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
