Klax
(The only thing that matters is faith expressed in love.)
42
If one needs an impetus for social justice, God expects it of us, that we be His hands, feet, ears, voices, wallets from the moment He first preached. Since the apostles, supernatural power has not broken the surface as we all know, it isn’t seen in human affairs in any demonstrable way. The story has power as stories do, but nothing can possibly change human nature. Especially if the story is the product of it. If incarnation is true, then the positive changes in the outworking of human nature attributed to the story and ineffably by the Spirit are valid.
(And your question stood alone and I should have noticed, sorry.)
For me I don’t believe that non Christians are at any better with dealing with inaccuracies than Christians.
I believe the original handwritten letters were perfect. I believe the original claims the prophets made were perfect. But in the thousands of years since then those have been lost and instead we now have imperfect copies of translations that are further complicated by world views with different understands if life.
Klax
(The only thing that matters is faith expressed in love.)
44
I guess I don’t understand why that would be irrational considering scripture says that the creator of the universe directly reached out to generate them for those communities. Same as the power of the spirit mentions divine wisdom given to those who received the laying on of hands before scripture was completed. The scriptures are not simply the thoughts man had of God.
Klax
(The only thing that matters is faith expressed in love.)
50
While I have sympathy for that position, in reality there was oral transmission of the stories of the Bible long before ever being put to paparus. So, when were the stories ever not subject to revision and changes in evolving language? I hold that God has preserved the message he has for us despite all the ravages of time, but cannot believe there was ever a perfect text representing the direct words of God, save the tablets brought back from Mt. Sinai.
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Klax
(The only thing that matters is faith expressed in love.)
52
What message apart from Jesus, Phil? What tablets brought back from Mt. Sinai? Are they one and the same?
Jesus certainly encapsulates the scripture, but scripture elaborates and has lessons to help us understand who and what He is about, and I think that message is preserved when read in cultural context. The tablets were mentioned in anticipation of the argument that indeed they were given to Moses directly from the hand of God, though in that case also we do not have the original manuscripts, so to speak.
I’m sure there was all kinds of stories being handed down. But I don’t believe personally that’s relevant to God setting them straight and choosing how he inspired them to finally be wrote down.
Throughout the New Testament we see that some people were given the special knowledge to guide the church and the spirit could be tested. A time went on, and the final scripture was wrote by the apostles and the biblical texts were complete, the power begin to fade. That’s one of the key tenants of cessationism.
I found Walton’s book on scripture enlightening. One point he makes is that the oral tradition was seen as no less authoritative than the written, even when they co-existed. A good read for those who are interested:
You would deny the existence of the connecting line.
Klax
(The only thing that matters is faith expressed in love.)
60
Aye, Jesus wrapped up, rolled up, the law and the prophets, transcended them as the Transfiguration vision shows. I don’t see how His scripture elaborates and has lessons for us apart from His taking them and kicking them out of orbit. I see Peter and Paul struggling to catch up. Like us. We who have to elaborate.
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Klax
(The only thing that matters is faith expressed in love.)
61