Why Do LDS Dismiss the Greater Part of the New Testament?

[_LittleNipper]

Each spotlight the event from different aspects. Both are correct with regard to the aspect focused on in the message studied.

Thanks for this reply.
What are the different aspects that are focessed on in each?

Differences should not be seen as contradictions. The reality is that this ALL happened and God gives us the picture from various accounts that view different pieces of the entire event.
Garden of Gethsemene
Mark's Gospel is an account of exactly what happened to Jesus in the last day of his life. He divided the last twenty four hours up into eight periods of exactly three hours each. To mark off the three hours of time that Jesus spent praying in the Garden of Gethsemene, Jesus goes three time to pray, returning to find the disciples asleep, each time asking could they not stay awake one hour. In Luke's Gospel, this careful ordering is absent, and the disciples are simply left to sleep.

Luke's account takes place on the Mount of Olives, the location of the Garden of Gethsemene. An angel appears to Jesus as he prays, strengthening his resolve. Jesus' sweat is like great drops of blood as it falls to the ground.

The arrest
Only in Luke does Jesus admonish Judas for betraying him with a kiss.

Only in Luke does Jesus heal the servant's severed ear. Only Mark has the elusive young man run naked from the scene.

The trials
In Mark, others warm themselves by a fire, when Peter denies Jesus three times. In Luke, Jesus is present and looks at Peter as he denies him.

Only in Luke does Pilate attempt to give responsibility for the trial of Jesus to Herod.

The crucifixion
In Mark, the crucifixion takes place at Golgotha (place of the skull). In Luke it is called Calvary... In Mark, Jesus is offerred a drink containing wine and the valuable healing resin, myrrh, just before he is placed on the cross. Luke has the soldiers mock him on the cross and offer him a drink of vinegar.

In Mark, Jesus calls out to God, asking why he had been forsaken. In Luke, Jesus ends his ordeal by saying, "Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit."

In Mark, when a centurion sees Jesus dead, he says, "Truly this man was the Son of God." In Luke a centurion says this truly was a righteous man.

[_gdemetz]

If the Mormons knocking on the doors were peddling the Bible, as long as that Bible wasn't the Papa Joe's Evangelical Version and they weren't brainwashed by those false non Biblical doctrines, then it would be easy for them to convert!

[_Drifting]

[quote="LittleNipper"]Each spotlight the event from different aspects. Both are correct with regard to the aspect focused on in the message studied.

[b]Differences should not be seen as contradictions. The reality is that this ALL happened and God gives us the picture from various accounts that view different pieces of the entire event.
[/b][/quote]

Is the reality that this all happened?

I thought the reality was that the author of Mark said that was what happened and the authors of Mathew and Luke embellished the contents of Mark.

Unless there are other evidences of Christs birth, life and death, with which I am not familiar...

(apologies that the quote feature appears to have stopped working)

[_jo1952]

To All:

I would like to offer some further insight on 1 Peter 3:7:

1 Peter 3:7 (KJV) (this is Jesus speaking)

Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.

The Greek translations of the words in this verse can (and I think should) be taken both literally and spiritually. Therefore, if a husband and wife have the knowledge (“dwell with them according to knowledge”) of being heirs together both on the earth in their physical life, as well as being heirs together spiritually after physical death, then their prayers in the physical life will not be hindered (frustrated). Indeed, with this knowledge, both husband and wife can jointly find joy in this physical life. Yet the ultimate joy is not realized in our physical life. Our faith and our hope lie in what is in store for us after we leave this physical life.

Let’s look at some other passages which support this interpretation:

Matthew 10:39 (KJV) (Jesus is speaking)

He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.

So, to Albion who is taking only a physical view of the word “life” in the verse from 1 Peter, I believe you need to consider the above as well, as it is clear that Jesus is speaking about our spiritual life. Indeed:

John 11:25 (KJV) (again, it is Jesus speaking)

Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:

In fact, whenever Jesus or the Apostles speak of “life”, or "live", or "living" or "alive", etc., it seems He/they are speaking about our spiritual life both in the flesh; and more importantly, our spiritual life after physical death.

1 Corinthians 15:22 (KJV) (Paul is speaking)

For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

Blessings,

jo

[_Albion]

In this context is is a physical world...it is the physical world of married life. The word life is used in various contexts within the New Testament but this chapter is specifically about the blessedness of Christ's people and the divinely created ordinance of marriage and a full and happy married state falls under God's gracious gift. Specifically, the grace of life is the loveliness and the partaking of the divine which God adds to his servants' life. Christians because of their relationship with Christ have a deeper insight into the grace and dignity of life, and an eternal hope in their marriage. I think you are making connections that are not there and not intended.

[_Franktalk]

I think you are making connections that are not there and not intended.

This response begs the question: Just how spiritual are you? I have found most of scripture has a spiritual context. In fact layered. A layer that applies to the actual situation and the people in historical context. Then a layer which applies to us as an individual at any point in history. Then a spiritual layer which can be many things. There may be an illusion to powers behind the events. There may be application to the Kingdom of God. There may be application between God and man in general. There may be a type of the physical characters representing future events with different people. Then there may be a layer of understanding that applies to groups or nations. And of course there is always the possibility that the events are a pattern that will repeat over and over throughout all history. Then there is the possibility that the events or statements apply as prophecy.

So with your bracketed response I have to ask you just how spiritual are you?

I ask this because:

1Co 2:14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

For me the Bible is many tens of thousands of pages long in meaning and messages. I do hope it is the same for you.

[_LittleNipper]

Each spotlight the event from different aspects. Both are correct with regard to the aspect focused on in the message studied.

Differences should not be seen as contradictions. The reality is that this ALL happened and God gives us the picture from various accounts that view different pieces of the entire event.

Is the reality that this all happened?

I thought the reality was that the author of Mark said that was what happened and the authors of Mathew and Luke embellished the contents of Mark.

Unless there are other evidences of Christs birth, life and death, with which I am not familiar...

(apologies that the quote feature appears to have stopped working)

I believe that each book of the Bible is unique and from God for some specific purpose. I do not feel that anyone copied MARK but wrote as led directly by the Holy Spirit. Each contain eyewitnessed accounts. God wants us to study. He does not lay everything out on a silver platter --- cut and dry. The Bible is a living book. Non-believers try to come up with logical rationalizations for what they cannot understand.

[_Franktalk]

I believe that each book of the Bible is unique and from God for some specific purpose. I do not feel that anyone copied MARK but wrote as led directly by the Holy Spirit. Each contain eyewitnessed accounts. God wants us to study. He does not lay everything out on a silver platter --- cut and dry. The Bible is a living book. Non-believers try to come up with logical rationalizations for what they cannot understand.

Very well stated. The only thing that I would add is that there are many messages woven in scripture.

[_jo1952]

In this context is is a physical world...it is the physical world of married life. The word life is used in various contexts within the New Testament but this chapter is specifically about the blessedness of Christ's people and the divinely created ordinance of marriage and a full and happy married state falls under God's gracious gift. Specifically, the grace of life is the loveliness and the partaking of the divine which God adds to his servants' life. Christians because of their relationship with Christ have a deeper insight into the grace and dignity of life, and an eternal hope in their marriage. I think you are making connections that are not there and not intended.

Albion,

I have come to find that there are not only patterns and types in the Bible; there are also layers and layers of understanding to be had in its teachings. At first blush, your interpretation is the one most will see. In reality, though, even very committed spouses, who are actively engaged in their belief system, are not immune to trials. It is the trials which we learn from. There are still divorces because the trials can become too much for even the very devoted to both God and to each other. Ideally, trials will bring about more love and devotion for God and for each other. Even though (using your words) "a full and happy married state falls under God's gracious gift", not all of the members of the body of Christ are able to realize this gift. Sadly, of course, the same can be said of God's most wonderful gift of all to mankind.

I believe the Bible contains messages which interconnect with each other like the pieces of a puzzle. As such, I think it is reasonable to try to find the spiritual message in all passages. I think there is a reason that the versions of the Greek words used in Peter's message do have both a temporal and spiritual meaning. However, I only point to them to help support my comments in my posts. It has been my experience that the more Truth the Holy Ghost reveals to me, the easier it becomes to discern the myriad of spiritual layers contained in scripture.

Blessings,

jo

[_gdemetz]

That's true Jo. However, some of the things we have tried to teach them are not that complicated, and such that a person should be able to comprehend, with the exception of the very brainwashed and spiritually blind. This is sound doctrine:

1- We will all eventually have resurrected bodies, both male and female.

2- The testify that "neither is the man without the woman or the woman without the man in the Lord."

3- The scriptures also state that some were given the PRIESTHOOD authority of the sealing power to bind WHATSOEVER they bound on earth in heaven.

4- The scriptures also state specifically that the husbands and wives become "HEIRS TOGETHER of the grace of life."

In my honest opinion, only the grossly spiritually blind can not endure the very sound doctrine here!!!