Too contraversial for some here.

[Jesse]

There is a great caution in that Jesse, I find no real reason to consider Saul/'later Paul as an unfaithful servant that chose to follow Satan, but he did. Saul became so busy he had no time to hide more scripture in his heart and Satan misused him. Our lives do not be, letter by letter, led by the scriptures but all through the Bible and God's Commentary is full of governing principals and if our actions violate that wisdom, we are in sin, whether we know it or not.

Not all leading spirits are from nor on mission for God.

I understand and I think people do go overboard and do things contrary to God's Word (like those women who kill their children) and claim it's from the Holy Spirit. Yet, not every experience we have with God will be in the Bible and not everything He does ask us to do is in the Bible, people rush back to the Bible to see if it's there and then they miss out on what God is doing all around them.

 

[Willie T]

Governing principles. One thing I have come to understand as a truth is that it honestly does you little good to memorize scripture IF all you can do with those words is simply repeat them as though you had just uttered some eternal wisdom for the unwashed,

I believe that if you cannot take the words on that "paper", and bring them to bear by speaking them back out in your OWN words and through your actions, then all you have really done is proven that you have a good memory.

 

[jeff77]

All I really know about Karl Barth, is that he was one of the good guys during WW2. He and Dietrich Bonhoeffer were some of the few that were trying to keep the Nazi's from influencing the German church.

 

[evenifigoalone]

All I really know about Karl Barth, is that he was one of the good guys during WW2. He and Dietrich Bonhoeffer were some of the few that were trying to keep the Nazi's from influencing the German church.

Ah. I've probably read about him somewhere then.

 

[jeff77]

Ah. I've probably read about him somewhere then.

I read Bonhoeffer's biography by author Eric Metaxes recently. It was one of the best books I have read in a while. In fact someone on this site recommended it to me. Can't remember who it was though?

 

[evenifigoalone]

I read Bonhoeffer's biography by author Eric Metaxes recently. It was one of the best books I have read in a while. In fact someone on this site recommended it to me. Can't remember who it was though?

I read about Bonhoeffer in my 10th or 11th year of highschool, when I was studying WW II. Was two or three years back, so I don't remember everything.

 

[jeff77]

It was interesting to read how Bonhoeffer, started out as the type of theologian that was more concerned about his knowledge of the Bible, than his actual relationship with Christ. Then he changed sometime after visiting the United States shortly before the war started.

 

[Mike S]

It was interesting to read how Bonhoeffer, started out as the type of theologian that was more concerned about his knowledge of the Bible, than his actual relationship with Christ. Then he changed sometime after visiting the United States shortly before the war started.

As a part of that time in New York Bonhoeffer visited Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem where he discovered an entirely new way of worship. The visceral emotional connection the blacks had with God made a huge impression on Bonhoeffer and he was transformed by how the Black Gospel was preached with "rapturous passion and vision."

I've used Bonhoeffer and his Cost of Discipleship in sermons more than a few times.

 

[Davies]

Hi Willie T,
For someone to say the Bible is a paper pope strikes me as purposeful provocation. The real issue is we often make ourselves popes when we do what we want despite what the Bible says. I understand the concern of having too many interpretations, but no matter how bad we may be at discerning, knowing what the Bible says will have its effect, if not now, later. The Word of God does not return void.

- Davies

 

[Willie T]

Hi Willie T,
For someone to say the Bible is a paper pope strikes me as purposeful provocation. The real issue is we often make ourselves popes when we do what we want despite what the Bible says. I understand the concern of having too many interpretations, but no matter how bad we may be at discerning, knowing what the Bible says will have its effect, if not now, later. The Word of God does not return void.

- Davies

I suppose we could say that modern Christianity is proof of that. Or..... could we?

I think Jeff (the author of the article) offered the healthiest solution... knowing Jesus.

BTW... Of course the words were deliberately chosen. Had flat, meaningless words been used, nowhere near this amount of conversation would have ensued. The way it was written was purposely designed to make us react, and then to... think. (Our biggest problem might be in getting hung up on the former stage, and never reaching the latter engagement.)

 

[jeff77]

As a part of that time in New York Bonhoeffer visited Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem where he discovered an entirely new way of worship. The visceral emotional connection the blacks had with God made a huge impression on Bonhoeffer and he was transformed by how the Black Gospel was preached with "rapturous passion and vision."

I've used Bonhoeffer and his Cost of Discipleship in sermons more than a few times.

Yes! That was what I read in the biography. If I remember right Bonhoeffer made 2 visits to the United States. During the first one he visited a few churches and for whatever reason found that they were not worth going to until he found the Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem. He was transformed by the Black Gospel, just like you mentioned. Who would have thought that a patriotic German during that time in History would choose to only go to an all black church! I think he also brought some of the Black Gospel music back to Germany.