Image made with AnimeGenius

Elements repeated throughout the Bible

• Many of the stories in the Bible are part of a repeated cycle: someone warns of God’s wrath, everyone continues to break the covenant and no one is sorry, God takes vengeance and punishes the people, after years people start to repent and are sorry, God shows mercy.
• To a certain extent, the Bible follows weather patterns, primarily waterfall and drought. The more severe the weather conditions, the more God is trying to punish the people for their poor behaviour. They can sometimes go years with indecent behaviour and without punishment, however, eventually the weather always changes.
• An example of one of the songs from “Psalms” is “The Lord is my strength and my shield,” a very suggestive title which leaves little to the imagination or room for interpretation. On the whole, the stories and events are open to interpretation in the Bible, but many things, such as laws and instructions, are extremely literal throughout. (Psalm 28).

Concepts

• The Bible speaks highly of rest which signifies peace, ease or refreshment. The Sabbath is a day of rest, and it is so important, it is a weekly requirement.
• The idea of ‘joy’ in God’s eyes: dancing, singing, vegetation, flocks and herds, giving praise, gladness (Jeremiah 31).
• In some final instructions, it states: “Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.” (Corinthians 16:13). Meaning that what it meant to be a ‘man’ needed no more explanation than what it meant to be ‘strong’. The Bible indicated what men should and shouldn’t do, and how they should behave, and much like the faith being explained clearly, by the end, it is considered a self-explanatory term.
• Religion is something based on word of mouth, passing from one person to another. There are supposed to be events and miracles to prove its affirmations are real, however, not many see them directly. Which means even these happenings must be taught by word of mouth, much as the Bible says to “teach these things.” (1 Timothy 4:11)

Character traits

• “Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise; when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent.” (Proverbs 17:28)
• Investment: “Precious treasure and oil are in a wise man’s dwelling, but a foolish man devours it.” (Proverbs 21:20)
• “Let another praise you, and not your own mouth.” (Proverbs 27:2)
• “Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.” (Proverbs 27:17)

Punishment and Forgiveness

• Punishment (hunger, poverty etc.) is supposed to be a sign of someone who has sinned. This also makes it easier to look down on those who have less.
• Here is a list of some reasons people follow the rules: because of God’s promised judgement; the miracles witnessed by the prophets and Jesus; the idea that this world is for a short time only, and heaven is eternal; fear of hell, and remember it is not impossible to fall from grace, so even when you reach the gates of heaven, you still need to stay ‘good’.
• Plagues, curses, and ongoing punishments do exist, but God is forgiving, and he also bestows blessings and forgiveness.
• The Bible states that discipline is a sign of love (Proverbs 13:24).
• God’s punishment for women after Eve ate from the tree was severe pain in childbearing, and a woman’s husband shall rule over her (Genesis 3:16).
• Punishment for men after Adam ate from the tree was to only eat what the sweat of his brow had provided (Genesis 3:19).
• Your own death can be a punishment, but the death of a loved one can often be more so, as you are left in life with the pain of loss.

Contradictions

• Christianism preaches how people should always remain calm, but then is always promoting God’s wrath.
• God told Adam and Eve: “You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die” (Genesis 3:3). The serpent said to Eve: “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil” (Genesis 3:4-5). To a certain extent, the serpent did not lie when tempting Eve, their eyes were opened and they did became aware of their nakedness. Also, on another note, God did not specify in what way Adam and Eve would die, He did not say if it would be a physical or spiritual death, or a metaphorical or literal one, which for example, could be of innocence or childhood. He also did not give a time frame, if it would be instant or eventual, as supposedly death was a consequence of eating from the tree, and previously they would have been immortal. Which leads to the possibility that the death was metaphorical, as the instant change we see is that Adam and Eve became “aware” and they immediately felt embarrassed by their nakedness, and later fear upon seeing God. Their deaths eventually became literal as they do not live today.

Bad behaviour

• If you show “bad” behaviour it means you have been captured by the devil to do his work (2 Timothy 2:26).
• You are led astray by giving in to your passions (2 Timothy 3:6).
• The New Testament clearly states that Judaism is not the way, and those who devote themselves to Jewish myth, should be rebuked sharply (Titus 1:13-14).
• “Whoever winks his eye plans dishonest things.” (Proverbs 16:30)
• Do not rejoice in other people’s misery, even if they are an enemy (Proverbs 24:17).
• If you go after worthlessness, you will become worthless (Jeremiah 2:5).

A Good follower

• Whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God (John 3:21).
• The god of Christianity is the one pure and true god, through Him you will reach truth. You must believe to be pure. Your mind and your conscience are defiled simply by not believing (Titus 1:15).
• You can’t have salvation without putting in the work. Faith and belief alone will not save you (James 2:17).
• “My imprisonment is for Christ” (Philippians 1:13): Some people gave their whole life to God, they followed the specific laws of the covenant; most people would have had no freedom, other than the choice to follow or not follow; the stages and routines of life were almost entirely mapped out, even limited to who they could marry; those who could choose their line of work, were then limited to not making too much money, as you were not supposed to desire earthly possessions.

Christianity’s intentions and beliefs

• Christianism tried to build a profitable, united society, where people showed support for one another, and tried to help thy neighbour. It was trying to prepare people for “good works” which were based on what was profitable for people.
• A builder of something has more value than the thing that was built (Hebrews 3:3).
• The Bible speaks to everyone: those who are rich; those who are poor or lacking; to the sick; men, women, children, slaves, authority; figure heads of the church.
• The Bible encourages you to live an honest life where your actions don’t make you feel ashamed, it teaches you to stay away from arguments, stick with your kind and build a community (2 Timothy 2:14-15). If trouble makers come to their senses, God will forgive them.
• In “Psalms” there is a wide variety of songs to cover an array of human emotions, not only do they give followers something to sing and a way to express themselves, but they also provide an accepted way to rejoice and have festivities. Singing them encompasses both a release of emotion and praise of the Lord, which provides people with a pastime they are more likely to partake in.
• The Bible is never finished, it has an open end, so believers are always waiting for Judgement Day to come.

Our place in the world

• The Bible reminds us that we are not in control of anything, and to be careful when making tomorrow’s plans as “you do not know what tomorrow will bring” for it will take place if the Lord wills it, and such failure to recognise so, leads to the evil of arrogance (James 4:14).
• The Bible also reminds us of how fleeting our existence is, asking: “What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.” (James 4:14)

The creation of men and women

• God blessed both the males and females he created and told them to “have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” (Genesis 1:28)
• “The Lord God formed the man [Adam] of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.” (Genesis 2:7)
• “The Lord God planted a garden in Eden, […] and there he put the man whom he had formed [He] put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.” (Genesis 2:8 and 15)
• From God’s concern that “it is not good that the man should be alone and […] there was not found a helper fit for him […] the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs [and] made it into a woman.” (Genesis 2:18-22)
• Out of the ground the Lord God had formed every beast of the field and every bird of the heavens and brought them to the man to see what he would call them. And whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name.” This also includes when he first saw God’s female creation, and he named her “woman” (Genesis 2:19).

Husband and Wives

• Rejoice in the wife of your youth, be intoxicated always in her love (Proverbs 5:18-19).
• “It is better to live in a desert land than with a quarrelsome and fretful woman.” (Proverbs 21:19)

The Lord God

• “The eyes of the Lord are in every place.” (Proverbs 15:3)
• “The Lord weighs the spirit.” (Proverbs 16:2)
• “The Lord has made everything for its purpose.” (Proverbs 16:4)
• He is called “the Lord your God,” making him belong to the people.
• God can do and un-do at will.
• God worries for both nations and people on an individual level.
• God looked at his creation and defined everything that he made as “good” not perfect (Genesis 1:31).
• People can have bad intentions, but all that matter are God’s. He can turn ill into fortune (Genesis 50:20).

Jesus

• Since Jesus was born, people have been killed because of him. Herod the Great was famously known for searching for baby Jesus to destroy him, and in the process he sent for “all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years or under” to be killed (Matthew 2:16).
• Christ was not always being promoted in a good light or from sincerity, but he was certainly being proclaimed a lot: “some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. […] Whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed.” (Philippians 1:15 and 18)
• Jesus’ speech was quite aggressive in the Bible, he says he didn’t come to bring peace but division, pinning fathers against sons, and mothers against daughters (Luke 12:51-53) in the name of dividing believers and non-believers. Whereas God’s tendency was to unite people, sending His son to save everyone (John 3:17) and instructing Paul to encourage the church to be united (1 Corinthians 1:10).
• Jesus Christ gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works (Titus 2:14).

Kings

• What makes a king, is his people: “In a multitude of people is the glory of a king, but without people a prince is ruined.” (Proverbs 14:28)
• “It is an abomination to kings to do evil, for the throne is established by righteousness.” (Proverbs 16:12)
• “It is the glory of God to conceal things, but the glory of kings is to search things out.” (Proverbs 25:2)

Gray Hair

• “Grey hair is a crown of glory; it is gained in a righteous life.” (Proverbs 16:31)
• “The glory of young men is their strength, but the splendor of old men is their gray hair.” (Proverbs 20:29)

Inheritance

• The Lord said to Moses “you shall speak to the people of Israel, saying, ‘If a man dies and has no son, then you shall transfer his inheritance to his daughter. And if he has no daughter, then you shall give his inheritance to his brothers. And if he has no brothers, then you shall give his inheritance to his father’s brothers. And if his father has no brothers, then you shall give his inheritance to the nearest kinsman of his clan.’” (Numbers 27:8-11)

Alcohol

• “Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler, and whoever is led astray by it is not wise.” (Proverbs 20:1)
• “Do not look at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup […] your eyes will see strange things, and your heart utter perverse things.” (Proverbs 23:31 and 33)
• “It is not for kings to drink wine, or for rulers to take strong drink, lest they drink and forget what has been decreed and pervert the rights of all the afflicted. Give strong drink to the one who is perishing, and wine to those in bitter distress; let them drink and forget their poverty and remember their misery no more.” (Proverbs 31:4-7)

The Bible. ESV, Good News Publishers, 2007.