Posted by blue on July 14, 1998 at 23:47:50:
In Reply to: i get your meaning blue....but even your example .... posted by thor on July 14, 1998 at 23:17:48:
: Your example is still logically suspect. The example you
: give of studying shakespeare is relevant, and up to
: a point correct. But let's be clear here. There will
: be differences on areas of the bible that are not clear or are
: ambiguous. as a result, differences of interpretation
: will occur. Even with Sahkespear there are very large
: debates...which academics base their careers on, on
: how a passage is to be interpreted...
: Are you not willing to admit that interpretation and
: intuition are part of the process of reading the
: bible? who decides which way it will be read?
: thor
You are very correct here. The problem is that we, those of us who believe the Bible to be a revelation from God, have, as a group, been irresponsible in our study of the Bible. Most debates between branches of Christianity just shouldn't exist. They are a result of not reading the whole Bible. If we all read the Bible with the same attention to detail that a good reader of Shakespeare gives, most dissension will fall away. Methodism, for instance, would lose its Arminian base, which is abiblical. Catholicism would disgard its requirements for celibacy, for instance.
There are, indeed, passages that are debatable. I cannot, based upon scripture, tell you whether there will or will not be a "rapture." You can argue it either way, and split your church over the issue if you like. You won't get anywhere because the Bible is not specific on the issue. The same with the Mormon practice of baptizing the dead by proxy. I can make a fair argument saying it's a bad idea, but I can't prove it wrong because the Bible doesn't give enough detail. But no one seems to argue the Bible at that level. People spout opinions about the Bible when they are Biblically illiterate.
The real point of my analogy is that no one should repect my interpretations of Shakespeare, because I have only read a few of his works, and that years ago. And the Bible is so much more complex, that I get irritated to no end when people shout "inconsistency" when they haven't done their homework. The main concepts are so clear and consistent from cover to cover that they illicit no debate within the true church.
Sorry for the ramble.
Yours in Christ,
blue