| Author | Message | ||
| Jerry Registered user Username: Jerry Post Number: 502 Registered: 6-2002 |
A few days ago I heard an interesting expression from an ardent SDA apologist. A phrase was used to explain how one arrives at a certain interpretation of a Bible verse. I could hardly believe what I heard. I was flabbergasted, befuddled and maybe even hornswoggled. If this is a well known Adventist phrase, and I am not entirely sure it is, could someone help me understand what it means in "SDA-speak" translated to plain English? This person was insisting that various proof texts with the word "commandment" were automatically referring to only the Ten Commandments. This person said something like, "you don't need any other evidence, you can arrive at this interpretation by MENTAL ASCENT." <<gagg>> From where, in the world of EGW and Saturn-worship-day, does THAT originate? | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 4825 Registered: 12-2003  |
H-m-m-m...others may have heard this phrase, but it's new to me. (I assume you mean "assent" instead of "ascent"--meaning agreement instead of "rising up"." I suspect that this argument is based on the person's inability to support his argument in any scholarly way. He's probably trying to appeal to Adventists' automatic assumption that "commandment" means "The Ten". "We can all agree with this interpretation," is how I read this. Of course, I totally disagree. Colleen | ||
| Jeremy Registered user Username: Jeremy Post Number: 1562 Registered: 10-2004  |
Or perhaps they did mean "mental ascent"--they want you to raise your intellectual level to the level of "Adventist Peak"!  Of course their interpretation would work better if "The Ten" were actually called "commandments" in Scripture. In reality, they are never even called "commandments," but are called the "Ten Words" in the Hebrew. No Jew would have understood "commandments" to mean the Ten Words! If it referred to commandments in the Law, it would mean ALL 613 commandments. Jeremy | ||
| Jerry Registered user Username: Jerry Post Number: 503 Registered: 6-2002 |
I copied the spelling I saw. I think the writer meant "mental assent" but spelled it incorrectly. The interpretation was, of course, wrong, but I had never heard of interpretation by "mental ascent(sic)." Pathetic idea, if you ask me. I take it this does not ring a bell. eh? | ||
| Riverfonz Registered user Username: Riverfonz Post Number: 2178 Registered: 3-2005 |
I understand what is being said in the above posts, but I still read the whole story of the giving of the Decalogue on Mt. Sinai, and I am awed by the majesty of God! Since I am no longer under the law, it means I can still marvel at how wonderful and righteous are His laws that He gave Israel, and the moral imperatives of this wonderful Law still stand, and are applicable to all of humanity. Jesus has fulfilled the entire law, and He is our Sabbath rest 24/7 who still empowers to obey the Law of Christ, which is even a more powerful restatement of God's basic laws given to Israel. Stan | ||
| Jerry Registered user Username: Jerry Post Number: 504 Registered: 6-2002 |
A little more on this: I believe this term "mental ascent(sic; s/b assent)" is related to the Adventist doctrine of "thought inspiration" for the Scriptures. This doctrine is often hidden behind nebulous statements that disguise the real belief. It amounts to a corporate self deception whereby, since no amount of scholarly exegesis need be accepted, Adventists can assign any "thought" to any part of the Bible irrespective of narrative, language, and historical context. For example: It is one of the ways they can defend the so-called "year/day prophetic principle" and other exegetally suspect doctrines. What a bunch of double talk! |
