Thread: Interpretation: Seek the Balance of Scripture
Admin
Interpretation: Seek the Balance of Scripture
Posted : 3 Jun, 2010 08:09 PM
From D.A.Carson
(A Bible scholar you should know!)
(1) As conscientiously as possible, seek the balance of Scripture, and avoid succumbing to historical and theological disjunctions.
Liberals have often provided us with nasty disjunctions: Jesus or Paul, the charismatic community or the "early catholic" church, and so forth. Protestants sometimes drop a wedge between Paul's faith apart from works (Rom 3:28) and James' faith and works (Jas 2:4); others absolutize Galatians 3:28 as if it were the controlling passage on all matters to do with women, and spend countless hours explaining away 1 Timothy 2:12 (or the reverse!).
Historically, many Reformed Baptists in England between the middle of the eighteenth century and the middle of the twentieth so emphasized God's sovereign grace in election that they became uncomfortable with general declarations of the Gospel. Unbelievers should not be told to repent and believe the Gospel: how could that be, since they are dead in trespasses and sin, and may not in any case belong to the elect? They should rather be encouraged to examine themselves to see if they have within themselves any of the first signs of the Spirit's work, any conviction of sin, any stirrings of shame. On the face of it, this is a long way from the Bible, but thousands of churches thought it was the hallmark of faithfulness. What has gone wrong, of course, is that the balance of Scripture has been lost. One element of Biblical truth has been elevated to a position where it is allowed to destroy or domesticate some other element of Biblical truth.
In fact, the "balance of Scripture" is not an easy thing to maintain, in part because there are different kinds of balance in Scripture. For example, there is the balance of diverse responsibilities laid on us (e.g. praying, being reliable at work, being a biblically faithful spouse and parent, evangelizing a neighbor, taking an orphan or widow under our wing, and so forth): these amount to balancing priorities within the limits of time and energy. There is the balance of Scripture's emphases as established by observing their relation to the Bible's central plot-line; there is also the balance of truths which we cannot at this point ultimately reconcile, but which we can easily distort if we do not listen carefully to the text (e.g. Jesus is both God and man; God is both the transcendent sovereign and yet personal; the elect alone are saved, and yet in some sense God loves horrible rebels so much that Jesus weeps over Jerusalem and God cries, "Turn, turn, why will you die? For the LORD has no pleasure in the death of the wicked."). In each case, a slightly different kind of Biblical balance comes into play, but there is no escaping the fact that Biblical balance is what we need.
Mr Row are you reformed, Phillip is not afraid of anything, and of course I answer with scripture Calvinist do not believe scripture don't you know that, they needed to reform Jesus into their thinking.
I see you your post and what you do not believe. why would I want to agree with you? Why would I deny Jesus to agree with you.
I Timothy chapter 4:verses1, is speaking about those who have expressed their profession of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior as born again Christians... BUT they DEPART FROM THE FAITH because they only have a FORM OF GODLINESS and are not stable in thier christian wlak or faith in the Lord.
They become tossed to and fro with every wind of doctrine that makes them feel good and agree with their sins.
The sower and the seed is the greatest example as pointed out, some seed fell on stony ground, some seed(the word) fell on the rocks, some seed fell on good ground. There are many demonination who do not teach scripture as it should and speand more time teaching theology than God's true word. In many denominations the people know nothing about the application of scripture outside of their theories, and denomination's theology and church laws. Soem teach according to men made laws and rules and false doctrines and theology that do not line up with what God has to say, and their teachings are demonic doctrines.
It must be understood that all error is not demonic nor false in theaching, but there are many denominations who misinterpret God's word to suit their own beliefs and this is demonic. The devil quoted scripoture , but it was out of context which made it false. many deno minations belief scripture to mean one thing when it really means another, but most is out of ignorance of understanding thorugh the Holy Spirit what thus says the Lord.
We all make mistakes in interpreting God's word, but one thing for sure we can't deny is, that it, IT WAS GOD'S GRACE AND MERCY, not Calvin's, not Arnimus, not Wesley's nor Clarke, nor any other man who died for our sins or shed his blood for our sins... that whle we ALL were sinners, Jesus Christ died on the cross for the remission of our sins. And if you don't believe this, than your soul WILL BE LOST IN HELL'S PIT FIRE! and if a person only believes and know how to interpret this, its all that matters. The rest is nonesential...
God is the only ONE who owns heaven and hell, and it up to us whch place we would rather make our eternal home. And He will make accomodations for us in either place WE CHOOSE for our everlasting resting place. Calvin's theology can't save us, neither can Armnius theology save us. It the WORD OF GOD THAT BRING US SALVATION... however you wnna receive it.
I love what Paul has to say in I Corinthians chapter 1 and I Corinthians chapter 3...
Now I say this, that some of you say, "I am of Paul (Calvin, Arminus, or whever) or I am of Apollos, or I am of Cephas, or I am of Christ.
I Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you?(Calvin or Arminus) Or were you baptized on the name of Paul?(Calvin, Arminus).
I thnak God that I baptized none of you except Crispus andGaius lest anyone should say that I had baptized them in my own name.
Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas. Besides, I do not know whether I baptized any other. Because Christ did not send me to baptise but to preach the gospel not with wisdom of words, lest the crose of Christ should be made of no effect. For the message of the crosss is foolishness to those who are perishing, BUT TO US WHO ARE BEING SAVED IT IS THE POWER OF GOD.
Calvin and Arminus are mere men by whom God used to bring the message of the cross to people, and they did their very best in obedience, and through their teachings of the cross of Jesus Christ, not their theology or theories, many have been saved. We are not saved through man's theology or their theories as to what they THINK the word has to say or what we think it to says, we are SAVED BY WHAT GOD HAS GIVEN US AS A CLEAR INTERPRETATION AND UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT JESUS DID ON THE CROSS.
If a person's salvation is based upon what Calvin or Arminus has to say, then I say, somebody still has need of salvation thorugh Jesus Christ. This is what Paul is speaking about in I Corinthians chapter 1 and chapter 3.
Paul planted the seed by writing God's word for us to adhere to as it was given to him, Calvin and Arminus watered, and God gets the increase by souls beign saved through their teachings....
Actually Calvin believed the scriptures! And had a high view of God from the scriptures. If we all started following what you write in 500 yrs they would be called PhillipJohnist. And someone will probably be on a forum like this saying if you believe in PhillipJohnism then your father is Satan. Calvin was a man like the rest of us who wanted to know God through study of the Bible. Why does that bother you so much? He may have been wrong about a few things but he was right about a lot of things. Kinda like any one of us who study we are right some and wrong some including you. Unless you are so proud to think you could not possibly be wrong about anything.
I am very confident that most reformers understood scriptures way better than you will ever dream of. You spend to much time here spewing your hate that you can't possibly have enough time to study the Bible for yourself. If you would stop the hate and answer simple questions when people present them to you you may earn some respect but I don't think you are able to do that. I know a lot of us would like to know where you are coming from but you are to confusing in everything you say for any understanding on our part. It would be a benefit to all the people you are trying to convert over to your understanding if you could explain it in a way that could be understood.
Oh well trying to get YOU to understand that we are all wanting a clear understanding of what YOU are trying to say is like beating my head against a brick wall. It ain't worth it.
And for your info, I absolutely believe and trust in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. And I believe the Bible is the Words from God so we may know Him. You make accusations with no merit to back them up. So what does that say about you as someone who claims to be a follower of Jesus? Not much.
Yes we know your point but my faith is in the word of God, no matter how you rant and rave and when you stand face to face to the lord, I will not need to justify faith in the man, it matters not how much you go on about Calvin he will never be rite.
You are clueless and impossible to communicate with! I think you are the one that doesn't believe the Word of God!
I have never read anything Calvin wrote, so I am clueless on what his stance is on anything. You know more about Calvin than I do and seem worship him more than anyone else. If there is anyone here in trouble it would be you. Some self examination and repentance is what you need. I know what I know from my own personal study of the Word bathed in prayer and lead by the Holy Spirit.
I do not go to a reformed church now because there is not one around me after I moved. I call myself reformed because it seems reformed churches and reformed Christians have a higher view of God, a higher view of the Word and show a deeper reverence to worship than most. And if you really want to know I would consider myself more of a puritan than reformed, that was not an option in the category list. I have read some puritan books and they called themselves puritans because they wanted to live a pure life for Christ which is my goal. So you can keep the Calvin worship for yourself.
@PJ- Well, since you don't believe that the Bible contains facts, then I suppose that's part of the problem then here, eh? Until you believe the Bible to be true, we're just not going to get anywhere in our discussion here, PJ. I can't believe that you would find it funny that my belief of the Bible as factual to be so comical. That's just so shocking.
Furthermore, unless you can respond a little more specifically and in-depth to what I said, then there's nothing to really discuss anyway...
I did not say that Pixy, I never said the bible does not contain facts, it is your justification to interpret the word in lieu of believing it.
If there is difficulty in knowing the word we have the instruction for it, in proverbs 4:20
Lu 24:45 Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures,
Eph 1:18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,
Col 1:9 For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;
2Ti 2:7 Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things.
Joh 6:63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
1Co 2:10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.
1Co 2:11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.
1Co 2:12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
1Co 2:14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
Oh, but that IS what you said, PJ!!! Here, I'll quote you, just in case you don't want to go back to the previous page and look: "I don't believe biblical facts."
All I'm doing is believing EXACTLY what you said. I wouldn't want to engage in any interpretation here by reading anything further into that other than exactly what you said.
