As I continue in this class I realize again and again that there is a lot of info in the New Testament that I only knew superficially. I could likely tell you the basic stories and I have retained a few insights from Sunday School lessons and Sacrament talks, but still my knowledge is definitely limited. One time that I realized this was when I was reading the Bible Dictionary entry for “Dead Sea Scrolls.” I have heard these scrolls mentioned many times before, but I never really realized how important they are in archeologically supporting the records present in the Bible. Although I know I should base my testimony of The Bible on my personal experiences and feelings, it is reassuring when there is scientific evidence in support of it too.
One question that I am still wondering about when reading Chapter 2 in “The Life and Teachings of Jesus & His Apostles” came up when I read “Under the direction of his Father, Jesus Christ created this earth. No doubt others helped him, but it was Jesus Chris, our Redeemer, who, under the direction of his Father, came down and organized matter and made this planet…” (pg. 16). Who are these others that helped him? I thought Christ alone was the creator. Did he just create everything physically, but others helped him figure out how everything would work together? If so, I thought he wouldn’t really need any help because he is of the highest intelligence greater than any other. In John 1:3 it says “All things were made by him” so that seems like he did it without help from others.
One verse that really stood out to me and made me think was John 1:17. “For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.” I think this is really neat because before Christ there were rules, but it wasn’t until after Christ came that the reasons behind those rules and things that evolved from those rules became evident. He brought all of the meaning to following the Gospel. He was a perfect example to us and provides everything for us via the atonement.
Another verse I liked was John 17:5 because it talks about Christ wanting to return to be with the Father and be part of the God Head once more.
Something that I had never learned about before was the meaning of Jehovah. I found it really interesting that the name Jehovah or I Am was not spoken of because the ancient Jews thought it might incur divine wrath. The Jews were angry with him because they were offended by his language, but he was actually the great I Am, so they really shouldn't have been offended.
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