FOREST KEEPER: For your purposes that is an irrational oversimplification of the intent of the verse. Do you really reduce the entirety of the OT to "do unto others..."?
Not only is it an oversimplification, but owing to the weak translation, the meaning of the verse has been diluted. In the KJV, the verse reads...
"Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets." -- Matthew 7:12
Nothing about saying this is the whole of the law and the prophets.
But those who would deconstruct Christianity down into a Dale Carnegie paperback would have us think the NT just means being nice to each other.
It's a lot more; just as the OT was a lot more.
And further, the very next three sentences Christ uttered were quite specific and cautionary...
Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves." -- Matthew 7:13-15"Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
So what is the straight and narrow gate that leads to life?
Is it upright living and good works? Is that what earns us our salvation?
No, upright living and good works are the fruits of our regeneration by the Holy Spirit. We are not saved by our own works of righteousness, but by Christ's righteousness alone, given as a "free gift" from God to His family.
And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification. For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.) Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous." -- Romans 5:15-19"But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.
Christ came and appeared to all men and nothing has been the same since. But Christ did not come merely to tell us how to behave ourselves; He came to give us the ability to behave ourselves by the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit.
Christ didn't come to help us display our own righteousness; He came to make us righteous by infusing us with His righteousness.
Christ didn't come to show us how to redress our sins; He came to acquit us of our sins by paying for every one of those sins Himself, one-time on the cross, then graciously rising from the dead to prove it all true.
That is the law and the prophets.
All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all... Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors." -- Isaiah 53:3-6;10-12"But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
Amen to your whole post Dr. E.! Well done. :) The powerful God is able to fully atone for those who cannot atone for themselves. The weak God simply punts the ball back to the people to earn their salvations comparatively on their own. The powerful God assumes a weak and flawed people. The weak God assumes a very powerful people who have it within themselves to ultimately attain their own salvations. To God alone be the glory for our weakness!