Why do Christians

ilovejcsog

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need to go outside the bible for answers? I see it every day and I don't understand. I can see that if in doubt of what they are reading they need further clarification but most are needing an additional opinion from man. Isn't Gods opinion enough? I find if I look outside the word It only confuses me in most cases and that is when the question comes up. Why isn't God enough?
 

Not David

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need to go outside the bible for answers? I see it every day and I don't understand. I can see that if in doubt of what they are reading they need further clarification but most are needing an additional opinion from man. Isn't Gods opinion enough? I find if I look outside the word It only confuses me in most cases and that is when the question comes up. Why isn't God enough?
Because your interpretation of the Bible is not the same as God saying something.
 
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Hieronymus

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Can you give some examples?

For interpreting and understanding the Bible it helps to know the context and what it meant to the writer and reader at the time in history it was written.
1st Enoch, for example, can shed quite some light on things, for example.
Or do you mean something else?
 
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Albion

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Because your interpretation of the Bible is not the same as God saying something.


But all of the churches acknowledge that the Bible IS the word of God, divine revelation. You are simply suggesting that some theories of men that various churches have put on the same level as the word of God be acknowledged as its equal. There is no reason to do that. There can be no truth that competes with that which God has revealed.

And if interpretation is your special issue, every one of the theories of men require interpretation just as Scripture does, so making that point amounts to not making a point.
 
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Hieronymus

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Sorry, i must have somehow missed a lot of what OP wrote...

I think understanding the Bible is not always easy, and i think it's a bit of a team effort to get to better understand it.
But some people are better at it than others, so they should end up helping others understand things.
 
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Albion

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That's an excellent point. If Scripture requires interpretation...let it be interpreted! The idea that because something requires interpreting on occasion, its worth is therefore called into question just does not make sense.
 
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Anthony2019

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If I went and asked ten people their interpretation of a given text in the Bible, I would probably be given different answers.

Each person will claim that their own understanding is correct.

I believe that the best way to understand the scriptures is through the lens of tradition, reason and experience.
 
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Hieronymus

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If I went and asked ten people their interpretation of a given text in the Bible, I would probably be given different answers.

Each person will claim that their own understanding is correct.

I believe that the best way to understand the scriptures is through the lens of tradition, reason and experience.
Tradition and translations can be wrong too.
Reason and experience too.
What you want should be proper exegesis.
But you'll find that sometimes multiple views are plausible too.
 
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Albion

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If I went and asked ten people their interpretation of a given text in the Bible, I would probably be given different answers.

Each person will claim that their own understanding is correct.

I believe that the best way to understand the scriptures is through the lens of tradition, reason and experience.
How about deciding which one of the interpreters best knows his trade?? That is what we do with everything else in life--choice of college, which doctor to have operate on you, which lawyer is most likely to get you freed in court, which car is the most reliable. And so on.

Time and again in daily life we discriminate between good and bad advice and between competent and incompetent workers, etc., but when it comes to the Bible....

Then we are supposed to throw up our hands and say "There's no way of knowing which of these men has it right and which ones arguments just don't hold up."

What sense does that make??
 
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Carl Emerson

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Does He favour the intelligent or the pure in heart?

Understanding scripture is a heart communion with His Spirit that the most simple can enjoy.

It must be the most over thought book ever written.

At the same time some are led by Him to make a lifetime study of His word and should be heard.

These ones however never loose a childlike faith in Him to teach as they read and have a humility to show for it.
 
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Anthony2019

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How about deciding which one of the interpreters best knows his trade?? That is what we do with everything else in life--choice of college, which doctor to have operate on you, which lawyer is most likely to get you freed in court, which car is the most reliable. And so on.

Time and again in daily life we discriminate between good and bad advice and between competent and incompetent workers, etc., but when it comes to the Bible....

Then we are supposed to throw up our hands and say "There's no way of knowing which of these men has it right and which ones arguments just don't hold up."

What sense does that make??
I hold the view that the word of God as revealed to us in scripture is our ultimate guide to faith and conduct. It is the source of all truth and the means against which all truth is tested. Our understanding of the scripture, however, has changed and developed over the centuries. People have discovered more about the world they live in. Societies have changed. For instance, thanks to advancements in medicine, there are many conditions that can be managed and treated, whereas previously people afflicted with illnesses were often treated as outcasts or even worse. Church tradition has passed on doctrine and practices which we now take for granted - such as the Nicene and Apostles Creed, the sacraments, prayer books, liturgy, hymns and songs of worship, and various translations of the Bible. These were never used or even heard of back in the first century. Thanks to modern technology, especially the internet, the way people 'do' church is radically different to what it would have been in the 1st century. Hebrews 10:25 tells us not to neglect meeting together, but we have invented new ways of doing this through internet chat rooms, forums, and video messaging. There are now churches which exclusively meet online. I believe that whether we like to admit it or not, our faith has been informed by tradition and will always be experential.
 
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anna ~ grace

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need to go outside the bible for answers? I see it every day and I don't understand. I can see that if in doubt of what they are reading they need further clarification but most are needing an additional opinion from man. Isn't Gods opinion enough? I find if I look outside the word It only confuses me in most cases and that is when the question comes up. Why isn't God enough?
The difficulty is that there are many, many opinions on what certain passages of Scripture mean.

We see dozens of threads in the General Theology forum debating everything from the deity of Christ, to whether a Christian can have sex before marrying, to whether baptism is salvific or totally optional, to whether the Real Presence is True, to what the End Times will look like....

On and on. Often, Scripture does have what should be a clear answer to or at least inference on the issue, but we still debate it. Other times, it's extremely unclear. And debatable. This is why the body of Christ, the Saints, men and women very close to God while on earth, have also given us the meaning of Scripture through their writings, and life.
 
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Albion

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I hold the view that the word of God as revealed to us in scripture is our ultimate guide to faith and conduct. It is the source of all truth and the means against which all truth is tested. Our understanding of the scripture, however, has changed and developed over the centuries. People have discovered more about the world they live in. Societies have changed. For instance, thanks to advancements in medicine, there are many conditions that can be managed and treated, whereas previously people afflicted with illnesses were often treated as outcasts or even worse. Church tradition has passed on doctrine and practices which we now take for granted - such as the Nicene and Apostles Creed, the sacraments, prayer books, liturgy, hymns and songs of worship, and various translations of the Bible. These were never used or even heard of back in the first century. Thanks to modern technology, especially the internet, the way people 'do' church is radically different to what it would have been in the 1st century. Hebrews 10:25 tells us not to neglect meeting together, but we have invented new ways of doing this through internet chat rooms, forums, and video messaging. There are now churches which exclusively meet online. I believe that whether we like to admit it or not, our faith has been informed by tradition and will always be experential.
There is a lot of truth in your post, Anthony, but a lot of it doesn't really bear upon the trustworthiness of the Bible. For example, we have learned more about the world we live in, but that has tended to confirm rather than rebut scripture. Advances in medicine are great but they don't refute anything in Scripture that I know of offhand. Prayer books, liturgy, hymns, etc. are not a matter of doctrine and haven't changed anything that is part of our faith. Our practice yes, but not our faith...and it is the latter for which we primarily consult the Bible.

The Nicene Creed is still the standard of orthodoxy as it was 1700 years ago, and everything in it refers back to what the Bible teaches. The Creed even states that. So it is not something that is relevant to only a small segment of Church history.

If the order of service is different in your church than in mine, so what? None of the changes you referred to in any way make the use of what is called Sacred Tradition (which is not just things that are customary, and that is how you seem to be using the word) any more necessary or advisable.
 
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Not David

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But all of the churches acknowledge that the Bible IS the word of God, divine revelation. You are simply suggesting that some theories of men that various churches have put on the same level as the word of God be acknowledged as its equal. There is no reason to do that. There can be no truth that competes with that which God has revealed.

And if interpretation is your special issue, every one of the theories of men require interpretation just as Scripture does, so making that point amounts to not making a point.
Unitarians also recognize the Bible as word of God, so once again, interpretation matters/
 
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Unitarians also recognize the Bible as word of God, so once again, interpretation matters/
The Bible is pretty clear and straightforward in its message about God's plan of salvation through Jesus Christ. The problem is that the majority do not want to accept the message - that we are all sinners deserving of hell, but that Jesus died on the cross to take our sin upon Himself, and that we receive a free pardon from God when we believe the gospel and receive Jesus as our Saviour and Lord.

Most have a hope that they will get to heaven one day and avoid any place like hell. But Jesus said it is a narrow way to heaven, and few there be who find it. This message is rejected by the majority because they don't want to give up the lordship over their own lives. They want to be their own "gods" and not have anyone tell them how to live, especially the Bible.

So, they will accept any interpretation other than the obvious one - that we are sinners and we need Jesus to become our Saviour and Lord.
Even many professing Christians have put on the Christian "badge" only because they believe in a Jesus who will give them healing, health and prosperity, while allowing them to live a life of their own choosing, and to keep their favourite and pleasurable sins.
 
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Joined2krist

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need to go outside the bible for answers? I see it every day and I don't understand. I can see that if in doubt of what they are reading they need further clarification but most are needing an additional opinion from man. Isn't Gods opinion enough? I find if I look outside the word It only confuses me in most cases and that is when the question comes up. Why isn't God enough?



We all have different gifts, there are people who are gifted in interpreting scriptures, they have an ability to understand the true meaning of God's word. I think it's helpful for those who don't have such gifts to seek for interpretations from people who do, this doesn't mean God isn't enough, God gave those gifts to people in order for them to help others understand better, God bless
 
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Hieronymus

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Unitarians also recognize the Bible as word of God, so once again, interpretation matters/
Well, people are very good at reading what they want into texts.
That's called eisegesis.
I'd say we are all guilty of that, but some more than others.
 
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Not David

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Well, people are very good at reading what they want into texts.
That's called eisegesis.
I'd say we are all guilty of that, but some more than others.
Also, we try to use our culture and ideas and insert them in Scriptures
 
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