“...I’m sure that’s what the original author intended.”
Author? Singular?
The Bible is a collection of writings done by multiple people in multiple languages over multiple centuries.
Despite that diversity of authors, languages, and time, those writings all say pretty much the same thing: Obey God.
That consistent message from all those diverse writings is the strongest proof that God inspired all of them.
I’ll tell you what I told armydoc. Believe what you want to believe. I don’t care.
That’s the beauty of having the truth. The truth really does set one free. I’m not enslaved by all those false ideas about having to get people saved and similar nonsense.
God simply tells us to spread the truth. That’s the limit of our responsibility. He doesn’t hold us responsible for what other people do or don’t do with it.
At one time I would have debated you on the imitating vs obeying argument. Since then I have realized that is not my job. My job is to convey, not to convince.
What you believe is up to you. It’s your spiritual tail at risk, not mine.
“Work out your own salvation...” [Phl 2:12]