I think I'd like to rescind my previous post. Scripture is to be interpreted by Scripture, and it's not open to our own personal interpretation. According to 1 Corinthians 1, it's not a good idea to label ourselves either, unless we're calling ourselves followers of Christ and Him alone. Whatever happens happens -- God and His plan are perfect.
_________________Mary M.
Chosen7Stone Said: "I think I'd like to rescind my previous post. Scripture is to be interpreted by Scripture, and it's not open to our own personal interpretation. According to 1 Corinthians 1, it's not a good idea to label ourselves either, unless we're calling ourselves followers of Christ and Him alone. Whatever happens happens -- God and His plan are perfect."How is it possible to not interpret scripture when reading it or studying it? I think you should interpret it using scripture as the guide by which you interpret scripture. Sola Scriptura is scripture alone but that does not mean you just need the Bible and never read it or study it. I do think I understand what you meant though. There is a wrong way to interpret scripture "isogesis" and a right way "exegesis", isogesis would be reading a meaning INTO the text or picking verses out of context in order to defend a position, exegesis is letting scripture interpret itself within context. I don't know if I really label myself since the words I used were nothing more than the definition of what I hold to. For example I don't believe in a literal millennium so I am by definition amillennial, I do feel most of the prophecies in the book of Revelation have been fulfilled (not all, but most) so I am by definition a moderate or partial preterist. The two words are just the actual words to describe those two positions. amillennial literally means "no millennium" (A=no, such as amoral i.e. no morals), preterist literally means "One who believes the prophecies of the Apocalypse to have been already fulfilled." so by me saying I am a "partial or moderate preterist" that means I agree partially with the definition of preterisim when applied to the understanding of fulfilled prophecies in the book of Revelation but not fully. Sorry for my diatribe LOL.-David
Scripture is to be interpreted by Scripture, and it's not open to our own personal interpretation.
According to 1 Corinthians 1, it's not a good idea to label ourselves either, unless we're calling ourselves followers of Christ and Him alone.
_________________SI Moderator - Greg Gordon
Greg wrote The problem is in the church today we have lost that knoweldge of the gospel somewhere down the line and only the plainly obvious in Scripture is the foundation of our beliefs and the rest are given up to human opinion. And I call it human opinion because of all the varying viewpoints on certain passages or principles in the bible.. ie eschatology (endtimes).I think this is such an important point in our study and debate. I sometimes say that all topical Bible teaching should be called Bible Hypotheses. We are gathering together facts and producing a 'best fit'. The examples Greg gives are classic ones and in the face of these partial knowledge we really do need to constantly remind ourselves that "we know in part". That was Paul's testimony, how much more ours?Topical Bible Study is somewhat unnatural in that we are doing something which the Bible doesn't do; assemble truth together to the exclusion of other truths. If you buy a manual you expect subjects to be gathered together under headings. All you need to know about baking bread will be in one chapter of the cookery book. But the Bible doesn't work like this. Truth can never be studied or defined in isolation from other truth. It is truth in isolation that creates heresies and cults.Bible teachers have a great responsibility to understand that in extracting topical truth they are doing something which is unnatural to the Bible. It may be useful, but we need to put the truth back into context of all truth as quickly as possible.Anyone who has not felt the weight of James's words ought not really to be teaching. My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment.
_________________Ron Bailey