So ive seen this throughout our faith. A lot of people have a LOT of different views on certain passages of the bible. Why is that in your opinion and how it affects our faith?
Are there a few in particular that stand out to you? I know we often get to discussing specific origins passages in Genesis, but you’re right that there are many that Christians disagree on, especially those related to Calvinism/Arminianism, or sacraments such as baptism or the Lord’s supper.
I think some interpretive license is an inevitable result of engaging with a translation of ancient languages. But I do believe that the most important parts of the Bible are clear enough. We can have unity without uniformity. As John says at the end of his gospel:
But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
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I agree that we dont miss the main point (That Christ is God) but the other things matter as well. But no there are not particular ones that stand out to me. But theres a lot whole of we disagree on
It’s ALLLLLL about what we bring to the party Nick.
I do not understand you
To expand on what Klax said, it is the assumptions you make before you even begin to study the Bible. Everyone has their own personal set. Even those who say they don’t.
And remember you are asking about interpretation which is a fallible, non-inspired, very human process.
We bring culture, class, education, epistemology, evolved genetic hard wiring for experience, childhood… did I say epistemology? How we know what we know. Think, feel, believe what we think, feel, believe. Perichoretic, inextricably intertwined, with religion.
You use very difficult vocabulary for me to understand Klax sorry. So if you can break down that last sentence about religion i would be glad
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We are a turbulent stream of stories. Before we come to any text. Which makes it worse.
I guess it would depend on the particular opinion about something and the doctrine developed from it.
The reason why is because of several. In a nutshell when something deviates from the truth it’s because of:
- 2 Peter 3:16 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
16 as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction.
- 2 Timothy 4:3 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires,
- Ephesians 5:6 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. ( you’re deceived)
There is also the issue of innocent misunderstandings and things that are ambiguous enough to not have a solid answer do to multiple manuscripts or loss of historical context to multiple meanings based on metaphorical to literal understandings.
We are a couple of thousand years, or more, removed from the writing of the documents.
Our culture is different and our experiences are different. There are sayings and idioms which are often not clear after so much time and in such a different world.
But I think the important things are clear.
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