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
