jt JD you are disingenious from the start. While
claiming to be a pastor and not a theologian you title this little
rant against God's Word 'A heuristic consideration' which
is 'theological' - The word isn't even found in a regular dictionary
JD: so the word is poorly
chosen because it is not in one
of your "regular dictionaries?" I have a Websters and and a Cambridge dictionary and the
word appears in both. We, all of us who study the biblical
message, are putting scripture together in an effort to make the
Message work for us with the least amount of problems. "Heuristic' has
to do with that very process.
jt: Actually I found a larger dictionary with the word in it - still it
has nothing to do with understanding scripture. It is from German
heuristisch ie: helping to discover or learn, specif. designating a method
of education or of computer programming in which the pupil or machine
proceeds along empirical lines using rules of thumb to find solutions or
answers. This has nothing to do with Holy Spirit
revelation and would not be understood by ordinary every day
sheep (the ones God calls).
JD: Apparently you are upset that I did not include myself as
being a theologian.&n bsp; Thank you but, alas, I am a lowly
pastor and nothing more.
jt: Has God put you in a position to care for and be an example
to part of His flock? How can you shepherd anyone or
be an example to others of how to follow Christ when you are not
walking in the light yourself? You have legalized God's Word and made
it into something it was never meant to be while ATST embracing an entirely opportunistic message for
yourself.
JD: Honestly, I have no idea what this
last sentence means.
jt: In all of your anthropological considerations have you ever wondered why only 8 persons were
saved through the flood the first time and why Jesus brings this up in Matt
24:38,39? God was so pleased with 99.9% of the world population that
he destroyed them all. You and Lance remind me of the Jews who clung
to the fact that they were 'Abraham's
seed' and that was going to save them. You can quote your
'incarnation' doctrine all over the place but if you do not have fruit in
your life meet for repentance - you will wind up in the same shape as
them. As for the things written aforetime (which includes all of God's laws, statutes, and
commandments); they were written for our learning, that we through patience
and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. You can throw them out
if you like. As for me I believe "The law of the Lord is perfect,
converting the soul" and my soul needs converting every day until it is
completely conformed to the image of Christ.
JD: And that is fine. I
cannot ignore the comments in Romans 2-5
nor the entire letter to the Galatians
on this subject.
jt: The entire letter to the Galatians has to do with Jewish legalism
and Romans 2 is not teaching that the
unregenerate have God's Law written on their hearts JD. We have been
over this before. Everyone in the whole world is not immediately born
again because Jesus was born in a flesh body, died, and rose from the dead
historically.
My comments below constitute a substantive consideration that would best be
rebutted with equally substantive comments. Emotionalism
and judgmentalism are not
appropriate responses to argumentation. Such is the reasoning of
a lynch mob -- not a student in a discussion forum. I will
be glad to consider any biblical or philosophical argument you may wish to
share. JD
A Heuristic Consideration
The scriptures I have seen used to support the Law are scriptures
written to and for and by the Jews on that subject. The Law is
a late date administration coming hundreds if not thousands of years after
the creation event. When it was presented to
"mankind," it was given to an extremely small part of
"mankind." The Old Testament is not the story (IMO) of the people of God verses the condemned. Rather, it is the
story of the people of God AS DEFINED BY THE MOSICAL COVENANT exclusive of any other anthropological
consideration. There is no reason to believe that the
rest of mankind is lost and hell bound because they were not
Jewish. In fact, in Romans 2 gives us a little insight int
o just how things may have worked for the 90% of humanity who were never
given the Law. Paul makes it clear (I believe) that th e
purpose of the Law was best seen in the fact that it served as a tutor
until the coming of Christ................. who, in turn, reconciled the
10% (the Jew) with the 90% (everyone else on earth).
Perhaps I have not stated things as accurately as I might
- being a pastor and not a theologian. But the above needs to
be considered as we formulate our opinions on The Law.
JD
