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Colleentinker
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Username: Colleentinker

Post Number: 4110
Registered: 12-2003


Posted on Tuesday, June 06, 2006 - 12:21 am:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I'm taokiing the summer session of women's Bible studyóit's not as structured as during the year, and we don't have small groups, etc. But I wanted to share a great, concise set of "Guidelines for asking the Right Questions of God's Word in order to ge the Right Answers".

First, here are 5 facts about the Bible:

1. The Bible is an "historical book about people who lived through specific events in chronological reality (IOW, not myths).

2. The Bible is a Geogrpahical book with peiople and events in specific places.

3. the Bitle is primarily a Theological book in that its theme is God (the Holy Spirit uses men to write about the God-Man, Jesus Christ).

4. The Bible is a Literary book; words, sentences, paragraphs are read in the same way books are readóyou "seek the plain sense" and notice grammar, literary devices and imagery.

5. Each of the 66 books of the Bible has a specific genreóinteretation depends on whether it is history, teaching, poetry, wisdom or prophecy.

You can learn the correct interpretation of any text when you ask these questions:

1. When did it happen and who was involved? When was it written and who was the first to read it? (Historyóchronology/biography)

2. Where did it happen? (Geographyówhere in the world?)

3. What does God say about Himself or to man? (Theologyótruth of salvation history)

4. What influences shaped this event?: These people? This response? (Cultureónations)

5.What is the point of view/focus in the text/important words? (Literaryóask questions)

6. What genre controls the way we explain these texts?(Historical Narrative, Didactic Literature, Poetry, Wisdcom, Prophecy, Parables, Metaphors)

7. When you answer these questions based on what Scripture says, you will have a handle on God's Word and a handle on life.

And here's one more interesting insight:

Views People Hold of the Bible

A. The Secular view: the human mind is final basis of truth/authority

B The Religious view: The church is the final basis of truth/authority

C The Spiritual view: Emotion is the fiunal basis of truth/authority

C The orthodox [Biblical Christian] view: The Bible is the final basis of truth/authority.

I realized that as an Adventist, while I said the Bible was the final word, in practice my mind was the final word. I had to be able to question the text and adjust its meanings to fit not only Ellen White but also my own cultural bias.

I'll share more next week!

Colleen
Mwh
Registered user
Username: Mwh

Post Number: 46
Registered: 4-2006


Posted on Tuesday, June 06, 2006 - 12:25 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Great reminders and summary of bible reading :-)

I had a discusion with my Adventist friend about using your mind while interpretating God's Word and I was telling her that one is able to get the meaning from the Bible when reading it in context and studying it and that one does not need to do too much thinking of your own.
This is sutle though and I think most Adventist use their minds more than reading their bible.

Oh this sounds so wird saying this but I think its true, one can get traped in ones own thinking, reasoning and logic, instead of just reading the bible like an open book.
Colleentinker
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Username: Colleentinker

Post Number: 4114
Registered: 12-2003


Posted on Tuesday, June 06, 2006 - 2:17 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Mwh, I think what you are saying makes sense in light of 1 Corinthians 1 and 2. Paul says that human wisdom and logic is foolishness to God, and God's wisdom is foolishness to man. He also says that spiritual things are spiritually discerned, and without the Holy Spirit, spiritual things seem like nonsense.

Adventists, indeed, are taught to analyze and evaluate Scripture as they would evaluate Ellen White. They are told what the Bible means based on Ellen's teachings, and then they "decide" what certain passages mean on top of the background of Ellen White. They cannot read the Bible at face value or they would come up with different conclusions than Ellen White has established.

Colleen
Belvalew
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Username: Belvalew

Post Number: 1037
Registered: 7-2004
Posted on Wednesday, June 07, 2006 - 9:46 am:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Mwh, I think you are right. Adventists have a tendency to "intellectualize" the scriptures. Whether they know it or not they are trying to fit what the Bible has to say inside of the constructs of what Ellen White has had to say on the same topics. They are not aware that they have the cart before the horse.
Flyinglady
Registered user
Username: Flyinglady

Post Number: 2584
Registered: 3-2004


Posted on Wednesday, June 07, 2006 - 12:05 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Colleen,
I have printed the guide lines for Bible study and am taking it with me to mine.
Thanks.
Diana

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