I attend regular, normal churches -- Baptists, EV Free, Four Square, Assembly of God -- that sort of thing. Absolutely no one I know believes that the Spirit's presense [sic] in our lives supercedes [sic] the need for exegetical and contextual studies.
David Miller wrote:
Are you sure that you have discussed this with everyone in these Christian sects?
John Smithson wrote:
"I believe I said "No one I know ..." I do not see the question above as being pertinent to the discussion. Agreed?
What I meant was, are you sure that you have discussed this with everyone you know? The relevance of my question is that you seem to assume that everyone you know in these sects of Christianity does not believe this premise. Have you actually discussed this particular subject, or do you just assume that they believe like you do?
John Smithson wrote:
I did not speak to the importance or the comparative importance of the Spirit's presense [sic].
Ah, sorry John. I had the wrong understanding of the word "supersede," thinking that it meant that something was more important than another. I just looked the word up in the dictionary and see that it means to replace something less efficient. Thanks for the clarification.
It does seem, however, that many so-called "Spirit filled" churches allow Bible studies to be superseded by that which would produce actual experience. You are probably right, however, concerning the fact that nobody would articulate the teaching that the Spirit's presence should replace Bible studies.
David Miller wrote:
1 John 2:27 (27) But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.
John Smithson wrote:
This makes no claim as to how this anointing works and, consequently, cannot possibly be used to establish the opinion that our understanding of the written word is revelatory in nature and, hence, infallible...........imo
I certainly was not using this passage to argue for infallible understanding of Scripture. What I think the passage teaches is that the presence of the Spirit is necessary for us to walk in the truth, and the teachers within the community of believers is secondary and even unnecessary. This is not to say that the anointing of the Spirit replaces the teachers. Teachers are helpful, placed within the body of Christ to perfect us, but they are not to be relied upon exclusively for truth because there are false teachers. Our reliance is upon the anointing and not teachers. That is the message I receive from this passage. I suspect that this viewpoint corresponds with Judy's perspective as well.
Peace be with you.
David Miller.
---------- "Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer every man." (Colossians 4:6) http://www.InnGlory.org
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