This is a great comment: I think you may not expect more than you are willing to receive,
-----Original Message-----
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
To: [email protected]
Sent: Thu, 8 Dec 2005 18:51:34 EST
Subject: Re: [TruthTalk] The Triune God, Holy Scripture & Interpretation - Why diverse...
Blainerb: These are great questions, Lance, I don't usually bother, but I even took time to look up some of your words in my dictionary to be sure I understood them. :>) See my comments in blue below:
In a message dated 12/7/2005 5:16:02 A.M. Mountain Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
Are we promised any more than 'enough' understanding to facilitate salvation?
I think you may not expect more than you are willing to receive, Lance. Joseph Smith was not allowed to open the sealed portion of the golden plates, due to the pride and unbelief that was projected among the Gentile population. Even the parts he did translate are usually rejected by those who pretend to be teachers of the gospel.
Does 'study' matter when it comes to Scripture? What's entailed in this 'study'?
Study is productive, assuming the Holy Spirit is taken as one's guide. Without it, study results in "ever learning, but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth."
What is the role of the Holy Spirit in apprehending the 'gospel', the act of exegesis, the act of exposition (either spoken or written), office/sign gifts?
I'd say it is critical. See the parable of the Ten Virgins. Those who took the Holy Spirit for their guides were prepared to enter into the covenant relationship as the "Bride" to the Bridegroom. Those who were not prepared by the Spirit were not spiritually prepared for the marriage.
Is there even the possibility of the entire believing community, globally, coming to a unitary understanding of the entire corpus of Scripture?
Ideally, there is no reason why not. But practically speaking, I see little or no hope. Human pride is the reason it will never happen. Every man does his own thing, becomes egoistically married to his position, and that leads to strife, wherein the devil may then play his games amongst us.
Do even the most mature (godly/holy/sanctified) believers possess only a partial/limited understanding of the Holy Scriptures?
If we put our foot down against new truth when it is introduced, we can hardly claim to be Godly/ Holy/Sanctified, despite your most carefully constructed facade of being otherwise. We can, of course, always resort to being sanctimonious, as did the Jews who prayed in public to be heard of men, etc. :>)
Do all believers err, at some points, in their understanding and therefore, teaching of the Holy Scriptures? Does this necessarily represent sin? When as a believer something of your teaching is errant relative to ontological truth and, you discover this to be so then, what steps ought you to take to rectify the matter vis a vis those who received this teaching?
I am not sure I understand what you are getting at, but I refer you to 76th section of the Doctrine and Covenants, verses 5-10--I hope this might be something of an answer for you:
5 "For thus saith the Lord--I the Lord am merciful and gracious unto those who fear me, and delight to honor those who serve me in righteousness and in truth unto the end.
6 "Great shall be their reward, and eternal shall be their glory.
7 "And to them will I reveal all mysteries of my kingdom from days of old, and for ages to come, will I make known unto them the good pleasure of my will concerning all things pertaining to my kingdom.
8 "Yea, and even the wonders of eternity shall they know, and things to come will I show them, even the things of many generations.
9 "And their wisdom shall be great, and their understanding reach to heaven, and before them the wisdom of the wise shall perish, and the understanding of the prudent shall come to naught.
10 "For by my spirit will I enlighten them, and by my power will I make known unto them the secrets of my will--yea, even those things which eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor yet entered into the heart of man."
Just musing..........
