Date: 8/1/2003 11:15:00 PM
From Authorid: 19092
You make some good points. One must understand the setting, those involved, the message...there is much to consider. And there are some very weak English words used to convey meanings spoken in other tongues or languages. In fact, there are some words that English just doesn't fit or accurately convey at all. One should also pray while reading, or before reading, to seek God and His will in the scriptures. Pray for understanding and insight, seek out learned scholars of Gods word who may have insight that can be shared. Get several translations and compare all the text, this often helps me understand. Get a good study bible which contains more history and geographic information....the sources go on and on, just pick your sources wisely...Good post!!!  |
Date: 8/2/2003 9:21:00 AM
From Authorid: 52155
Excellent points. You and KC nailed it on the head.  |
Date: 8/2/2003 9:56:00 AM ( From Author )
From Authorid: 47162
Some people are so afraid to ask, "What did it mean to them?" They think by doing this, they are saying the Bible only applied to them and not to us. But what they don't understand is that in order to make it correctly apply to us, we must first ask things about the original hearers. I don't know if these people are just not smart enough to get it, or just don't want to get it?*shrug*  |
Date: 8/2/2003 7:44:00 PM
From Authorid: 62100
I really don't feel that we need instructions on how to read the Bible..nor a list of questions which to ask ourselves. We all know how to pick it up and read and whatever we get from it is OUR understanding and is therefore NOT wrong. That is the beauty of having individual thought and our own brains..if we were all supposed to think alike we would.  |
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Date: 8/2/2003 8:12:00 PM ( From Author )
From Authorid: 47162
62100..so under your theory the Bible can mean what ever you want it to mean? We don't have to find out what it was intended to mean? Is that how you expect people to understand emails you write to them? they really don't have to worry about what you mean. As long as they come up with their own meaning its all good? That's what we do with the Bible when we don't look for it's intended meaning. It's just like someone taking an email you sent them and reading their own meaning into it. |
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Date: 8/2/2003 8:19:00 PM
From Authorid: 62100
But don't we do that anyway?? If we took it the wrong way and we explain our view then they are there and able to reply and explain the meaning. We don't have that luxury with the authors of the Bible, so therefore what are we to do..it's up to the individual to take it at face value or whether to go to someone else and accept THEIR interpretation. Yet, these people did not write it..the authors are long gone, so how can we fully rely upon someone elses' interpretation as to what it means?? The same could be said about whether or not to trust our own interpretation as well..yet at least in that sense we are thinking for ourselves.. |
Date: 8/2/2003 8:19:00 PM
From Authorid: 3125
Good post!  I think a good way of studying God's Word is to 1. Study it..Study to show thyself approved unto God. (2 Tim 2:15) If people who claims to believe God's Word, don't study it to know what God is saying, then they are apt to fall for about anything that someone else tells them. 2. Realize that God speaks to us through His Word and His Word should be respected as if He is standing right before us. 3. In studying a verse, we should observe closely the verses before and after. Some will take a verse and attempt to make it say something that was not intented by the writer. We must study the before and after verses to get the complete picture. We should also consider the historical context, such as what were the circumstances surrounding the event, speech, or situation..A basic historical background of all the books would give a better understanding. 4. Observe to whom a statement is made and why. Using your example.."Greet Priscilla and Aquila" We should study to know who these people were. We can know that 1 & 2 Timothy are letters which Paul had written to Timothy while Paul was in prison. Priscilla and Aquila were Paul's helpers in Christ, whom he first met in Corinth, aferwards in Ephesus, who returned to Rome and were now back in Ephesus. So there's no way we could greet these two people. 5. We should study God's Word without preconceived ideas of our own or others. Be opened-minded to new found truths. When we find these truths, ask questions, and pray to God for an understanding. God is not hiding from us. He wants us to understand His will or He wouldn't have bothered with giving it to us.  |
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Date: 8/2/2003 8:21:00 PM ( From Author )
From Authorid: 47162
Rosure, thanks for the reply. How can you convince people who don't think this is necessary? Every time I try to explain to certain people that they must consider who it was written too, I'm immidiately asked, "Are you saying this doesn't apply to us today?" These are the most frustrating people in the world ugh. |
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Date: 8/2/2003 8:34:00 PM
From Authorid: 62100
Okay..but how can you be sure that it DOES apply to people today?? Surely it does if you believe in what the Bible says and are a firm believer, yet someone else may NOT be of the same convictions that you are..and therefore it would not apply. ANYTHING written in a different time period could apply to people today IF they CHOOSE for it too, whether it be a book on how a lady acts from the 1700's or the stretches of the universe from the 1600's..or even a book on how the earth is flat..if you believe it, it can be so. I mean, we could take today's tabloids and see that it says that the earth will combust tomorrow and take it at face value..but does that make it so??? |
Date: 8/3/2003 12:33:00 AM
From Authorid: 55967
62100, I would say you can tell it applies to today by simply looking at what it teaches. It is ABOUT ancient men, but the points it makes are universal to all men and women and what is experienced intenally as human beings. Many of the teachings are quite logical and can be experienced by people of any culture at any time. They do not simply point at how to live in their culture or what they emperically believed the universe was like, but rather at how to associate with fellow humans, when to work, when not to work, how to pray, what to do when faced with certain adversities which we all experience, the pleasures and misuse of alcohol, etc., etc. It therefore does speak to us today on many levels.  |
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Date: 8/3/2003 5:59:00 PM
From Authorid: 62100
But that is my point..it applies to Christians and they find the meanings and the applications to society today because they believe in the scriptures and God completely. On the other hand, a religous zealot can prescribe a completely different application to the writings and thus form a cult and instruct and brainwash others to believe these things as fully as they themselves do. Someone who is agnostic, as I am, can read and see where it MAY apply to society today, yet at the same time feel very strongly that the Bible has some "holes" as well that don't make sense..thus leading us to question. Then, we have the atheists who find absolutely NO ascribed meaning to themselves or society and therefore look to something else to believe in..this doesn't make ANYONE wrong..rather it displays just how varied each individuals free thought is. The problems start to occur when others don't have the capacity within themselves to say..okay, I understand that you don't agree with my beliefs..but that's okay. Rather they attack you or try to convince you that if you just look harder or within yourself or give you instructions like the ones listed above by the author in order to "learn" how to read the Bible. What they fail to realize is that we KNOW how to read and we take our own meanings and apply them as we see fit..we are not wrong or doing something incorrectly..we just have our own beliefs. |
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Date: 8/3/2003 9:50:00 PM
From Authorid: 55967
Well, I had all of humanity in mind when I wrote this, and not just Christians. I believe that most of the lessons in the Bible DO apply to anyone, regardless if whether they think Jesus rose or not, or whether they think Moses really did talk to God, or even if the Bible is historically accurate. If someone believes NONE of the above, I still say it holds great lessons to lead your life. They're written for practical purposes for any man. Proverbs jumps into my mind. What culture or religion on earth says that work is bad and slothfulness or laziness is good? See what I mean? If you think I'm missing something in what you've said, please reply again. |
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Date: 8/5/2003 12:09:00 AM
From Authorid: 62100
Okay..I get what you are saying now..you're talking not just from a Christian point of view but all manners of life. I can see where certain things would apply to every day life in that context. |
Date: 8/7/2003 1:36:00 AM
From Authorid: 34814
I personally don't really care what these inspired people wanted me to try to understand. It's 2003 and I am pickin up ashes of Harry Potter  |
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Date: 8/7/2003 3:53:00 PM
From Authorid: 55967
^^? "picking up ashes..." this might be a "stupid" question, but does that mean you like him or not like him? Just curious... |
