Howard who comments here has launched his own hermeneutical project, Hermeneutics Workshop with the byline 'A liberal Anglican New Zealander reading Holy Scripture'.
It looks good. It's going to make a great contribution to hermeneutics. It will complement this site nicely.
Please take a look ...
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[This comment comes from Rosemary. She has had trouble posting on this blog. I am not sure why that is, but know that some have had trouble ... while others have been okay. I may change the Blogger template I am using to see if this fixes the problem. Peter].
ReplyDeleteIt may be very interesting to read some erudite reasoning from professional theologians, there are many on these two blogs and others, but I have to say I don’t often find them very clear, and almost never comforting. By comforting I don’t mean that my faith needs ‘comforting’ .. although that is what Jesus did ALL the time. What I mean is that I find professional theologians seem to have ‘fun’ picking everything to pieces rather than building folk up or together. Jesus told us a child could understand, well you wouldn’t think so listening to you folk!!! The plain message of Scripture seems to be lost when I try to read your blogs. Are you aware of the damage you could be doing? I’ve never been more aware of the scriptural stricture of ‘teacher beware’ for you will be judged more harshly!!
Here is where you’re confusing this particular lay person.
It would appear from your discussions that God, while completely competent to create this world and everything in it, is completely unable to communicate clearly with us. So much so that we need hermeneutical blogs that will explain to us poor ignorant folk what we need to know.
It would also appear that God doesn’t know the end from the beginning, whereas the fact that He DOES is usually a very comforting thought to us ignorant folk. Apparently, as we grow in our human knowledge about things that God didn’t understand back there at the beginning, we can actually find that HE has been wrong [not mistaken] in what He has communicated. Wow!!
You have also made it quite clear that His Holy Spirit is the author of confusion, if not downright deception! Apparently He can teach and lead us one way for 2000 years, then in the complete opposite direction starting now. Again .. wow!!!
We must value theologians. I well remember Dr. Jim Packer telling us he was just a plumber when he visited Dunedin, a conduit for preachers and the church. Keeping the water flowing! Perhaps you could remember that as you debate these issues, and in particular the three points above?
Hi Rosemary
ReplyDeleteI attempt to reply to your claims in a separate post!
Cheers
Peter
Thanks you for your endorsement, Peter. You don't deserve this comment from Rosemary, and neither do I.
ReplyDeleteIn the case of a discussion about biblical hermeneutics, the issue is not about what God is able to communicate, but what fallible believers are able to understand. We begin from the evident fact that honest believers differ in some significant aspects of what they believe God is saying to the church through holy scripture, and then attempt to explore the reasons for our differences.
Mutual respect is a precondition if this discussion is to be fruitful. It would be helpful if Rosemary was willing to respect those of us whose beliefs differ from her own.
"Whatsoever is not of faith is sin." My participation in this debate over what scripture has to say about sexuality is undertaken because God has called and prepared me for this task. I respond to that call as an obedient believer, not a professional disputant. The outcome I seek is a church in which all my friends and relatives, straight and gay, can be welcomed and nurtured. Believing that this is God's intention too, I trust in his guidance, believing that this process will be healthy for the church, and am not afraid that discussing these issues will turn to evil.
I invite all believers to participate in this dialogue. If like Rosemary, they view this process with fear, they should stay out of view and let us get on with our discussion. Blogs are public forums, but no-one is obliged to read them.