by jimwalton » Sun Jan 28, 2018 8:28 pm
What it takes to interpret the Bible correctly is a genuine relationship with God. 1 Corinthians 2.6-16 (esp. vv. 10-14) tells us that God reveals truth to us by His Spirit. his is not something that can be figured out if you think hard enough about it, or it you just have enough logic and reasoning power you can "get" it. It's not like that. It's a spiritual truth that can only be digested and appropriated if the Spirit of God allows you to see and hear. Now, I would also say that the Spirit of God approaches everyone with such an allowance, but only those who tune their hearts to him in response are the ones who hear it. It's the ones who have ears who hear what the Spirit is saying. So it's not so much that it requires a good man. There are plenty of good men who don't have the Spirit in them.
As far as your statement about rapists, pedophiles, and murderers, I would need to know who in the world you are referencing with those comments. The men and women I know today who are interpreting the Bible—various pastors, professors, teachers, and even common people—are not rapists, pedophiles, or murderers. So you have to be more specific. If you're talking about the numerous Catholic priests who have been found out to be pederastic predators, I wouldn't trust anything they say about the Bible. I would be quite confident the Spirit is neither talking to them or through them.
You mention "as a result of Constantine's order." About what order in specific are you referring? In the Edict of Milan he allowed tolerance for Christianity in the Empire, but what does that have to do with your question?
And you are soundly mistaken if you think anything Constantine did "created" the Bible. By the time of Constantine the Old Testament had been in existence for at least 1000 years, and the NT for 200 years. The Church Fathers, in the 2nd century (100 yrs before Constantine) all recognized the authority of the Gospels and Paul's epistles. Only in response to the Gnostic heresy and various other heresies did the Church bother to solidify the official canon. Between AD 140-220, numerous church leaders affirmed what we call the New Testament. During the AD 300s, Origin, Eusebius, and Athanasius did the same. What had been known for centuries to be authoritative was finally affirmed (ratified) by the Synod of Rome (the Western Church) in 382 and by the Synod of Carthage (the Eastern Church) in 397—both of them in complete consensus. Constantine died in 337, so these events had nothing to do with him or any "order" of his.
> some of those who translated the bible throughout the centuries, were not good men, and did not interpret the bible correctly?
About whom are you talking here?
What it takes to interpret the Bible correctly is a genuine relationship with God. 1 Corinthians 2.6-16 (esp. vv. 10-14) tells us that God reveals truth to us by His Spirit. his is not something that can be figured out if you think hard enough about it, or it you just have enough logic and reasoning power you can "get" it. It's not like that. It's a spiritual truth that can only be digested and appropriated if the Spirit of God allows you to see and hear. Now, I would also say that the Spirit of God approaches everyone with such an allowance, but only those who tune their hearts to him in response are the ones who hear it. It's the ones who have ears who hear what the Spirit is saying. So it's not so much that it requires a good man. There are plenty of good men who don't have the Spirit in them.
As far as your statement about rapists, pedophiles, and murderers, I would need to know who in the world you are referencing with those comments. The men and women I know today who are interpreting the Bible—various pastors, professors, teachers, and even common people—are not rapists, pedophiles, or murderers. So you have to be more specific. If you're talking about the numerous Catholic priests who have been found out to be pederastic predators, I wouldn't trust anything they say about the Bible. I would be quite confident the Spirit is neither talking to them or through them.
You mention "as a result of Constantine's order." About what order in specific are you referring? In the Edict of Milan he allowed tolerance for Christianity in the Empire, but what does that have to do with your question?
And you are soundly mistaken if you think anything Constantine did "created" the Bible. By the time of Constantine the Old Testament had been in existence for at least 1000 years, and the NT for 200 years. The Church Fathers, in the 2nd century (100 yrs before Constantine) all recognized the authority of the Gospels and Paul's epistles. Only in response to the Gnostic heresy and various other heresies did the Church bother to solidify the official canon. Between AD 140-220, numerous church leaders affirmed what we call the New Testament. During the AD 300s, Origin, Eusebius, and Athanasius did the same. What had been known for centuries to be authoritative was finally affirmed (ratified) by the Synod of Rome (the Western Church) in 382 and by the Synod of Carthage (the Eastern Church) in 397—both of them in complete consensus. Constantine died in 337, so these events had nothing to do with him or any "order" of his.
> some of those who translated the bible throughout the centuries, were not good men, and did not interpret the bible correctly?
About whom are you talking here?