Why do Christians have a hard time explaining why early Christian believed a certain way that is no longer....

Question

the way things are believed?Why is everything about my mis-interpretations and not about why early Christians felt justified in their interpretation?Can no one answer my other question?Is the old ways of the Christian faith something that no one wants to face because they know that when they do they will have to face some discrepancies?

That other question that just about every answer accused me of mis-interpreting when I was not the one who made thinking the world was round blasphemy during the 1300 and 1400 hundreds and before in the Christian faith, is below:
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AleWfYVch51VxFvtBqORj8jsy6IX?qid=20061027034051AALoKfx

Answer 1

I think it can be summed up to being human . We are going to make mistakes. I am not sure if I am even answering your question, but I will continue. This is not religion bashing, but look at the catholic church. They put the pope right below GOD. If the pope Say's anything, it's gospel. But haven't there been some EVIL popes throughout history ? Didn't they massacre many a people ? So who is to say what the pope says is right or wrong. Who can say what to listen to and what wasn't relayed from GOD ?

Answer 2

First, there is no question here only implications that you feel that any answer to your question is biased on how you want an answer to it. But to answer your "supposed" "question" Christianity is not a "reiligion" per se, it is based on a relational condition with the Jesus Christ as the Only Begotten Son of God, and with the Father who sent Him, to bring in everlasting salvation to the Jew first then the Gentile, this was authroized and empowered by the agency of the Holy Spirit who shows that the message that was heard and passed on was authentic and true record of Christ. In the centuries that have passed, the Holy Spirit is still working in the Church, those who are regenerate by the Spirit, and those who walk accordingly with the Spirit of God. The Church is a living body - not a dead system! It is living organism not a set of rules of do this and don't do this. Therefore it does grow and change in degree. It has offspring - children in each age that are born again just like the first century Christians were and have the same faith that sent them into the world - the problem is where you might have - is why so many? - good question - there are differing opinions and differing analogies to why and every one I mean literally everyone that has a half mind will tell you it is this or that. (I included) Yet in the end - God the Father of all mankind truly knows those who are His, those who are faithful and true to the message and faithful and true to Christ's likeness. The bottom line is which group are you - of the faithful and true or the ones that are not - we call these the sheep and the goats - My sheep hear my voice and I call them by name!

Answer 3

Because you are misinterpreting.
Who knows how early Christians thought or perceived as their belief.
I cannot interpret your beliefs and you cannot interpret mine.
It is not a matter of facing discrepancies.
There are issues or now they are called "urban myths" that happen all the time. People still do not believe man stepped on the moon because there is no evidence.
You cannot expect anyone today to explain how or why someone was thinking or interpreting scripture centuries ago.
Also a lot of your question comes from assumption which in itself is discrepancy.

Answer 4

We DON'T have a hard time explaining these things. You just don't like the answers.

The answer I gave you is the same answer I would have given a theologian from the 1200's, using the same scriptures to "prove" to me that the earth is "flat". "Your argument is flawed, your original belief is wrong, the scriptures you mention are taken out of context and explained incorrectly."

WHY did earlier Christians believe that "the earth is flat"? For the same reason that earlier non-Christians believed the same thing: based on their own observations and incorrect teachings given by "those in the know". Did the Bible EVER explicitly say "the earth is flat"? NO!

Challenging an ancient scientific error does not pose a challenge to religious thought. Ancient pagans thought the same thing. However, their lack of scientific knowledge did not negate their religious beliefs. Those are separate issues. I don't refute a Druid's religious beliefs by pointing out that his ancestors had some embarrassing scientific theories. If I wish to refute his religion, I address the issue of gods and goddesses directly.

Try that.

Answer 5

Isaiah 40:22
"He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth,
and its people are like grasshoppers.
He stretches out the heavens like a canopy,
and spreads them out like a tent to live in. "

Where does this say the earth is flat?

Matthew 4:8
"Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. "

Where does this say the earth is flat? This talks about the kingdoms of the earth, it does not say "showed him all the landmass of the world".

You and I read the same words and get two totally different meanings. If the Bible said "the world is flat" then I'd admit there was a discrepency. But it doesn't, and so is it not your interpretation that makes the Bible have a discrepency?

Answer 6

Christian history is replete with heresies that the church had to answer and deal with. For instance the man Marcion decided that the OldTestament was not part of the Christian canon, and he even deleted the parts in the New Testament that cited or quoted the Old Testament. Remember that the OT was all the Bible Jesus and the Apostiles had! When Marcion did this, the church had to decide what really was ""the Bible." When they did this, the overwhelming consensus of the church fathers was that Marcion was wrong, and they defined which books would be in the Bible.
Similar processes happened again and again with different heresies as the church decided what it meant to be Christian, and what ideas were unacceptable.
The beliefs of the New Testament church are the standard, as found in the NT. Your ideas about them are less important than your position of faith before God, for example:
Romans 10:8-13
But what does it say? "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart"—that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, [9] that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; [10] for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. [11] For the Scripture says, "Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed." [12] For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; [13] for "Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved."

Have you done that? Have you called on God to forgive your sin, trusting Him to do so?

Remember that Jesus said
From that time Jesus began to preach and say, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."
Matthew 4:17

Answer 7

I am Jewish so I probably don't have the right to answer but for those who might find a non Christian reply worthwhile here goes, In my life I have had the honor of meeting many Christian people and of many religious talks with them. If you want to really look for a needle in a haystack you can find it and that is what you are trying to do. No Christian rthat I ever met had had a hard time explaining anything, Sure religions change because TIME CHANGES> To each his own don't try to start a heaTED DEBATE THINK WHAT YOU WANT AND AS FOR ME i RESPECT EVERYONE WHO IS JUST

Answer 8

why we no longer believe one fact agaist another fact is a simple logical process ,if we accept a fact as binding then we find out the fact was not as portrayed we have a duty to maintain the truth not live a lie, isnt it strange that the father of evolutionist charles darwin was a deeply religeous man until the day he died. he believed that man will evolve due to gods creation not in spite of it but because of it. LF

Answer 9

I'm not quite sure what you are refering too......but maybe this will help

Before Christ, we were considered to be under the old Mosaic Laws. When Christ came, He died for us and from that time we are considered to be under the laws as described in the New Testament. We do still following portions of the Old Testamanet but mostly out of tradition.

Answer 10

I checked that link. May I respond as such: many Christians today deny the fact that there is a Satan and his demons. The Bible, the living Word of God Himself, says that, "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge". So all the answers are there in His Word, but its the PEOPLE who fail to read and heed it.

Its a human failing.

What are your other questions - I may be able to answer them :-)