27 Jan '14 13:50>3 edits
Originally posted by KingOnPointHi KoP,
CalJust,
One thing is that Christ only had the Old Testament scriptures to "interpret."
Christ brought "grace and truth." Even the Israelites who were given the Law of God were looking forward in time for the Messiah to come. Perhaps, we can call this a new way of God's dealing with the whole world rather than dealing with just the Israelites. Thus, there is reason for the New Testament of the bible.
I am trying to distil the essence of what I think you are saying, and I partially agree with you. Let's see if you partially agree with me!
(Btw, I see no point in replying to all the various scriptures you quoted, mainly because I fail to see the relevance to this discussion!)
Your main point seems to be that the Israelites in the OT had only partial truth. Bingo, full marks there.
Can we now draw the conclusion that the NT has given us the Full Truth?
If that is your position, why then would Jesus say: "I will send you the HS and He will guide you into the Truth?!" (with the corollary that "you are not yet ready to receive it"!)
Surely what he meant was that TRUTH is something that is constantly unfolding. Under the guidance of the HS we will see things in a different light, right up until the end when we all will no longer see "through a glass darkly".
It is my contention that most of the things that Paul wrote about were culturally and historically determined. For example, there are still groups today who will emphatically NOT "suffer women to speak in church" and to "have their head covered". Some (let's call them more enlightened, for lack of a better word) will point out that those verses should not be taken literally, and "times have changed".
It is in THAT context that I wanted to pick up the issue of Exclusivity, and "dis-fellowshipping" which was discussed in the JW thread. Of course it was VERY important in the days of Paul, (when there was only one identifiable group that called themselves Christian), to preserve the "purity of the Faith" it was necessary to physically distance themselves from those that caused dissension and heresy. Hence the numerous verses on that subject.
Today (sadly!) we have a vastly different situation. The True Church is fragmented and camouflaged and difficult to identify (although most groups would lay claim to that title!) In that new context, what we sorely need is Reconciliation rather than more Fragmentation.
If we accept the fact that most of the NT was written to a particular group of people living under particular circumstances, then we can apply the same PRINCIPLES to us today, who are living in vastly different circumstances, rather than the literal words.
That is what I meant by interpreting the Bible and not taking it literally. And that is what I believe Jesus did.
In peace,
CJ