Salute !! To my way of thinking, one of the "beginnings" that play into a discussion of revealed truth and ex-cathedra interpretations is that which is found in Jeremiah 31:31-34.......if we do not factor this passage into the beginnings of our New Covenant theology, we may just miss the point of N.C. theology entirely. In that passage is the predictive workings of a covenant that was to be different (not similar to .....) , a forgiveness that forever solved a very important consequence of sin (there are several consequences, you know) and the work of God in the life of the believer (and they shall not teach each man to his neighbor ....) Maturity in our Christian walk is most assuredly a divinely appointed concern. And, maturity comes our way through various disciplines - one being a reading and an understanding of scripture.
I submit that Divine Truth as presented in scripture is not about a single and corporate agreement as to the intention of the Author. Rather, the reading of scripture is about a personal understanding of how that Divine Intention is to play out in our lives. In this sense, the biblical message is a dynamic body of thought. When it comes to personal maturity in Christ, it is never about me, the corporation and God !!! It is only about me and God (Romans 14:5). The corporation is there, it exists, but its role in my life is played out as it compliments my existence in and through and because of Christ.
IMO
JD
-----Original Message-----
From: Lance Muir <[EMAIL PROTECTED]com>
To: [email protected]
Sent: Mon, 11 Jul 2005 06:56:01 -0400
Subject: [TruthTalk] Communicating & Understanding....Joint participants in a story
Each living person draws upon two quite distinct sources of meaning. The current 'vulgate' or common understanding. This is that which enables us to communicate with one another. Hidden beneath this is a 'private thesaurus'. What any two people mean when they speak or hear will overlap only to a certain extent by virtue of their sharing the 'vulgate' of a particular human group.
No reader comes to a text as a 'cultural virgin'. Our readings are affected at the outset by pre-understanding and private thesaurus.The meaning which we retrieve from a text will never be absolutely identical with the meaning which it had for its author or, for any other reader.
Meaning is something which 'happens' when we read the text and which is like the knowledge of the Lord in which the Psalmist rejoiced, new every morning.
This is not a transparent text through which we view something else. It is like a stained glass window depicting a story. It is 'the story we find ourselves in'.
