05-24-2012, 10:12 PM
On the subject of right and wrong, I'd like to throw this into the mix. In my current bible study, I have come to the conclusion that this passage might be the most misunderstood concept in the NT.
Matthew 16:19
"And I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. Whatever you forbid on earth will be forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven."
This is interpreted as Jesus literally giving Peter the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven, and the authority to decide what is right and wrong. But I read it a completely different way. To me it's like Jesus is saying, "I'll give you the key concept to understanding the Kingdom of Heaven", like "The Key to the puzzle is.."
If you were to entertain this as truth, right and wrong is decided by each individual deep within their own heart of hearts. It exists only within our own consciousness, according to our own biases. It's innate and it's intuition. We know when we're doing wrong because it goes against our intuition. We feel remorse for actions. We feel stressed, uneasy. We know when we're doing right because we feel light, easy and.. Well, right!
Matthew 16:19
"And I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. Whatever you forbid on earth will be forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven."
This is interpreted as Jesus literally giving Peter the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven, and the authority to decide what is right and wrong. But I read it a completely different way. To me it's like Jesus is saying, "I'll give you the key concept to understanding the Kingdom of Heaven", like "The Key to the puzzle is.."
If you were to entertain this as truth, right and wrong is decided by each individual deep within their own heart of hearts. It exists only within our own consciousness, according to our own biases. It's innate and it's intuition. We know when we're doing wrong because it goes against our intuition. We feel remorse for actions. We feel stressed, uneasy. We know when we're doing right because we feel light, easy and.. Well, right!