I feel that Christians have a "magic" decoder ring to understand their bible, do you agree?

Question

This is not a question to be antagonistic, but quite serious. In an effort to keep this short, tell me why these two texts say one thing QUITE PLAINLY, but when I speak with Christians, they have (to me) a strange coded answer that to them makes since, but seems to me that its a cover-up.
The texts?: Matthew 10:22-23 and Matthew 16:27-28.
For those like me who don't have bibles, I suggest www.biblegateway.com and the King James version.
A request for the Christian's, please be logical, not emotional.

For some that have answered, they seemed to have missed the idea: I'm looking for a logical answer, not an emotional answer or an answer that says, "faith." Faith, via a dictionary means, "unquestioning belief... complete trust or confidence; loyalty."
When someone writes that something is to happen at a certain time, "I will come before you tell everyone in Israel..." and "some of you will not see death before I return..." these we NOT prophesies for some thousands of years, but very soon for those that saw your saviour face to face. This is where you have a decoder ring and the rest of us non-Christians have problems with your beliefs.

Answer 1

No

Answer 2

There is no magic decoder ring. Read the damn bible, and you'll see that a good bit of it is open to personal interpretation. Case in point, some people claim that it is 100% historically accurate. Others claim that its just stories to teach people how to be good, moral people. Still others claim that its a 50/50 split, only the new testament counts, the old testament is crap (except for the 10 commandments) etc.

Answer 3

A "magic decoder ring"? No. Eyes to see, and ears to hear.
And what about those verses? What exactly are you wanting to know about them? I always suggest that people start reading from the beginning of the chapter or book to follow the object and topic of the verses they read. When you watch a movie, do you start watching it from the middle, or from the beginning? If you started watching movies from the middle part, then you'd have no clue what was going on. And in likewise manner, don't read the Bible from "random" chapters and random verses because you won't understand what's being said, unless you start from the beginning.

Answer 4

Okay- well, if we're going to be logical- let's leave religion out of this completely, and take this as any other literary text. As a long term "student" of literature, then I'd offer that with any book, (especially those which come to us in translation) there is a lot of "decoding" which occurs. There are historical, language, and cultural references for example, which must be deciphered and turned to our own use and understanding. For example, in "The Death of Ivan Ilyich" there is one word in Russian that, in translation, has shown up as: Mind, in another as: soul, and in still another as : heart. There are problems in literature as translation, is my point, and in any literature, decoding is necessary.

Answer 5

OK 10;22-23 JESUS IS TELLING THE DISCIPLES AND US PEOPLE WILL HATE US FOR TAKING THE GOSPEL INTO THE WORLD JUST AS THE HATER ARE HATING CHRISTIANS ON THIS SITE AND BEFORE WE CAN GO THROUGH THIS JESUS MUST BE IN US WHICH HE IS 16:27 28 IS TALKING ABOUT JUDGMENT DAY AND HOW SOME OF US WHILE NOT DIE BUT WALK INTO THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN NOT ALL OF US BUT SOME US

Answer 6

Matthew 10:22-23

22All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. 23When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another. I tell you the truth, you will not finish going through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes.

Translation: Christians will be persecuted because of their beliefs (made fun of, tortured, beaten, killed), but God's followers will be saved in the end (eternal life in Heaven). Christians' enemies will never kill them all before Jesus returns to this earth.

Matthew 16:27-28

27For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father's glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done. 28I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom."

Translation: Jesus will be returning to the earth surrounded by angels from Heaven, and he will bring true Christians with him to Heaven, and will punish those who lived immoral lives (reward each person according to how he/she lived). This is the truth, Jesus will return while there are still humans living on this earth.

Answer 7

I disagree I have read the verses in question what is it you don't understand? I do not use the King James Version as it was authorized by a protestant King. I use the NIV Catholic or The New American Bible Catholic Version.

Answer 8

We do. Its called faith. Understanding comes with belief.

Matthew 10:

22And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.

23But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come.

Speaking to the Apostles, they will be hated, and he will return before they have reached all of Isreal. Prophecy.

Matthew 16

27For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.

28Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom.

This is often believe to be either Resurrection Prophecy, or end times Prophecy. As for the judging part, we will ALL be judged, and in context to other verses, our deeds will reflect our faith.

Answer 9

In Matthew 10:22-23, Jesus is talking to His disciples. As disciples, we are to teach the message of Jesus Christ. As disciples today and in this particular passage, Jesus lets us know that in our teaching, there will be people who will hate us because of what we teach. Think about today's times, as a follower of Christ and being a teacher, I cannot go and teach my class about Jesus Christ because there are people who hate the mentioning of Jesus Christ. However, Christ lets us know that those of us who stick it out and continue to teach Christ, despite those who try to stop us with threats of all sorts, will be saved. Jesus also lets us know in verse 23 that we will be bashed because of the word, but don't stop. Instead, go on somewhere else and teach. When Jesus tells His disciples that they would not have gone throughout Israel before the Son of Man comes, Christ is saying that in that time, and in the world today, there are always going to be places in the world, where people have not heard the message of Jesus Christ and it will be that way when the Son of Man comes back. The Son of Man is Christ Himself.
In your reference to the 16 chapter of Matthew you must study the previous verses. Jesus explains to His disciples tha when Christ comes back, He will reward those who continued to teach the gospel at all costs with eternal life in Glory. IN the 28th verse, Jesus simply states to His disciples that when He returns, not everyone will be dead...Ordinary people like you and I will still be alive. As for your decoder or whatever, I don't know what to say. But I can say that before you read the Bible, you should pray and ask God to reveal to you what He would have you to see concerning His Word. It is okay to not understand everything that you read because John 12:40 says that Isaiah said that God has blinded eyes and hardened hearts when it comes to understanding the riches of God's word. It is my Faith that keeps me from refuting anything that the Bible says because God wanted in the BIble all that the Bible contains....
Please know that some Christians, like myself, dont know all there is to know about the Bible and because they are blind concerning the Word, the may confuse some people....But it is important to study so people won't fool ya!!!

Answer 10

the text means what it says! Now depending on who you ask one christian might have the holy spirit and the next says hes a christian and goes to church all the time but never really got born again and received his holy spirit! thus you will get different answers

Answer 11

It is but a simple verse. It's meaning is so easy to understand, you don't have to get a magic decoder to figure it out.