interpreting

Jake/bubbaguyThis is the point I would bring up to all who interpret Genesis as a literal production. It was written in a culture that we don't really understand very well. It was written in a society that had no conception of the vastness of the universe, or that stars were other suns, or that the earth was round, etc. It is very understandable that they wrote the story as it appears today, with God creating for six days and then resting. And somehow much of it reflects the actual events that occured in evolution. All the waters were gathered into one place. Early man was an herbivore. (I have gone into this before at length and wont repeat here.)Paul2Tim. 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: Peter“Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” (2Pet. 1:20-21, KJV)ChristMatt. 5:18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. John 10:35 If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken;

Yikes!I'm honestly quite disturbed at this - brother I urge you to reconsider before the Lord the point you are making. I've watched too many friends recently fall into the traps of postmodern and "new kind of christian" teaching that demotes the word of God and elevates human ability to "reason, adapt, and figure" for himself how to apply things how he wishes.My heart is grieved over this...The human mind without God is as depraved as the human heart, and I pray watchfulness over all of our hearts that we would esteem God's word to be the infallible, inerrant, inspired, immutable, and indestructible words of life!

I posted this request here since I observed anything bubbaguys posts seems to get alot of......activity...Does anyone know where I can find a copy of FB Meyers "Shepards Psalm" on the net in PDF? Would appreciate it----Bro. Daryl

Dear Bubbaguy,Before coming to the Lord, all the brain washing about evolution in my past had convinced me that evolution was true. Once the Spirit bore witness to me that God is real and Jesus died for me, I had to reconsider that this foolish teaching of evolution is not of God.Buggaguy, don't you think that maybe God created everything as Genesis states and in creating this he created a fossil record and carbon 14 time lines at the same time. Remember Adam was not created a baby but was created an adult man.Buggaguy, consider that the Word says we walk by faith and not by sight. Should't we believe his Word and not the things we see or that are explained by some unbeliever.Buggaguy, I realize that you are most likely a believer. By not taking a book that Jesus used as an illustration when speaking about Noah, you are walking a fine line that falls into doubt and unbelief. These are the very thoughts that we are to cast down.In Christ,GaryE

Ron, So, the reason you believe all scripture to be God given and inerrant is because scripture itself tells you so? No arguing against that one is there.And the reason you believe bits of it is because your reason tells you so? This has been our point of contention in every posting. Your reason eliminates Paul, Revelation, and every part that does not fit into your preconceptions.

Jake/bubbaguyYou ought to know by know that I would share very few opinions with your 'Armagedon Christians'. As Dorcas has said this has nothing to do with 'inerrancy' but everything to do with 'interpretation'. I have never believed in human infallibility which is why I distrust your 'inner witness' when it goes against God's biblical revelation. If I was looking for 'human infallibility' I would be unlikely to be searching for it among pseudo-Quakers.

Jake/BubbaguyI have a question for you. If your inner witness were wrong, how would you know? I suspect I know the answer; the community. So I will widen the question; if their inner witness were wrong, how would they know?

I would know that my inner witness was wrong if it ever told me to do something contrary to the teachings of Christ Jesus.How would you know what they were? Serious question, not a cheap jibe!

I don't buy your all or nothing approach to interpreting the Bible and you've known this for a long time. Why do you persist in trying to misrepresent and mischaracterize what I believe?I have never and never will 'try to misrepresent or mischaracterize' what you believe. My conscience would not allow be to do so. I only endeavour to make clear where your perceptions are coming from. My point in the last post was simply that you would have no teaching of Jesus to believe in if it were not for the men who wrote it. You pick and choose where it suits your preconceptions. Your beliefs are not based on the scriptures but on your reason supported by the scriptures. Your position is fundamentally different to almost everyone on the site. New folk are always arriving who may not see where your views are coming from; I will do my best to enlighten them.Let me give you a public warning that if you persist in your private offensive emails to me I will publish them on site, so that people can see the real nature of your reactions.

Jake writesNext, I have great difficulty with the writings of Paul because the man was a murdering, torturing thug before he had his experience on the road to Damascus. How many other murdering torturing thugs do you take spiritual advice and counsel from?????I don't take spiritual advice and counsel from any 'murdering, torturing thugs' but I do submit to “... our beloved brother Paul (who) also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.”(2Pet. 3:15-16, KJVS)Peter recognized that Paual had been given 'wisdom' and that Paul's writings were to be equated with 'the other scriptures'; in other words Paul's writings were scripture.By the way, how do you know that he was a 'murdering, torturing thug'? By reading the Acts of the Apostles which also tell of his transformation in Christ. So you accept the testimony of the Acts as regards what he was but not what he became. It is this kind of inconsistency which makes your position wholly untenable. Do you read Acts with a blue censoring pencil in hand? I now seriously doubt that you have had any real encounter with the risen Christ at all. One indelible characteristic of such is that they know they were capable of anything that Paul did and that Christ's power to forgive and renew which has transformed them also transformed Paul. If God had worked this miracle in you, you would have no difficulty in believing God could do it in Paul.Paget Wilkes wrote that true Christian character was based on three responses; gratefulness to God, humility towards self, and generosity to others. All three, he said, were based on a deep personal experience of God's forgiveness. I know that I could have done anything that Paul or Hitler or Stalin did. The evil that was in them was not worse than that which was in me; I only lacked opportunity. Because I know God has forgiven and cleansed me from my own murderous thoughts and spirit; I have no difficulty in being generous to 'forgiven murderers' and have met more than one or two. I have enjoyed with them the sweet fellowship of 'forgiven sinners' and 'men and women made new in the power of God's Spirit'.

I want to note something about the book of REValationRev 1:3 Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of the prophecy, and keep the things that are written therein: for the time is at hand. Seems to me the disciple whom Jesus loved understood it to be pretty important, it's the only book written that offers the reader direct blessings for reading it.