We need to quit being so hard on those who lived 2,000 years ago. In fact, we need to be thankful to them for their contributions to the journey of faith that we’re all on. But on the same hand we need to quit using the “same thinking” that they used! They did the best they could. They told us of the world as they saw it, as they understood it. We live in the 21st century. COME OUT! Come out of 2,000 year old intellectualism, and come into the reality of the world in 2006 (as bad as that might be).
What is Bible revelation, illumination? How does it differ from heresy? Who is Jesus today, what is the bible today- for you? I do not have to accept things in the Bible that are not true, not logical. Now, I know that set off great angst among those who see EVERY WORD of the Bible as straight from the pen of God; however. they can’t tell you which of the 100+ bible translation, or which of the 5,000+ manuscripts He penned. Going back to the Bible doesn’t mean going back to 30CE thinking or understanding of facts-knowledge.
As I said in an earlier commentary (August 26th), I don’t have to accept 1st century knowledge of GENETICS (humuncleos). In fact, I definitely should not. We know far more today than about BIOLOGY than Matthew or Luke.
We should not stay with the antiquated and error-filled ideas that our faith-fathers had in ASTRONOMY! We live in the 21st century and we know so much more than Joshua or Jonah did.
We even have greater spiritual understanding of the UNIVERSE than did our faith-fathers who created the CREEDS (Apostle, Nicean, and Athanasian). It’s obvious that they saw a simplified three-tiered universe: heaven above, earth in the middle, and hell below. Quantum physics has even proven that what we knew 50 years ago as it relates to the physical make-up of the world goes, was wrong. Thus the framework holding the statement of faith of believers needs to be SEEN in light of what is TRUE today.
In so doing, we’re not destroying faith: we’re affirming it with modern-day reality. TRUTH stands the test of time. Man’s ideas and facts are ever changing, and well they should.
One of our challenges is to extract the TRUTH of the WORD! No reputable scholar today would deny the existence of Jesus in history! He lived! He still lives! But, “Jesus as fact” is always interpreted, by the interpreter. Some interpret Him with 1st century lenses. I’m not one of those. I interpret Jesus and the Word through a 2006 lense, which is different than my 2004 glasses. In the natural my eyes are getting weaker, but I surely do believe my spiritual eyes are getting better: not yet 20-20, but not as bad as they were.
But, you say, doesn’t the Word say that God is the same all the time? Yep! And I believe that; however, we’re not dealing with God here, but MANS interpretation(s) of God. I pray that yours is always changing, always improving, going from good, to better, to best! Isn’t that the challenge of II Cor. 3:18, and other verses?
Are you a 21st century believing Christian? If so, there may be a lot of non-believers who might listen. Of course they usually look (at your life) before they want to listen.
Qouting…”TRUTH stands the test of time. Man’s ideas and facts are ever changing, and well they should.”
And I believe God’s TRUTH never changes, His LOVE never changes, nor His perfect WILL for our destinies and to me that is how we can say in agreement with His word”; God is the same Yesterday, today and tomorrow!” Once we begin experiencing His LOVE, His TRUTH becomes known more and more and understanding of His perfect will for our destinies become clearer. Can we say just BE His LOVE here in the world where we live? BE mirrors reflecting His glory, His LOVE, reflecting HIM to the world around each of us. Then we can say our ideas and facts are changing from better to BEST!