Hi Billy, On Dec 12, 2009, at 12:00 AM, [email protected] wrote: > Ernie : > How do you obey scripture when, for example, a text like Malachi 1: 11 is as > ecumenical as anyone can think of, and another verse, such as Ezra 9 : 1 , > is as anti-ecumenical as anyone might come up with ? > > Before a recommendation to obey scripture can make good sense it is > necessary to be convincing to the effect that the Bible is non-contradictory. > Otherwise you end up with recommending both "A" and "anti-A"
Radical centrists: including the excluded middle! > Some things are prior to others. Some things are, but most are not. They simply exist in different *contexts*. I think that is how I would answer about half the issues you raised. To me, that is the crux of both interpretation and application -- understanding the context in which those statements were meant and intended. The most obvious example of this is: http://bible.cc/proverbs/26-4.htm > Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you will be like him yourself. http://bible.cc/proverbs/26-5.htm > Answer a fool according to his folly, or he will be wise in his own eyes. The Bible contradicts itself! It is utterly useless! Religion is completely idiotic!!! :-) Well, no. This isn't the case of two different writers who are disagreeing with each other. This is one proverb in two parts. Both are true. LIfe is complex. Deal with it. That's why an authoritative Scripture is necessary, but not sufficient. I believe a mature approach to applying Scripture is accepting -- even reveling in! -- the tensions and paradoxes. Scripture isn't some static modernistic set of axioms that we are to rigorously follow. It is a complex dataset describing God's interaction with humanity. Yes, it does include some universal imperatives, but it also includes numerous contextual instructions, as well as more ambiguous anecdotes than I would like. Yet all are essential for understanding who God is and how to please Him, but neither should be mistaken for the other. After all, the goal isn't to blindly follow Scripture -- or worse, just some rationally consistent subset thereof. The goal is to *know God*, and love/obey him.That's hard, and any attempt to over-simplify can be disastrous (and usually is). Scripture helps in this -- it is essential! -- but it isn't enough. I believe we also need the Holy Spirit, the body of believers -- and yes, history, scholarship, and even trial and error. The important thing, IMHO, is to focus on God Himself, and not make an idol out of Scripture. Only then will we know the right questions to ask of and about Scripture, so that we can get meaningful and useful answers. -- Ernie P. P.S. Sorry to preach, but you brought it up. :-) _______________________________________________ Centroids mailing list: [email protected] http://radicalcentrism.com/mailman/listinfo/centroids_radicalcentrism.com Archives at http://radicalcentrism.org/pipermail/centroids_radicalcentrism.com/
