Comments on: Authority Issues, continued http://aldenswan.com/2006/07/authority-issues-continued/ free speech, critical thinking, and really good coffee Wed, 16 May 2012 01:35:55 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: aldenswan.com » Blog Archive » Two views of Scripture http://aldenswan.com/2006/07/authority-issues-continued/comment-page-1/#comment-113 aldenswan.com » Blog Archive » Two views of Scripture Sun, 20 Jan 2008 04:47:58 +0000 http://www.smallvoices.net/wordpress/2006/07/08/authority-issues-continued/#comment-113 [...] Some time ago I wrote a bit about the authority of the Bible, which you can read here. Beneath the issues of orthodoxy, orthopraxy, theology and denominationalism we will often find some discussion about the Scriptures, with questions as seemingly elementary as, “what constitutes Scripture?” We are taught as children that the Bible consists of 66 books, beginning with Genesis, ending with Revelation, all inspired by the Holy Spirit (the Aprocrapha is, of course, not inspired). We even somehow think that the order of the books is important, sometimes judging those who don’t know where Romans is. [...] [...] Some time ago I wrote a bit about the authority of the Bible, which you can read here. Beneath the issues of orthodoxy, orthopraxy, theology and denominationalism we will often find some discussion about the Scriptures, with questions as seemingly elementary as, “what constitutes Scripture?” We are taught as children that the Bible consists of 66 books, beginning with Genesis, ending with Revelation, all inspired by the Holy Spirit (the Aprocrapha is, of course, not inspired). We even somehow think that the order of the books is important, sometimes judging those who don’t know where Romans is. [...]

]]> By: me http://aldenswan.com/2006/07/authority-issues-continued/comment-page-1/#comment-112 me Mon, 10 Jul 2006 00:25:10 +0000 http://www.smallvoices.net/wordpress/2006/07/08/authority-issues-continued/#comment-112 The question, of course, is <em>how</em> we interpret what we read; a good topic for another post... The question, of course, is how we interpret what we read; a good topic for another post…

]]> By: Plato http://aldenswan.com/2006/07/authority-issues-continued/comment-page-1/#comment-111 Plato Sun, 09 Jul 2006 23:59:23 +0000 http://www.smallvoices.net/wordpress/2006/07/08/authority-issues-continued/#comment-111 All input (spiritual or otherwise) is interpreted. There is no pristine "receiving." Even the writers of the Bible had to interpret their experiences of the divine. What we have in the Scriptures are the inspired interpretations of divine utterance and activity which require new interpretation each time they are read. God does indeed speak, but we must make sense of what we hear. All input (spiritual or otherwise) is interpreted. There is no pristine “receiving.” Even the writers of the Bible had to interpret their experiences of the divine. What we have in the Scriptures are the inspired interpretations of divine utterance and activity which require new interpretation each time they are read. God does indeed speak, but we must make sense of what we hear.

]]> By: john http://aldenswan.com/2006/07/authority-issues-continued/comment-page-1/#comment-110 john Sun, 09 Jul 2006 12:42:44 +0000 http://www.smallvoices.net/wordpress/2006/07/08/authority-issues-continued/#comment-110 I believe the Bible is sufficient but not exhaustive. There are definitely parts of our theology that are not expressly explained by God through the Bible. Perhaps God did this on purpose so we have to go to Him in order to get the rest of the explanation. Also, since the meaning of the Bible isn't immediately obvious, it takes an expression of our will to want to understand the Bible. (Same goes for parables.) Finally, the only way to remove contradictions and handle translation errors is to take a Big Picture view, which goes against our short term, small picture nature. Perhaps God did all of it this way in order to find out who truly WANTS to know Him more... I believe the Bible is sufficient but not exhaustive. There are definitely parts of our theology that are not expressly explained by God through the Bible. Perhaps God did this on purpose so we have to go to Him in order to get the rest of the explanation.

Also, since the meaning of the Bible isn’t immediately obvious, it takes an expression of our will to want to understand the Bible. (Same goes for parables.)

Finally, the only way to remove contradictions and handle translation errors is to take a Big Picture view, which goes against our short term, small picture nature.

Perhaps God did all of it this way in order to find out who truly WANTS to know Him more…

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