One way of thinking has to do with the refining of questions over time as opposed to the distillation of answers.
----- Original Message ----- From: "David Miller" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: May 26, 2005 08:39 Subject: [Bulk] Re: [Bulk] Re: [Bulk] Re: [TruthTalk] mormon angels. was: Dave uses Socratic Method of Teaching LDS doctrine on TT > John wrote: > > Have you ever changed your mind in regards to the > > meaning of a particular passage? Of course you have. > > How do you know, then, that what you now accept > > is not due for change sometime in the future? > > Answer: you don't. This is exactly why Paul > > wrote I Cor 8:1-3. > > This is an excellent passage in regards to the subject you are addressing, > but I hope you do not interpret this passage to be saying that we cannot be > certain about the truthfulness of any knowledge that we now have. Faith is > being certain about some knowledge for which we have no empirical proof > (Heb. 11:1), so to surmise that all knowledge we have is subject to being > discarded is to make the virtue of faith something that is unobtainable. > Let's look at the passage you reference. > > 1 Corinthians 8:1-3 > (1) Now as touching things offered unto idols, we know that we all have > knowledge. Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth. > (2) And if any man think that he knoweth any thing, he knoweth nothing yet > as he ought to know. > (3) But if any man love God, the same is known of him. > > This passage tempers us in regards to being puffed up with knowledge, and I > think this is your primary point (which is a very good and important > point!). It explicitly states that if any man thinks he knows something, he > knows nothing yet as he ought to know. It then expresses greater importance > on being known of God, which happens if we love God. > > I do not see "changing our mind about the meaning of a passage" as being > EXACTLY why Paul wrote this. Rather, he is showing how our knowledge is > continually growing. For example, I believe Jesus is the Christ. Will I > ever find that I need to change my mind about this? No. But... my > knowledge of Christ will increase and my understanding of what it means to > believe upon Christ will increase. > > The thrust of what Paul is saying here is that we ought not be puffed up > about what knowledge we have, because, as all older men and women have > experienced, our comprehension of what we think we know will grow. He is > working from that Platonic concept of absolutes versus the Aristolean > concept of change, and pointing to being known of God as the absolute aspect > which does not change. Therefore, the implication to his Greek audience > appreciative of the Platonic philosophy is that loving God and being known > of God is greater than anything we think we know. > > I hope you don't take my comments as refuting what you have said. I am > simply trying to refine how you have articulated it. The focus should be on > growth in knowledge not on the idea that everyone will someday discard the > knowledge he now has as erroneous. > > 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 > > If you do not want to receive posts from this list, send an email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] and you will be unsubscribed. If you have a friend who wants to join, tell him to send an e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] and he will be subscribed. ---------- "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 If you do not want to receive posts from this list, send an email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] and you will be unsubscribed. If you have a friend who wants to join, tell him to send an e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] and he will be subscribed.
