I don't have a problem with vegans or pacifists; to a point. The reason is I have been both for a time. If you want follow that path and are willing to accept all that will result from that path without asking others to intercede on your behalf I am not going to criticize you. I will only say to continue to read and study the Bible to show yourself approved and knowledgeable in the faith. Please do no take verses out of context as a pretext to support your views but keep everything in context for a balanced view. As long as you don't try to force your views on others just as others should not try to force their views on you. Judge not least those same standards be used to judge you remember.
Wise words Gryph.
A couple issues.
One is that very few people intentionally take verses out of context to support their opinion. Almost all of us have tons of verses that support our position and that position is based on what individuals consider to be
the "fundamental verses" or "fundamental truths." Fundamental verses are those scriptures that you use to interpret all other verses in the light of. My fundamental verses may be different than yours. The Jehovah witnesses have different fundamental verses as do Catholics, Calvinists, and Armenians. As long as you and I and them have different fundamental verses, there will be no agreement. We can see this in Hebrews 5 and 6 where Paul tells the confused Jewish believers:
Hebrews 5:
11 Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing.
12 For when for the time ye ought to be teachers,
ye have need of one to teach you again which [are] the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong food.
13 For every one that useth milk, [is] unskillful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.
14 But strong food belongeth to them that are of full age, [even] those who
by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
These believers did not know which scriptures were "controlling" scriptures. They had their
priorities messed up. And in doctrine it is the priorities that determine the context. So if a person has different priorities than you... they will also have a different context. When it says "good and evil" here.. it means that which has weight and that which is of less importance. I can pick up two weights and tell which one is heavier. So can you. Same with scripture. If you have your fundamental truths set up correctly, then you will be able to correctly interpret the less important verses. Jesus mentioned this when he referred the Jews to "the weightier matters of the law..."
Matt 23
23 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint, and anise, and cummin, and have omitted
the weightier [matters] of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ye ought to have done, and not to leave the others undone
So the point is, I think it is difficult to tell people to not take verses out of context, because what they really need to to have their priorities fixed. Then they will automatically get the correct context.
The other issue is what I call "the theory of strict contextualism."
There is the theory that all scripture quoted from the Old Testament must be interpreted in the original context. This is true when actually reading the OT. However this does not appear true when NT writers quote the OT. I did a study a number of years ago checking up on this theory. I started in Matthew and checked every OT quote to see if the NT author was "taking the verse in context." Startling, I discovered the opposite is truth. Most of the OT quotes in the NT would be considered "out of context"
with those OT verses. Most have no contextual agreement, and many more would be considered severely twisted. Many Jewish Scholars who criticism the NT point this out. They take the original OT verses and show how they are taken "out of context" by NT authors who are trying to prove that Christianity can be found in the OT.
My point is the the Holy Spirit had things placed in stories and prophecies and psalms etc that would one day be lifted out by Christian teachers and used to prove Christ. Yes they appear veiled and "out of context" but this was done on purpose to hide them from those without faith. So I refuse the "theory of strict contextualism."
2 Corin 3:
15 But their minds were made dull,
for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away.
Thanks Gryph... but your word is well taken.
Blessings
Dids.
