in 1st Corinthians, Paul is all across the board on whether it’s okay for a Christian to eat food offered to Pagan god

[Multicolored Lemur]

Bible Gateway passage: 2 Thessalonians 3 - New Living Translation

Paul’s Request for Prayer - Finally, dear brothers and sisters, we ask you to pray for us. Pray that the Lord’s message will spread rapidly and be honored wherever it goes, just as when it came to you. Pray, too, that we will be rescued from wicked and evil people, for not everyone is a...

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2nd Thessalonians, chapter 3 —

6 And now, dear brothers and sisters, we give you this command in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ: Stay away from all believers [or, “from every brother”] who live idle lives and don’t follow the tradition they received [or, “you received”] from us. 7 For you know that you ought to imitate us. We were not idle when we were with you. 8 We never accepted food from anyone without paying for it. We worked hard day and night so we would not be a burden to any of you. 9 We certainly had the right to ask you to feed us, but we wanted to give you an example to follow. 10 Even while we were with you, we gave you this command: “Those unwilling to work will not get to eat.”

11 Yet we hear that some of you are living idle lives, refusing to work and meddling in other people’s business.

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Verse 8 is too much.

I’ve read that farm work is extremely tedious and repetitive. So, pitching in as a visitor is different than doing it week after week after week.

And really, if someone offers you food, you normally should graciously accept it.

And that last verse, I guess there’s a fine line between witnessing to others and “meddling.”

 

[Scooter]

And unlike 1st Thessalonians, 2nd Thessalonians is considered one of the doubtful letters of Paul. And that’s fine. Another early Christian wrote it, and it was misidentified as Paul.

For me personally, I still think all of the Bible written by human beings.

Nope, Paul wrote it. However, God is the Author.

 

[Multicolored Lemur]

Bible Gateway passage: 1 Corinthians 10 - Revised Standard Version

Warnings from Israel’s History - I want you to know, brethren, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and all ate the same supernatural food and all drank the same supernatural drink. For they drank...

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@Scooter , can you suggest verses similar to 1 Corinthians 10:27 - 29a. This says, If someone offers you food, accept and eat it graciously without worrying about whether it was offered to a Pagan deity. But if someone there raises an issue of conscience, then respect them and their concern and don’t eat the food.

I like the fact that this approach is both idealistic and realistic. Coming across skills like this would seem to be the whole reason for reading a holy book, or at least one of the major reasons.

Okay, and to praise the New Testament, the entire theme of forgiveness and repentance is a rich concept with a lot of specific skills worked into it. And we humans might have a harder time forgiving than God does [if present]. But the Bible doesn’t give specific info on protecting yourself from a hurtful person. Or, I don’t know of a place in which it does, and this is a key set of skills to have.

 

[Scooter]

@Scooter , can you suggest verses similar to 1 Corinthians 10:27 - 29a. This says, If someone offers you food, accept and eat it graciously without worrying about whether it was offered to a Pagan deity. But if someone there raises an issue of conscience, then respect them and their concern and don’t eat the food.

The closest that came to mind is 1 Cor.9:19-22 For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more. And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law. To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law. To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. And this I do for the gospel's sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you.

But the Bible doesn’t give specific info on protecting yourself from a hurtful person. At least I don’t know of a place in which it does, and this is an important set of skills to have.

We are commanded to forgive people who offend/hurt us an unlimited amount of times. However, I distance myself from those who continue to harm me. The only verse that I can think of to support this is 2 Cor.6:14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?

If the offender is a believer who continues to hurt me, then church discipline comes into play.

 

[Multicolored Lemur]

The closest that came to mind is 1 Cor.9:19-22

Thank you.

Yes, I like this verse, too.

 

[AgnosticBoy]

12 Those who are trying to force you to be circumcised want to look good to others. They don’t want to be persecuted for teaching that the cross of Christ alone can save. 13 And even those who advocate circumcision don’t keep the whole law themselves. They only want you to be circumcised so they can boast about it and claim you as their disciples.

and the Bible is written by people, no more, no less

I don't even believe the Bible says that God wrote anything. It's all written by men, but I'm agnostic as to whether the written information originated from God via divine revelation.

You gave a lot of information to digest and I'm full after reading it.

I do see the Apostle Paul contradicting himself at times, however, I also see that he seems to be offering some personal insight at times. He often says he has the right to do such and such, and even that God would be okay with it, but he chooses not to act on that right. I think this is one reason why Paul would've probably never wanted all of his letters, or all of the details in them, to be elevated to Scripture.

One thing i do admire about Paul and Jesus is that they were keen on psychology and politics. That's why I included Galatians 6:12 passage in my post here. Both Jesus and Paul knew that human behavior wasn't always straightforward and that there were some times ulterior motives, manipulation, etc. I wish people were keen on this when getting into politics. I feel nowadays that if you're not keen on psychology, political behaviors, and even logical/critical thinking, that you will be easily duped, misled, and manipulated by politicians.

 

[Scooter]

I don't even believe the Bible says that God wrote anything. It's all written by men, but I'm agnostic as to whether the written information originated from God via divine revelation.

While God did not personally take pen and paper in hand to write the Bible, He told the writers what to write:
2 Timothy 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
2 Peter 1:21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

 

[Multicolored Lemur]

He often says he has the right to do such and such, and even that God would be okay with it, but he chooses not to act on that right. I think this is one reason why Paul would've probably never wanted all of his letters, or all of the details in them, to be elevated to Scripture.

Yes, isn’t this interesting!

 

[Multicolored Lemur]

2 Timothy 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

Paul tries to be a humble person and a servant-leader to the beginning church.

My guess is that he was talking about Old Testament scripture, the classic scripture, etc, etc.

And not the very letter he was writing to younger Timothy, that would be the most circular thing in the world!

 

[Scooter]

Paul tries to be a humble person and a servant-leader to the beginning church.

My guess is that he was talking about Old Testament scripture, the classic scripture, etc, etc.

And not the very letter he was writing to younger Timothy, that would be the most circular thing in the world

Peter recognized Paul’s writing as scripture: 2 Pet.3: 15-16 And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.