RE: [TruthTalk] Grammar & Worldview vs. The Spirit

[Slade Henson]

When you speak to me and when I speak to you, we speak different languages. I'm sure you've noticed. No matter how I try to explain things, you take it the worst possible way. I do pray it is not on purpose. Let me try to explain some things to you. I want you to listen to the words and understand that what you are reading is to be taken 100% literal. There are no hidden messages and no spiritual connotations. Ok?   When I speak of the Jewish people as putting more trust in the "oral tradition" than the "literary tradition" I mean this: Scripture was memorized and recited whenever the opportunity arose. They discussed Torah and the Prophets constantly... and all from memory. If anyone made a mistake in recitation, the fathers, grandfathers, and great grandfathers would correct any nuance of error, forcing the children and grandchildren to memorize the text perfectly.   The Eastern mindset believes that if someone sits and merely copies the words from one page to another, error will creep in (skipping letters, words, lines, etc.). Not only that, but merely copying words and letters will not cause Scripture to sink into the heart of the person. Remember the Hebrew mindset insists that "HEARING is believing..." not SEEING.   Now, the "Tradition [that] made God's Word of no effect" you speak of is out of context... I think (I can't tell half the time because we speak so differently). Please go back and read Matthew 15:1-9 to determine how a tradition-of-man voids the tradition-of-God. And with this Biblical definition, not all traditions-of-men fall into this vicious category (for you have heard it said, "These things you should do...without forgetting the weightier things of Torah").   By splitting head and heart into two different things, you and I, as usual, are "into a whole other thing." You split and divide what I cannot. What you speak of, I think, is what I would call legalism... keeping the commandments in order to attain Eternal Life... the commandments have not penetrated from the outside to the inside. IF we keep the commandments because of our love and gratitude to God, the commandments have penetrated from the outside to the inside, and the Ezekiel 36 prophesy comes true and we enter the Kingdom of God.   God DID tell Moshe to memorize and recite: Deuteronomy 6:4-12. Disregard it anyway you like, but it's there. If it's inside and written on the inward parts (heart AND head), it's life changing. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. I can't split the two apart.   -- slade    -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]On Behalf Of Judy Taylor Sent: Tuesday, 02 November, 2004 06.43 To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: [TruthTalk] Grammar & Worldview vs. The Spirit News to me Slade; I've always understood that the Jews are the people of the book and the legacy they leave the rest of us is the extreme meticulousness of the Scribes in keeping a written record of God's Word.  My understanding is that the oral tradition came later and that this, in fact, is what Jesus referred to when he said that Tradition had made God's Word of no effect in the hearts of the people.  God didn't tell Moses to memorize and recite.  He wrote the Commandments, Statutes, etc. and he was to read them.   Hiding God's Word in one's heart is different from memorizing in the head with the brain Slade. My grandchildren do the memorizing thing at Awanas along with Bible drill - understanding is not needed. The purpose for hiding God's Word in the heart is so that we won't sin against him because this is where sin originates (in the heart) and we hide His Word in our heart by meditating on it day and night which is different from memorizing it. You are into a whole other thing.  judyt