Can WE Trust Our Bible?

[Islander]

I often pondered about the fact that the NT is, for the most part, a collection of letters. The Apostles wrote to their friends and fellow servants. This was normal communication between "co-religioners" at a time when they felt in a very real sense disconnected, isolated and even persecuted by their fellow Jews everywhere.

They had no clue this letters would become the foundation of a world religion!!! Inspired and edifying as they are, they are letters; written at a time and place, with very specific topics in essence and subject to a context that we may barely understand. To make matters worse, we have language to contend with (translation).

I always read the NT with two questions in mind: what was going on at this time (context) and what is the Apostle trying to teach to the rest of the disciples/us (message/content). I always pray that the Spirit will make these things clear and evident to me as I try to grasp the message of the Gospel.

[Elgama]

I think most scripture has meaning for us today why the Lord preserved it in the bible - for example the parable of the talents, to the Hebrew people talents were money to us they are our talents but both work in the context of the parable. In fact talents as we use it works better.

Sheep and Goats we can get, its changed because to us they are very different but in NT Sheep had tails that went down and goats had tails that went up it was the only difference. But it makes it in someways more relevant to us today.

-Charley

[JohnnyRudick]

Originally Posted by Islander

I often pondered about the fact that the NT is, for the most part, a collection of letters. The Apostles wrote to their friends and fellow servants. This was normal communication between "co-religioners" at a time when they felt in a very real sense disconnected, isolated and even persecuted by their fellow Jews everywhere.

They had no clue this letters would become the foundation of a world religion!!! Inspired and edifying as they are, they are letter; written at a time and place, with very specific topics in essence and subject to a context that we may barely understand. To make matters worse, we have language to contend with (translation).

I always read the NT with two questions in mind: what was going on at this time (context) and what is the Apostle trying to teach to the rest of the disciples/us (message/content). I always pray that the Spirit will make these things clear and evident to me as I try to grasp the message of teh Gospel.

That is a very large part of what "rightly dividing" is all about.

Very good point.
Thanks;-)

Bro. Rudick

[Berean]

I think it is in the spirit in which we read the scriptures...if we want blessings and instruction we will get it and if we are looking for "mistakes" we will find them. Let the Holy Spirit be your guide, as the person said, prophecy.

For instance there are two proverbs that go something like

Give ear to a fool so he can see the error of his ways
then almost immediately
Do not give ear to a fool or he will be wise in his own eyes...

OK this is obviously contradictory so I am an atheist?

Or, as my wise but still very Baptist father said, "Darned if you do darned if you don't"

[JohnnyRudick]

Originally Posted by Berean

I think it is in the spirit in which we read the scriptures...if we want blessings and instruction we will get it and if we are looking for "mistakes" we will find them. Let the Holy Spirit be your guide, as the person said, prophecy.

For instance there are two proverbs that go something like

Give ear to a fool so he can see the error of his ways
then almost immediately
Do not give ear to a fool or he will be wise in his own eyes...

OK this is obviously contradictory so I am an atheist?

Or, as my wise but still very Baptist father said, "Darned if you do darned if you don't"

Again;
That is a very large part of what "rightly dividing" is all about

Bro. Rudick

[JohnnyRudick]

Originally Posted by Islander

I often pondered about the fact that the NT is, for the most part, a collection of letters. The Apostles wrote to their friends and fellow servants. This was normal communication between "co-religioners" at a time when they felt in a very real sense disconnected, isolated and even persecuted by their fellow Jews everywhere.

They had no clue this letters would become the foundation of a world religion!!! Inspired and edifying as they are, they are letters; written at a time and place, with very specific topics in essence and subject to a context that we may barely understand. To make matters worse, we have language to contend with (translation).

I always read the NT with two questions in mind: what was going on at this time (context) and what is the Apostle trying to teach to the rest of the disciples/us (message/content). I always pray that the Spirit will make these things clear and evident to me as I try to grasp the message of the Gospel.

The letters that survived you will notice are not merely the letters of friends writing back and forth about church matters.

These are letters of instruction on how the Church of God ought to be run and instruction in personal matters in walking the Godly walk in Christ.

A large bulk are letters from Paul the Apostles sent by God to the Gentiles in the days between Paul's calling and the calling of Joseph Smith.

These letters were Scripture and treated as such by the Novations, Paterns and Montanists, Paulicians, etc. of the early Church by which we have the Scripture survived to this day.


Bro. Rudick

[Hemidakota]

"The fact of your attending a religious service no more assures your being a Christian then the fact of your falling into a lake assures your being a fish."

Awesome quote....let me add something that may have a few here, cast some stones: "For members attending church, temple, and callings, still doesn't guarantee you the highest order in the Celestial Kingdom when inner vessel is not appealing as the outer vessel."

I truly marvel over some of Traveler's brilliant thoughts. When I read the NT, we need to view as he stated and also the purpose of those in writing to the recipients.

[JohnnyRudick]

Originally Posted by Hemidakota

I truly marvel over some of Traveler's brilliant thoughts. When I read the NT, we need to view as he stated and also the purpose of those in writing to the recipients.

Exactly.


We need to first look at

When the instruction or whatever was written.

To whom was he speaking/writing.

Who was doing the speaking/writing. Was he apostate such as Balaam or in God's grace like Paul.

Wish I could find my notebooks but I know they ended up in the landfill

Anyway, these are very important things to look at and pray about before you go making any hasty interpretations on the verse/chapter.

Bro. Rudick

[livy111us]

Of course, anything by Bart Ehrman is good on this subject, but this paper is also very good:

What Remains of the Old Testament?
Its Text and Language in a Postmodern Age

David J.A. Clines
University of Sheffield

http://www.shef.ac.uk/bibs/DJACcurrres/WhatRemains.pdf

[Hemidakota]

Thanks for the link. I had added this to my growing collection.