Posted by j on January 21, 2003 at 09:59:01:
Discussed:
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Bessemer Process:
(rough explanation - see PS post for more detail):
1. Did not have previous knowledge of.
2. "Whatever is, is right" - beware of false familiarity.
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Bracketing:
PS discussed the concept of "bracketing" - that is taking a concept and putting it in [brackets] to set it aside. If the bracketed concept is true, critical thought will bear it out... if the thought is false, then mental processing will identify this.
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Infallibility of the Bible:
This takes courage!
This idea basically assumes that the original text is absolutely true/accurate - including punctuation, etc.
When reviewing God's word (i.e. when testing the validity of the Bible), there are several points to consider... [this is where I ask forgiveness for not keeping my notes up... I only wrote down the last two, PS was on a roll, and I forgot myself]
6. Foundation of faith - When interpreting scripture and viewing a traditional explanation under scrutiny, especially when the answer isn't obvious, ask the question, "What is my faith in?" This is a bit tough to put into words, and it warrants a closer look.
[*** I am now going to attempt to put this into my own words ***]
Luke 6:38 'Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete, withal it shall be measured to you again.'
I have heard this scripture repeated time and again and explained within the the context of 'Tithes and Offerings.' The interpretation is something along the lines of "The more money you give to God, the more He will bless your finances and return prosperity to you." This is a message that I have heard over and over again. Many prominent figures have "taught" this message.
If we were to call this interpretation into question, using "Foundation of faith" as our measuring stick, the interpretation loses a little credibility. In its essence, the interpretation says, 'Give more money to get more money' -- just because God is mentioned, he is only an engine to process the money exchange. If we weigh this interpretation against another set of scriptures, we see an interesting trend...
Luke 12:13-40 (Parable of the rich man and the storehouse) "...and I will say to my soul, 'Soul thou has much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry..." "God said unto him, 'Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee..." "Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on..." "...if then God so clothe the grass, which is today in the field, and tomorrow is cast into the oven; how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith? And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubful mind. For all these things do the nations of the world seek after; and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things. But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you."
Luke 16:19-31 (Parable of Lazarus and the Rich man) "...Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things: and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted and thou art tormented..."
The point of this explanation is to show that by asking the question, "What is my faith in?" while reading scriptures, traditional interpretations have the potential to shift. This shift might feel uncomfortable, but if you have bracketed your existing ideas, you are free to re-interpret things as these shifts happen (perhaps returning you to your original thought).
[*** Back to the notes, discussing the Infallibility of the Bible ***]
7. Nature of God (and Nature of Man) -- Does the interpretation follow one of these paths?
[I think a comparison chart with "Nature of God" on the left and "Nature of Man" on the right would be an interesting visual]
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Extra Curricular:
How do we build a church?
If you build a church, how do you...
- build a new church without basing it on a fallible concept/pattern/foundation?
- teach "true" traditions (and address "unfounded" traditions)?
- encourage positive peer pressure?
- encourage accountability?
- teach and instruct people through the points of faith and build that completely on Christ?
- create an environment for being broken and reborn? (I am Undone!)
Considerations:
Who is building the church?
What is the church? (Ecclesia Koinos - sp?)
How are we doing this in our own lives?
Diversity in individuals:
There are those who feel...
...guilty, and need forgiveness.
...lost and confused, and need direction.
...trapped, and need to escape.
...hungry, and need food.
...frightened and angry, and need to feel safe and secure.
...bored, and need to be helped.
I was reading some scriptures about "the church" and I really liked Revelations 19:5-9.
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Final thought:
PS asked some questions about some events in the Old Testament, and there were very few confident responses. Although he didn't intend for me to feel this (or maybe he did ;-), I felt ashamed. Anyway, I'm rereading in the Old Testament in addition to my extra curricular studies, and I encourage you to do so as well... besides, how cool would that be if we were falling all over ourselves to answer a question PS might ask, like, "What was the sign God gave to Hezekiah that he would be healed?"...
J