In an earlier post, I argued that the Bible reveals doctrine, by which I mean, religious beliefs are a matter of revelation and not logical or emotional preference. Today, I want to follow through with one sample doctrine — divorce and remarriage — and use that as a springboard to the larger subject of truth …
Category Archives: Interpretation
Downloadable Truth… Is it Healthy?
The preaching of Jesus is a chief treasure of all real churches (Acts 5:42; Rom 1:15; Eph 4:11; 1 Cor 1:17; 1 Cor 1:21; 1 Cor 9:18; 1 Cor 15:2; 2 Tim 4:2; Titus 1:3; 1 Peter 1:25; etc.). Jesus wants a Church where he is preached faithfully, and he wants his people gathered to …
Speculative Thinking vs. Revelation Thinking
The Bible Reveals. It reveals who God is. We should not come to the Bible with preferences about biblical practices or biblical orthodoxy, but we should come to discover what is orthodox. This approach has ramifications. It means that an argument against a practice or a doctrine based upon that doctrine’s non-preferable ramifications, is not …
Why do we make mistakes in interpreting the Bible?
Do you remember that part of the Gospel of John where the Jews took palm branches and went out to meet Jesus and called him King? That episode is recorded in John 12. It made me wonder: Why palm branches? What do palm branches signify?
Ancient Facts vs. Traditional Interpretations
There is an instinctive and healthy expectation that our Biblical knowledge is stable. We are suspicious of new interpretations of old texts. There are exceptions to this rule. If we discover something new, like the Dead Sea Scrolls, then our view of Israel and the scriptures adjust. Historical and archaeological research builds upon previous data, …