Reality full of grace; stop being a butt,

Inannawhimsey

Love God

justice and compassion.

Shalom

Mate

Authority

the idea that this book is claimed to be the one and only true word of the one and only living God, reeks of pure control, especially since lots of other "holy scriptures" of different religions make the same claim.

Love God, love neighbour as self = Agape

I am not sure it is possible since there is a plethora of messages dealing with a plethora of issues.  But here is my try:

God loves all creation, GOd wants loving justice.

I don't think could do it an eight word sentence, it's such a vast book, but I could summarize the Bible, Old and New Testament in seven sentences:

 1. Man (including wo-man) are created the image of God and stand At-One with God.

 2. Man separates from the Oneness to order to experience separation, good and evil.

 3. Man suffers in His experience as a separated being.

 4. Man begins His long journey back towards At-Onement with God.

 5. Christ becomes One with God upon the Cross of Renunciation.

 6. Man sees hope in the Path of Christ, the road to Enlightenment and Atone-ment.

 7. Man is restored to His Original Glory, a Son of God Who is At-One with God

Be nice to people.

Crazyheart,

I agree with your interpretation.

Freundly-Giant,

I like your "new" avatar - you look happier!

Love, with a bunch of other lessons included.

Pilgrim, thanks.   I like it too. And your avatar, don't get me started on how great it is!

The story of our developing understanding of "the Holy" and our relationship with "the Holy".

There's probably more messages then can be counted.

Yes, and some of them contradict others.

HAHA! Hey, guess what killer rabbit? I just got your avatar/name. I'm slow, I know, but it made me laugh.

JESUS loves you and died for your sins.

Message of the Bible in eight words or so? That's hard!

Love one another and God.

Hi Freundly-Giant,

Hmmmmmmmmmmmm.

You are so full of your self, grow up.

Though I'm sure that should be said in a fairly light tone.

Grace and peace to you.

John

RevJohn said "You are so full of your self, grow up". That's a nine word sentence. But I'm afraid others reading this are likely to take it in the wrong way - that it is addressed personally to Fr-Giant, rather than to humanity as a whole, which is, more or less, self-obsessed, not to mention just plain selfish much of the time.  But a theme (one of many in the bible) that I keep coming back to lately is this:

We are all connected - through God and through love.

OK - that's nine words too, but I tried.  You'll  notice that the UC's "New Creed" takes much the same approach right from the first line:  "We are not alone".  And that implies a world of possibility as well as a world of responsibility.

Hi spiritbear,

Nitpicker.

It is most certainly addressed to humanity as a whole and not simply Freundly-Giant in particular.

Not so easy is it.  The hand is on the other foot now eh?

Grace and peace to you.

John

Bishop said "the idea that this book is claimed to be the one and only true word of the one and only living God, reeks of pure control, especially since lots of other "holy scriptures" of different religions make the same claim"

That's not a claim that's made in the United Church. It's also not a claim that scripture makes.   Although some would make that claim about scripture.  (I am reminded of that very inclusive image that "in my Father's house there are many mansions" - lots of room for different ways to God. But that doesn't detract from the importance of what Jesus has to say).

RevJohn said "Nitpicker."  Hey - I haven't picked nits since headlice was going around my son't school.

RevJohn said "The hand is on the other foot now eh?"  Yes, I'll have to hand that to you. Otherwise, I wouldn't have a leg to stand on, would I?  But as I hope you will both agree, it shouldn't lessen the importance of the message we each have put forward.

It may not be the claim made by the Church, but is the claim made by most individuals within the church. I think the bible's great and we just need to stop picking out all the itsy bitsy things and look at the messages as wholes.

FG said "look at the messages as wholes."  Point well taken. Ironic, isn't it that one of the messages of the bible is to look at the world as a whole, yet so many can't even look at the bible as a whole.

Greetings!

LOVE - Give love to and receive love from God and from others.

Hope, peace, joy, love . . .

God created, loves, redeems, and *will* redeem, everything.

The problem with that approach, FG, is that it was not written as a whole or even intended to be compiled as a whole.  Each book contained within was written for a specific purpose to a specific people.  The messages may intersect but it is dangerous to assume one message...cms

CMJS said "The problem with that approach, FG, is that it was not written as a whole or even intended to be compiled as a whole.  Each book contained within was written for a specific purpose to a specific people.  The messages may intersect but it is dangerous to assume one message...cms"

But the problem with seeing the Bible only as separate books, even though they were written separately, is the failure to see the "big picture".  The author(s)  of each book often has a different way of seeing or conceiving of God. How are we to arrive at our own viewpoint?  By picking just one? I would prefer a synthesis of the views of the past, present experience, and a sensitivity to the future. What you are recommending is that we take the bible "as is", and read nothing else into it. Using this understanding, the metaphors used can only have the meanings the authors had in mind. What is the difference between this and a literal reading of the bible? 

Now take the book of Ezra - as xenophobic and exclusionary a book as one is likely to encounter. Do we accept the prophet Ezra's exhortations to cast out those of mixed race as impure? Or do we put this beside the book of Ruth, who is not ethnically Hebrew and not one of Ezra's "pure", yet is the (great?) grandmother to one of Israel's "greatest" kings and asks to be included ("your God shall be my God").  Ezra then represents not so much a path to be followed as one to be avoided, for if Ezra's advice has been followed, David would never have been born. It is only by seeing these books as a whole than we can find the greater wisdom that they represent - including us being able to identify mistaken paths.  The bible is a history of a people of faith - including their missteps. And that in turn is a reminder that, no matter how "enlightened" our thinking, we too can simply be wrong, no matter how good our intentions.  So that's another "big picture" message of the bible - be humble. But isn't that what RevJohn has implied?

There is nowhere God is not - love God.

Respectfully, Spiritbear, I disagree.  I have no problem with looking at a big picture within certain frameworks - example time or genre.  However to pretend that there is a bigger picture that can be sought out when looking at Genesis and Revelation is simply too general for my liking.  There is an example above that states that Jesus' redemptive actions are the big message.  Do you think that that is what Ruth had to say? 

I prefer to look at each book as a source of wisdom and attempt to glean what the author is trying to say to us...cms

CJMS - then respectfully, I believe that you are being too narrow.  So to put a different spin on one of your comments "There is an example above that states that Jesus' redemptive actions are the big message.  Do you think that that is what Ruth had to say?".  Whether or not it was the intention of the author (ie, "what Ruth had to say"), it can certainly be what Ruth has to say to us. There's a difference.

Ok - I don't see it that way but other may certainly do so...I'll bow out...cms

I guess I care more about Christ's message than the message of the bible. Especially like the old testament. Who here has really read all of Psalm? C'mon.

I like psalms! There's no way I could read it all in one sitting, or even ten or twenty sittings, but it's one of my favorite books to pop open and just read a chapter or two.

I'm curious about who reads all those verses about "someone, the son of someone else, who was the son of somebody old, who's father was somebody who's name is barely significant..." So on and so forth for five pages.

Greetings!

Kinst - I like Psalms too - I've read entirely at least once, if not more . . . and I'm sure there are many here who have read it entirely more than that.

I find comfort and humanity in the psalms.

FG - At our Bible Study we have been studying the book of Genesis and in this book there are several genealogies listed throughout.  We always read the scripture out loud in our study and most often I am the one elected to read the names.  Some find them hard to read, I just pretend I know how to pronounce and keep reading without a pause - after all, who would question me??  If anyone did, they'd have to read them next time

Hope, peace, joy, love ...

Beloved - I find that amusing. I love the kids in highschool who struggle with reading think they can do the same with common words.

Hello everyone God bless you...

The Bible Is...

Gods Love

Gods Peace

Gods Wisdom

Gods Direction

Gods Councel

Gods Grace

Gods Healing

amen and amen...

IJL:bg

Amen and  amen

And might I add, as Hillel did for the Torah - all the rest is commentary.

unity through love

Peace

Attrus

I haven't recently but two or three times when I was younger I went through the devotionals where you read the Bible in a year. It comes to about two chapters in the old Testament and one in the New Testament every day and usually a verse or two with a short "lesson" as well. I plan to do that again, perhaps I'll plan ahead for next year and have it ready next Jan 1st. I made some effert this year to find a good devotional but only half hearted. Anyway parts of the old Testament are dry but I guess if you only do two chapters at a time it's more readable.

Also I want to say my favorite scripture is Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 for it's sheer beauty (you'll know it if you know that song by The Turtles) and John 3:16-17. Most people know verse 16 but I've always thought 17 really brought it home. "For GOD did not send HIS son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world throught HIM might be saved". I love that. It's not about condemnation, it's about salvation. That just blows me away to think about it.

The Bible is Gods' revelation to mankind of, who God is.

You would also like Romans 8:1 then.

Romans 8:1-2 (NKJV) 
    There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. [2] For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.

Romans 8:1-2 (Msg) 
    With the arrival of Jesus, the Messiah, that fateful dilemma is resolved. Those who enter into Christ's being-here-for-us no longer have to live under a continuous, low-lying black cloud. [2] A new power is in operation. The Spirit of life in Christ, like a strong wind, has magnificently cleared the air, freeing you from a fated lifetime of brutal tyranny at the hands of sin and death.

Be Blessed,

IB

Believe in Jesus, and you will be saved.

Jae,

HOw do you account for the fact that over half the Bible is also the Scripture for a people who do not belieive Jesus was the Messiah?  ISTM that only the Christian Scripture gives that message.  ANd this is the problem I have had trying to refine my answer upthread.  Is there really one overarching message in the bible? 

The Old Testament was given to lead the Jews to accept Jesus as their Messiah. I believe that as a whole the Bible consistently points to the need to accept salvation in Jesus. In any event, this conversation is somewhat beyond the scope of the thread. Giant asked an interesting question and I was merely giving my response.

Collection of writings selected by man for man.

That's the message of the bible? I think, rather, your comment on the bible.

Here's my try:

Seek wisdom, apply it, and truly live.

Death is scary; but don't worry, if you swallow this blue pill, you can wish it all away. There, now don't you feel better? While you do that, obey all those in positions of authority, and burn anyone who thinks knowledge is a good thing.

I think that about sums up the parts that are meant to provide instruction. Of course, that excludes the long-winded boring parts that put you to sleep, which is about 75% of it. Could be worse though; could be the Koran, where the boring 75% is mostly exhortation to kill non-believers.

The Bible doesn't have a coherent message.

But under all the crap you can sometimes find - "God loves us all!"

I do like that. Thanks.

Hi Golden Rule, 

Don't forget the rest of the quote . 

Hillel also said, "Now go study the commentary".