The purpose of scripture Paul (nee Saul of Tarsus), who encountered Jesus personally, was a dedicated student of scriptures. As an older leader, he wrote to his junior, a young man named Timothy, the inspired view of the purpose of scripture: All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine [teaching], for reproof, for correction, for instruction [training or discipline] in righteousness that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16, 17). Even with only the slightest knowledge of the context of this letter, the term scripture that Paul uses refers to the Tanach, the so-called Old Testament writings that included the Law (Torah), Prophets (Naviim), and writings (Chotvim) such as the Psalms and Proverbs. The inspired writings of Paul and other New Testament authors came later and were added to the acknowledged body (canon) of scriptures. These later writings were also designed to instruct. They form the obvious basis for the proper interpretation of the entire Bible. The issue of Biblical interpretation is much more than a question of who is right, who is wrong, or how can a normal person tell the difference. I personally would never make the claim that I am anything other than the average reader. Like everyone else, I have my opinions about almost everything and everyone, including politics. My thinking is affected by my culture, experience, and limited intellectual capacities. I dont think Im stupid, particularly naive, or gullible to a fault. I also dont think that Im any sort of genius or special conduit of Gods Truth or special revelation. I have my insights; I suppose some of them are more profound than others. I know the Bible instructs us that God has truly gifted some of us with specific abilities and talents as pastors and teachers, but we respect them within the human context of fallibility. We still cant lift them up to some sort of god-like status. Nevertheless, acknowledging true leaders does not mean that normal people like you and me are eternally doomed to be followers or that we are complete dummies, incapable of discerning truth. On the contrary, I am firmly convinced that each and every believer has the individual responsibility to participate in his/her training, and to learn of the Messiah Jesus, just as He specifically instructed us. We cannot pass the buck to a paid professional, put all our trust and faith in him/her, and align ourselves into little cliques or groups in opposition to all others. Even a cursory reading of the third chapter of Pauls letter to the Romans makes that abundantly clear. The point Im trying to make is that you and I can understand what the Bible clearly states. As the resource God has given us for our survival and for true knowledge of Him, it is designed to instruct. It is the Textbook of Life, with built-in features such as repetition and review to reinforce key points. It has ways it emphasizes particular issues, most notably those of personal character (Blessed are the pure in heart). On every key issue, it is completely clear. Going back to child-like trust, this means that God has revealed Himself to humankind because He loves us, and He will not withhold from us anything that is essential for our survival. As an object of study, and brilliant piece of literature, the Bible has been interpreted to mean a wide range of things. Just look around and observe the many divisions and how each group considers itself to be the right one. There are legitimate reasons for disagreements, to be sure, but there are also other reasons and motivations that should be looked at with suspicion. Most of us have heard the one about taking a verse out of context, including the warning that some more unscrupulous preachers will take a particular verse and twist it around into something that it clearly does not mean in the greater context. Behind this is the suspicion that there is some kind of dark and selfish motive for misinterpreting a scripture, perhaps to deliberately mislead the gullible listener. We shouldnt think that everyone who takes a verse out of context has something evil up his (or her) sleeve. Sometimes, one individual verse will catch our attention and speak to us. But, it really is the context of scriptures along with our life experiences that gives an individual verse its real impact on us. If I take a step back to my child-like trust in God the Father, then I trust that the Spirit of the Living God is trying to instruct me through the words on a page. I return to my direct link to the Omniscient, Omnipresent, and Omnipotent God. I hope that it goes without saying that it would be arrogant to say that this only applies to me. It applies to you and me and every other true believer. ______________________________ Hello World and Hello to all my Facebook Friends International (Steven P. Miller) facebook/sparkermiller From: Jacksonville, Florida. USA. Monday, January 19, 2015 1/19/2015 4:39:37 AM _________________________________ ♥ MILLER ♥ [email protected] (Steven P. Miller) facebook/sparkermiller Email: [email protected] Twitter:@Sparkermiller Skype: sparkermiller Google: Steven P. Miller @sparkermiller
Posted on: Mon, 19 Jan 2015 10:00:30 +0000
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