FHG,
What is this 'single truth' the Bible speaks to?
As for the word needing no outside interpretation, this is a straw man fallacy. All of the Bible needs careful exegesis - obtaining the meaning from the text.
Do you realise that is not a single word in the NT that explains Greek grammar and syntax? If I didn't use J W Wenham's Elements of New Testament Greek, I would have a clue about the original NT language and how to translate it.
Whatever translation you use needed translators with an intricate knowledge of the original languages. They had to have knowledge acquired from outside sources to understand the original languages.
I find it to be a simplistic brushing aside of the importance of other Bible teachers for you to say: 'the word needs no outside interpretations'. The fact is that without outside interpretations we would have no Bible translations. I have a friend who is a SIL Bible translator in a foreign land. He went to Australian National University to get a degree in linguistics to assist him in developing a Bible translation for a tribe whose language was not in written form. It takes a lot of work to bring oral tradition into print and then to translate a Bible in the lingua franca of the people.
Frankly, I'm tired of your pushing the line that 'the word needs no outside interpretations' or the Bible is self-interpreting.
This is a false accusation, and that by a moderator. I know some of his beliefs by his stating he is not Christian in his avatar.
Are Christians called to judge false doctrine? With your statement in bold, you provided no biblical reference. Could you be referring to Matt 7:1?
However, you've missed a lot of other Scriptures that call Christians to discernment (being judges of false and correct). I'm thinking of verses such as:
Based on these and many other verses it is the responsibility of Christians on this earth to be judges.
- 1 Corinthians 5:11–13 (NIV): 'But now I am writing to you that you must not associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or slanderer, a drunkard or swindler. Do not even eat with such people. What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? God will judge those outside. ‘Expel the wicked person from among you.’
- 1 Cor 6:4 (NIV): 'Therefore, if you have disputes about such matters, do you ask for a ruling from those whose way of life is scorned in the church?'
- 2 Thessalonians 3:6 (NIV): 'In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we command you, brothers and sisters, to keep away from every believer who is idle and disruptive and does not live according to the teaching you received from us'.
- 1 Timothy 6:20 (NIV): 'Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to your care. Turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge'.
- Titus 3:9 (NIV): 'But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law, because these are unprofitable and useless'.
- Etc, etc.
Until my dying day, you will never ever convince me that 'we judge no man or woman as judgement belongs to God'. When you make this kind of statement you promote false doctrine.
Oz
The single truth is found in John 1:1-5 and John 3:1-21 to name just a few verses as the OT teachings are the foreshadow of Messiah come in the NT within His birth, death and resurrection.
Translators are those who transcribe the scriptures into different languages from that of the original Hebrew and Greek.
I believe exegesis is that of scripture interprets itself if we are studying the full context and cross referencing other scriptures for complete interpretation as the Holy Spirit teaches us all truths as we obtain the meaning from the text, 1 John 2:26, 27.
I don't feel the need to learn Greek grammar as the arrangment of the words in each verse has already been transcibe into English for me to understand the full of scripture as the Holy Spirit reveals the meaning of what I am reading. I use the KJV which has already been translated into English by those scholors who transcibed the original Hebrew and Greek into English language.
I do not brush aside Bible teaches, but have learned how to Spiritually discern that of what others try to teach me, 1 John 4:1-6.
I'm not pushing anything as I sincerely believe the Bible interprets itself through our listening to the Holy Spirit who teaches us all truths.
Sorry, but you are judging mozo1 who just joined us today solely on the basis that he has a no marked as being a Christian.
This is a new member forum to welcome our new members and all you have done is judged him from the start. What false doctrine has he presented as I have not yet seen him teach anything or even given a chance to explain what he has already said. You are judging a book by its cover without knowing what is inside.
Great way of welcoming a new member without getting to know them first.