Comments on: What is the purpose of Scripture? http://www.signposts.org.au/2007/06/05/what-is-the-purpose-of-scripture/ musings from those on the journey Mon, 17 Nov 2008 03:09:57 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: One Salient Oversight http://www.signposts.org.au/2007/06/05/what-is-the-purpose-of-scripture/#comment-166720 One Salient Oversight Fri, 15 Jun 2007 02:33:29 +0000 http://www.signposts.org.au/2007/06/05/what-is-the-purpose-of-scripture/#comment-166720 will do. i've bookmarked the site this time will do. i’ve bookmarked the site this time

]]> By: abtruth http://www.signposts.org.au/2007/06/05/what-is-the-purpose-of-scripture/#comment-166244 abtruth Tue, 12 Jun 2007 09:51:33 +0000 http://www.signposts.org.au/2007/06/05/what-is-the-purpose-of-scripture/#comment-166244 OSO good to have you back stick around a little while longer this time OSO

good to have you back

stick around a little while longer this time

]]> By: One Salient Oversight http://www.signposts.org.au/2007/06/05/what-is-the-purpose-of-scripture/#comment-166232 One Salient Oversight Tue, 12 Jun 2007 01:08:29 +0000 http://www.signposts.org.au/2007/06/05/what-is-the-purpose-of-scripture/#comment-166232 Hello again everyone, been awhile since I posted. Curkpatrick's words are very timely and quite important. They are also not terribly new. The idea of the Bible being the sole authority by which God speaks to us through the Spirit is something that Christians have accepted for centuries (and is continually being denied by various denominations throughout that time). For example, <a href="http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Westminster_Confession_of_Faith" rel="nofollow">The Westminster Confession</a> (1646) says: <i>The authority of the holy Scripture, for which it ought to be believed and obeyed, dependeth not upon the testimony of any man or Church, but wholly upon God (who is truth itself), the Author thereof; and therefore it is to be received, because it is the Word of God.</i> (1.4) it also says this: <i>The whole counsel of God, concerning all things necessary for his own glory, man's salvation, faith, and life, is either expressly set down in Scripture, or by good and necessary consequence may be deduced from Scripture: unto which nothing at any time is to be added, whether by new revelations of the Spirit, or traditions of men. Nevertheless we acknowledge the inward illumination of the Spirit of God to be necessary for the saving understanding of such things as are revealed in the Word; and that there are some circumstances concerning the worship of God, and the government of the Church, common to human actions and societies, which are to be ordered by the light of nature and Christian prudence, according to the general rules of the Word, which are always to be observed.</i> (1.6) So Curkpatrick has essentially said exactly what these people 450 years said. This is not to criticise him at all, but to affirm that what he has said is not some new teaching, but one that has been around since the beginning of the church. Hello again everyone, been awhile since I posted.

Curkpatrick’s words are very timely and quite important. They are also not terribly new. The idea of the Bible being the sole authority by which God speaks to us through the Spirit is something that Christians have accepted for centuries (and is continually being denied by various denominations throughout that time). For example, The Westminster Confession (1646) says:

The authority of the holy Scripture, for which it ought to be believed and obeyed, dependeth not upon the testimony of any man or Church, but wholly upon God (who is truth itself), the Author thereof; and therefore it is to be received, because it is the Word of God. (1.4)

it also says this:

The whole counsel of God, concerning all things necessary for his own glory, man’s salvation, faith, and life, is either expressly set down in Scripture, or by good and necessary consequence may be deduced from Scripture: unto which nothing at any time is to be added, whether by new revelations of the Spirit, or traditions of men. Nevertheless we acknowledge the inward illumination of the Spirit of God to be necessary for the saving understanding of such things as are revealed in the Word; and that there are some circumstances concerning the worship of God, and the government of the Church, common to human actions and societies, which are to be ordered by the light of nature and Christian prudence, according to the general rules of the Word, which are always to be observed. (1.6)

So Curkpatrick has essentially said exactly what these people 450 years said. This is not to criticise him at all, but to affirm that what he has said is not some new teaching, but one that has been around since the beginning of the church.

]]> By: Emma Whale http://www.signposts.org.au/2007/06/05/what-is-the-purpose-of-scripture/#comment-166053 Emma Whale Fri, 08 Jun 2007 05:06:19 +0000 http://www.signposts.org.au/2007/06/05/what-is-the-purpose-of-scripture/#comment-166053 how do you mean? sorry not up with the whole munsters thing. how do you mean? sorry not up with the whole munsters thing.

]]> By: the rev http://www.signposts.org.au/2007/06/05/what-is-the-purpose-of-scripture/#comment-166031 the rev Fri, 08 Jun 2007 00:56:07 +0000 http://www.signposts.org.au/2007/06/05/what-is-the-purpose-of-scripture/#comment-166031 They aren't glossing over it Emma, they are using proper hermenmunster rev They aren’t glossing over it Emma, they are using proper hermenmunster

rev

]]> By: Emma Whale http://www.signposts.org.au/2007/06/05/what-is-the-purpose-of-scripture/#comment-166020 Emma Whale Thu, 07 Jun 2007 22:34:05 +0000 http://www.signposts.org.au/2007/06/05/what-is-the-purpose-of-scripture/#comment-166020 For a lot of people I know it's like a house of cards...if they re-interpret or don't take the Bible literally in every sense, and make every issue a black-and-white "the Bible says this" kind of an issue, then they take out a card at the bottom of the house and the whole thing collapses. It's almost like, if I believe you can be gay and a Christian then I can't believe in this Christianity thing at all beacuse nothing makes sense anymore. But the reality is even fundies pick and choose, it'sjust they gloss over the bits they're not picking. For a lot of people I know it’s like a house of cards…if they re-interpret or don’t take the Bible literally in every sense, and make every issue a black-and-white “the Bible says this” kind of an issue, then they take out a card at the bottom of the house and the whole thing collapses. It’s almost like, if I believe you can be gay and a Christian then I can’t believe in this Christianity thing at all beacuse nothing makes sense anymore.

But the reality is even fundies pick and choose, it’sjust they gloss over the bits they’re not picking.

]]> By: Toddy http://www.signposts.org.au/2007/06/05/what-is-the-purpose-of-scripture/#comment-165969 Toddy Thu, 07 Jun 2007 02:17:40 +0000 http://www.signposts.org.au/2007/06/05/what-is-the-purpose-of-scripture/#comment-165969 I like that he was able to use the word 'foci' and 'congruance' in the same paragraph. I find myself getting increasingly annoyed with people who say 'the bible says this in chapter_ verse_ therefore that's what God thinks'. It's the whole document, or it's nothing... I like that he was able to use the word ‘foci’ and ‘congruance’ in the same paragraph.

I find myself getting increasingly annoyed with people who say ‘the bible says this in chapter_ verse_ therefore that’s what God thinks’.

It’s the whole document, or it’s nothing…

]]> By: emanresu http://www.signposts.org.au/2007/06/05/what-is-the-purpose-of-scripture/#comment-165957 emanresu Thu, 07 Jun 2007 00:05:05 +0000 http://www.signposts.org.au/2007/06/05/what-is-the-purpose-of-scripture/#comment-165957 Ooh snap! Someone get me some ice, I just got BURNED! Ooh snap! Someone get me some ice, I just got BURNED!

]]> By: bec http://www.signposts.org.au/2007/06/05/what-is-the-purpose-of-scripture/#comment-165955 bec Wed, 06 Jun 2007 23:31:37 +0000 http://www.signposts.org.au/2007/06/05/what-is-the-purpose-of-scripture/#comment-165955 :lol: :lol:

]]> By: ADHD.LIBRARIAN http://www.signposts.org.au/2007/06/05/what-is-the-purpose-of-scripture/#comment-165952 ADHD.LIBRARIAN Wed, 06 Jun 2007 06:54:12 +0000 http://www.signposts.org.au/2007/06/05/what-is-the-purpose-of-scripture/#comment-165952 Least amount of words possible? Doesn't read that way to me. I reckon with a bit of editing I could trim it down a bit. The first four books of the new testament for instance, way too much repetition. Lets get that down to two books (Luke and John?) Even then we can trim the overlap. Genealogies, exiles, false gods - gets repetitive. Lets trim that down a bit too and we can make at least 33% of the OT disappear. I'd happily say that I could edit it to use a hell of a lot less words and as a result it'd be a lot easier for the man on the street to understand. mmm, I can see it now, [scene - a Koorong store casher stands at desk, enter customer] customer: I want to buy some bibles. casher: we've got lots of bibles here this is a bible shop. Waht translation would you like? customer: NKJ casher: Oh, I'm afraid we're out of NKJ, not much call for it around here, we've got NIV, RASV or ADHD. [scene fades] Least amount of words possible?
Doesn’t read that way to me.
I reckon with a bit of editing I could trim it down a bit.
The first four books of the new testament for instance, way too much repetition. Lets get that down to two books (Luke and John?)
Even then we can trim the overlap.
Genealogies, exiles, false gods - gets repetitive. Lets trim that down a bit too and we can make at least 33% of the OT disappear.
I’d happily say that I could edit it to use a hell of a lot less words and as a result it’d be a lot easier for the man on the street to understand.

mmm,
I can see it now,
[scene - a Koorong store
casher stands at desk, enter customer]

customer: I want to buy some bibles.
casher: we’ve got lots of bibles here this is a bible shop. Waht translation would you like?
customer: NKJ
casher: Oh, I’m afraid we’re out of NKJ, not much call for it around here, we’ve got NIV, RASV or ADHD.

[scene fades]

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