Well, it's no secret that the bible was written by real people, and even more specifically to real people. So God inspired letters, and historical documents, and all sorts of things that we now call “the Bible”. But people still wrote it… and last time I checked, we're not perfect yet.Paul finds it important enough to specifically mention in 1 Cor 7 that it is “I, not the Lord” who is about to speak.
So what I’m getting at is that I’m not being convinced here of the establishments perspective of the bible being a mystical book that popped into existence from no one but God's will. But I’m not entirely sure I need to be…
God's word has so much more depth than the words in which are chosen to be displayed in print on a page. It’s poetry that carries the heart of the living God in and through it. Sure sometimes a little bit of clarity can be found by understand what word for Love was being used, or how many times it’s mentioned in the new testament… but I’m way more concerned with how God feels about what I’m reading. I’m far more concerned with what the Holy Spirit is going to tell to me while I’m reading, because just like it says in 1 Cor 7 : 11 – 14, only the Spirit of God knows God’s heart.
But we can get in on it.
9 comments:
What do you need convincing of? That God is speaking through the bible? That it is perfect through God? Alright, people aren't perfect, agreed. But I'm going to use some analogy I've heard before. If you put your hand into a glove, it does whatever your hand does. Doesn't matter how perfect or not perfect the glove is. The message is still there, right? I don't know if that helps at all...(by the way, You should check out my blogsite thinger...)
Hey man, I'm not needing convincing that the word is His word at all! I have just been frustrated lately with people trying to take the bible in a literal and extreme sense. And I LOVE that illustration tho! It's so true that it accomplishes exactly what it was meant to, but we need to realize that it's the message that God is sending to us that is important, and not the legistics of how it's written.
And I'll totally check out yer blog yo!
I'm likin what's been said. The bible's been so sweet to lately, I love Elisha. He's my new favorite person. I definately hate it when people take the bible as rules and stuff though, where everything becomes so legalistic. I just like what God has to say
I have to say - that picture you put on there really speaks to me as well. Powerful. Where did you come across it?
well, i just sorta stumbled across it to be honest. and you should learn to comment on the right posts richard! hehehe.
ha ha, quigs. At least you gave us something new to read on your blog ;)
Your post was ponder-provoking Graham, thanks :)
I have one word for you and any potential readers of your blog: hermaneutics! It's a fancy word that refers to learning how to study the bible. That is People need to read the bible asking questions like: What Genre of writing is this? Who was it being written to? Why is it being written?
And a little common sence should also be used ie. you don't just open up a book and take one line out of it and read into it... Context is important.
I really the analogy that was given about the glove and I also appreciate your concern with people who read into the bible what they want it to say ... That is the cause of so many false doctrines that are taught in the church today.
2 Timothy 3:16 says that the Word is God breathed...
It's amazing really the same Spirit who inspired specific individuals to write the Word, Is the same spirit who knows the heart of God and is the same spirit who dwells within us, we are truly blessed.
Since the Holy Spirit was in the process of revealing the Word and is in the Word should we not make the word our measuring stick?
God does not and cannot contradict himself. Be sensitive to the spirit but make sure that it's in line with the word... the Holy spirit does not reveal stuff in contradiction to the word.
Hey kim, i agree on some things there, and I agree that the word should be used as a measuring stick... but in lots of stuff, it doesn't cut it in such a concrete manner. It doesn't mention specifics on things that demand our attention nowadays. This is what has got me thinking even more lately.
Maybe there is more than is in the bible? At first that sounded blasphemous, but in a sense, the bible explains how life really is. It explains things I've already seen in my life, and helps me to understand. Now I personally don't think that God is limited to the bible, and has many different ways of communicating with us. maybe even confirming those things through the bible in some contexts, but the bible is just another way of communication with us. I'm not saying that he contradicts what's in the word (because he would never do that), but sometimes i think he has more to say to us today than is always found obvious to us in the word.
Now that's where things get tricky tho... and also where my knowledge starts to become grey.
Graham, You are right. Clearly there are many things that are good that we learn apart from scripture: I say what I say merely as a caution to those who claim to have 'new' doctrines or new teaching. God is so vast and incredible and our understanding of scripture definitly does not do him justice. In fact the reason we have been given the gift of the Holy Spirit and the use of Spiritual gifts .... which definitly reveal more about God. I believe we can learn daily about him, his character in observing nature,and other areas as well ... As it says in Romans 1 - not one has a valid excuse for not aknowleging God because he has revealed himself in and through creation since the begining of time.... I think we just need to be careful of our wording.
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