of us to understand how the OT and the NT relate to one another. Why I want to touch on this particular subject is because I've been seeing a lot of misunderstanding and false teaching due to the fact that people are only reading the NT and not understanding that in order to understand the NT--they first must study and understand what the OT is saying. Otherwise, we have this confusion about which "law" the NT Apostles are referring to with regard to "works and those we should and should not do.

"Typology stresses the connection between actual persons, events, places, and institutions of the Old Testament, and their corresponding reality in the New Testament which they foreshadowed. Moses the Lawgiver foreshadows Christ, the ultimate Lawgiver. Aaron, the High priest, foreshadows Christ, the ultimate High Priest. Manna, which fed the people in the wilderness foreshadows the Christ the Heavenly Bread (the Eucharist), which provides ultimate spiritual nourishment. The Burning Bush foreshadows the Theotokos.

"Allegory, on the other hand, finds hidden or symbolic meaning in the Old Testament, which is inherent in text and does not depend on a future historical fulfillment-- for example, I Corinthians 9:8-10 sees the law forbidding the muzzling of an ox while it treads the corn as having the hidden meaning that a minister of the Gospel should be supported by the people he ministers to. The Song of Solomon is also often interpreted as an allegory of God (the Lover), and His love for His people (the beloved). The allegorical approach also often sees multiple correspondences in a given narrative which illustrate some point. For example, St. Paul explicitly uses allegory in Galatians 4, in which he sees the child of the slave woman (Hagar) as representing those under the Law, while the child of the free woman (Sarah) as representing those under the New Covenant, and the casting out of Hagar and Ishmael as representing the inferiority of the Old Covenant to the New (Galatians 4:21-31)." Source http://orthodoxwiki.org/Typology

These type and shadows are absolutely necessary for understanding what is being spoken of in the NT. This is a major problem I see in many churches today who are practicing dispensationalism and teaching a false Gospel.

[Terry1]

Starting with typology--what would you describe as the most prevalent type and shadow between the OT and the NT?