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Ink
INteresting points...I can still provide contentions. On your last sentence, I do believe I agree.
posted by
BrWiSk
on December 19, 2003 at 2:36 PM
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Br
In one sense, I actually agree with you also. I believe that the Bible is packed with meaning and that each verse, each passage, etc. can have multiple--but here's the key point--non conflicting meanings. That is the beauty of God's word. It's timeless because God uses it to speak to us in so many ways. However, when it comes to matters of primary doctrine, such as Jesus being God, the trinity, salvation by grace, the ten commandments, etc., there is so much teaching throughout the Bible on these subjects, that it doesn't leave room for disputing their interpretation. These are truths that either are or aren't. And because I believe the Bible is not just the inspired Word of God, but the inerrant Word of God, I believe these truths to be true, and I reject Scripture twisting that condones immorality under the cultural relevance clause. Head coverings for women were a cultural practice--sex inside marriage wasn't cultural, but God's original design...gotta run and have lunch with hubbie...feel free to email me or continue this on my IXOYE blog...not sure freerain will keep the comments here...
posted by
Inkling
on December 19, 2003 at 2:33 PM
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Doesn't that kind of throw a...
...a rock into the gears of this whole argument about the Bible being God's verbatim, inerrant Word?
I actually agree with you. It has been so long since the Bible was written that we need good teachers to help us. My church's pastor is one of these people.
But here is the point: It is impossible, by your very stated reason, for any one and only interpretation of the Bible to be the true, correct one. And, therefore, how can any of us purport to be endeavoring to follow GOd's Word as God intended it? As meaning, communicated, travels from its originator to its intended recipient, the more people in between, the higher a chance that message has of being miscommunicated, either inadvertently or -- I hope not -- on purpose.
I don't even have to broach the ideas I've metioned to you earlier for respecting the Word of GOd but not worshipping the Bible above what THE LIVING GOD tells us. The Holy Spirit moves us, tells us things. We access it through prayer. Therefore, we can be confident it is God's will, no matter what it tells us. God is involved with all His children ALL THE TIME, not just through what His/Jesus' disciples -- albeit, fervently believing ones -- were divinely inspired
but not divinely enabled to transcribe of what He spoke 2000 years ago.
posted by
BrWiSk
on December 19, 2003 at 2:12 PM
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Br
I believe the Bible's teachings that we are to assemble with other believers (fellowship) and study God's word with the help of those who have the gift of teaching (generally speaking, this means pastors who have gone to seminary or equivalent study--though that wasn't the case in the New Testament church, it's different now because we are so many centuries away from the original context in which the Bible was written and we don't speak the original language). That's one part. The second part is that when we read the Bible on our own, if we have asked Jesus into our lives, his Holy Spirit gives us understanding. We also know God in the larger context of our lives from a relationship with him, so that goes into our interpretation of the Word. I realize that there are people who don't know God and discover him through reading the Bible, but there are also those with a hostile attitude toward Christianity who read the Bible with false assumptions coloring their interpretation.
posted by
Inkling
on December 19, 2003 at 1:56 PM
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Inkling
First off, I don't necessarily agree with this guy, but please humor me:
Are you saying that the Bible can only be grasped by those with scholarly understanding? If so, how the heck do you or the scholars expect everyone to receive God's Word? I am confused; please edify.
posted by
BrWiSk
on December 19, 2003 at 1:40 PM
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And yes, Jesus was either a liar, a lunatic, or Lord
C.S. Lewis proves that in Mere Christianity
posted by
Inkling
on December 19, 2003 at 12:09 PM
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This is what happens when people read the Bible without any understanding
either scholarly or God-given. What a perversion.
posted by
Inkling
on December 19, 2003 at 12:07 PM
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