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
