Richard Aberdeen
Member
- Joined
- Jun 4, 2026
- Messages
- 81
Few people living in the 21st Century seem to be aware that one of the most well-known and famous passages in all of human literature is rather poorly translated. Hopefully, better translation from the same Greek is as follows:
"For God so loved the people that he gave the only begotten son, that whoever believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his son into the world so that he might judge the people but, that the people through him might be saved" John 3:16-17. Virtually all if not all scholars agree that the intent of what is poorly translated as "world" is in reference to humanity.
Note how much more people-centric this translation is than the rather vague and impersonal "world" invariably found in modern bibles. Note in particular that in correct translation, Jesus is very clear that God did not send him into the world to condemn any of us, either straight or gay or dark or light of skin or rich or poor or short or tall of stature or strong or weak or educated or illiterate or young or old or fat or ugly or undocumented or conservative or liberal or wealthy or poor or anything else.
Rather than to condemn us, Jesus came to save us from what causes greed, fear, avarice, slavery, inequality of wealth, war, global mass pollution and all manner of anti-human rights behavior and, what keeps every man, woman and child on earth from being as loving, caring and free as we would like to be. As God's messengers sang, "peace on earth, goodwill toward the people" Luke 2:14.
Like Jesus says quoting Isaiah: "The spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to heal the broken in heart, to proclaim deliverance to the prisoners and recovery of sight to the blind, to send forth the oppressed in release, to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord" (corrected to the Greek) Luke 4:18-19.
The New Testament teachings of Jesus are highly people-centric, focused in particular on the sinners and average people and on the downtrodden, outcast, sick, poor, immigrant and least among us. It is grossly misleading for anyone to insinuate otherwise or to present him in any other fashion. Jesus far more accurately belongs in categories of "ethics" and "human behavior" rather than "religion", although truly, he belongs in virtually every category ever invented.
Suffice it to say, it is very unwise to depend on other people to tell us what the New Testament says and means, rather than reading it for ourselves. You will likely find that in reading it many times, the New Testament becomes more clear and easy to understand.
Even if you don't believe in Jesus or are atheistic, it is wise to read the New Testament. After a while, one begins to learn how badly educators, many Christian leaders and others with a preconceived ax to grind, bend, twist and distort what Jesus and the New Testament actually say and, how much of what today are known as "Human and Civil Rights" is already well-established in the words and deeds of Jesus.
In Search of the Real Jesus
www.FreedomTracks.com/revolution.html
"For God so loved the people that he gave the only begotten son, that whoever believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his son into the world so that he might judge the people but, that the people through him might be saved" John 3:16-17. Virtually all if not all scholars agree that the intent of what is poorly translated as "world" is in reference to humanity.
Note how much more people-centric this translation is than the rather vague and impersonal "world" invariably found in modern bibles. Note in particular that in correct translation, Jesus is very clear that God did not send him into the world to condemn any of us, either straight or gay or dark or light of skin or rich or poor or short or tall of stature or strong or weak or educated or illiterate or young or old or fat or ugly or undocumented or conservative or liberal or wealthy or poor or anything else.
Rather than to condemn us, Jesus came to save us from what causes greed, fear, avarice, slavery, inequality of wealth, war, global mass pollution and all manner of anti-human rights behavior and, what keeps every man, woman and child on earth from being as loving, caring and free as we would like to be. As God's messengers sang, "peace on earth, goodwill toward the people" Luke 2:14.
Like Jesus says quoting Isaiah: "The spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to heal the broken in heart, to proclaim deliverance to the prisoners and recovery of sight to the blind, to send forth the oppressed in release, to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord" (corrected to the Greek) Luke 4:18-19.
The New Testament teachings of Jesus are highly people-centric, focused in particular on the sinners and average people and on the downtrodden, outcast, sick, poor, immigrant and least among us. It is grossly misleading for anyone to insinuate otherwise or to present him in any other fashion. Jesus far more accurately belongs in categories of "ethics" and "human behavior" rather than "religion", although truly, he belongs in virtually every category ever invented.
Suffice it to say, it is very unwise to depend on other people to tell us what the New Testament says and means, rather than reading it for ourselves. You will likely find that in reading it many times, the New Testament becomes more clear and easy to understand.
Even if you don't believe in Jesus or are atheistic, it is wise to read the New Testament. After a while, one begins to learn how badly educators, many Christian leaders and others with a preconceived ax to grind, bend, twist and distort what Jesus and the New Testament actually say and, how much of what today are known as "Human and Civil Rights" is already well-established in the words and deeds of Jesus.
In Search of the Real Jesus
www.FreedomTracks.com/revolution.html
