How do understand the Bible and God on a practical level?

[Adjac]

if God's word is objective, then how we interpret it is subjective? the argument is that since our interpretation of the world is unique to us. that would make our interpretation subjective. So by the time say gospels or God's teachings get to us perhaps we are all hearing objective truths, but it automatically becomes a subjective experience once interpreted. something to support this is that there are many denominations in the Christian church particularly meaning that there are disagreements on how scripture is interpreted. but once again, if that's the case how do we ever get to God's objectivity. and if those things are objective then should we not all agree on the same perspective of something. Especially when it's from God?

i will send money if anyone can help bridge this gap i have been facing for awhile now in my spiritual journey.

 

[Basil the Great]

Welcome to the forums and God bless. As to your question, in a general way, I guess I could say that your Church tells you that you are to interpret the Scriptures in accord with how the Catholic Church interprets them. As to specifics, let's face it, you will get many different answers to your question in this forum. A few will say that most everything in the Bible is to be taken literally. Many will say that most of the Bible is to be understood in a literal manner. Many others say that we are to let Scripture as a whole interpret individual passages. While this may work well in any cases, I doubt that said method works perfectly. Some here will say that interpreting the Bible correctly means matters little, as long as we follow the two commandments of Jesus to love God and our neighbor. I fall into said category.

 

[OldWiseGuy]

I can offer my personal example of a practical application of the spiritual lessons of the bible.

I bought and managed an apartment building, for the express purpose of providing for my retirement. In the 18 years that I owned it I paid off the mortgage, upgraded the building, kept the rents low, and invested the income. Everyone involved benefitted, even the bank. My tenants were happy, many renting from me for a decade or more. The property was happy because I took very good care of it. The bank was happy they got their money back without hassles. My kids are happy because they don't have to worry about me. I am happy as I don't have to worry about funding my retirement (I'm also happy that I am able to help my kids during this crisis). Everyone, and everything, benefitted by my ownership of this property. This is as it should be, spiritually speaking.

 

[Akita Suggagaki]

if God's word is objective, then how we interpret it is subjective? the argument is that since our interpretation of the world is unique to us. that would make our interpretation subjective. So by the time say gospels or God's teachings get to us perhaps we are all hearing objective truths, but it automatically becomes a subjective experience once interpreted. something to support this is that there are many denominations in the Christian church particularly meaning that there are disagreements on how scripture is interpreted. but once again, if that's the case how do we ever get to God's objectivity. and if those things are objective then should we not all agree on the same perspective of something. Especially when it's from God?

i will send money if anyone can help bridge this gap i have been facing for awhile now in my spiritual journey.

All you need is love.

 

[~Anastasia~]

Hello and welcome to CF.

I know I went through many denominations, etc. and different people interpreting the Scriptures in different ways.

For myself, I found there is a great wealth of writings (besides just Scripture) from the early Christians where they talked about application of Scripture and so on. Seeking their understanding has made SO MANY things make sense to me. Everything really.

There is a lot there though, and not all has been translated. But it makes for a very good start.

Closer to the source is a good place to start. St. Iranaeus, St. Polycarp, St. Justin Martyr, and others from that time.

St. John Chrysostom is a bit later but has extensive commentaries.

All of these are from before any actual denomination - just “the Church” - though some today hold much more directly to their teachings than others.

(Be careful of certain ones like Origen who is well regarded and had many good teachings but also some errors such that they are not regarded as Saints - it is good to know what they got wrong before reading them.)


And remember too that salvation does not consist in a final exam on doctrine. BUT ... properly understanding Scripture will give you many more tools to work out your salvation. God is merciful though, and desires men to be saved. The pursuit is an honorable and valuable one. But don’t despair over any difficulties.

God be with you.

if God's word is objective, then how we interpret it is subjective? the argument is that since our interpretation of the world is unique to us. that would make our interpretation subjective. So by the time say gospels or God's teachings get to us perhaps we are all hearing objective truths, but it automatically becomes a subjective experience once interpreted. something to support this is that there are many denominations in the Christian church particularly meaning that there are disagreements on how scripture is interpreted. but once again, if that's the case how do we ever get to God's objectivity. and if those things are objective then should we not all agree on the same perspective of something. Especially when it's from God?

i will send money if anyone can help bridge this gap i have been facing for awhile now in my spiritual journey.

 

[GospelS]

if God's word is objective, then how we interpret it is subjective? the argument is that since our interpretation of the world is unique to us. that would make our interpretation subjective. So by the time say gospels or God's teachings get to us perhaps we are all hearing objective truths, but it automatically becomes a subjective experience once interpreted. something to support this is that there are many denominations in the Christian church particularly meaning that there are disagreements on how scripture is interpreted. but once again, if that's the case how do we ever get to God's objectivity. and if those things are objective then should we not all agree on the same perspective of something. Especially when it's from God?

i will send money if anyone can help bridge this gap i have been facing for awhile now in my spiritual journey.

There is no human language that can perfectly interpret the God’s word for all. So we don’t trouble ourselves because God understands that. We depend upon His grace and He looks at our hearts. God gave His word so we know God is. Then do we fear Him or not is what matters to God, not our theology. He takes it from there. So without disagreements, how then do we learn to grow in true love, kindness, patience, goodness, gentleness, joy, peace, faithfulness, and self-control? And without bearing these fruits how then we be conformed to the image of Christ? Fear of God is the beginning of wisdom.

 

[packermann]

Welcome to the forums and God bless. As to your question, in a general way, I guess I could say that your Church tells you that you are to interpret the Scriptures in accord with how the Catholic Church interprets them. As to specifics, let's face it, you will get many different answers to your question in this forum. A few will say that most everything in the Bible is to be taken literally. Many will say that most of the Bible is to be understood in a literal manner. Many others say that we are to let Scripture as a whole interpret individual passages. While this may work well in any cases, I doubt that said method works perfectly. Some here will say that interpreting the Bible correctly means matters little, as long as we follow the two commandments of Jesus to love God and our neighbor. I fall into said category.

Although love works in dome ways in looking for the loving thing to do, there is still a problem with that. The loving thing to do towards one can be the unloving thing to do for another. Abortion may seem to be the loving thing to do for a single girl whose life will be completely changed for her. So allow her to abort seems the loving to do for that girl. But abortion is not loving towards that baby. In the 1800's, slavery was the loving thing to do for family in the South which would lose everything if they were forced for free their slaves. So it was loving thing to do for them to allow slavery. But it was unloving toward to slaves.

With the coronavirus, some say we should let criminals go free so that they do not catch the virus in prison. It seems that the loving thing to do for the convicts is to let them go free. But that is not very loving to their past and future victims.

 

[Josheb]

if God's word is objective, then how we interpret it is subjective?

Not entirely.

There are only a small handful of hermeneutical models and they all share the basics in exegesis. For example, they all agree the text should be read as written unless there is something in the passage to indicate it shouldn't be taken literally. Therefore the next rule is to consider the inherent contexts. Understand the passage as the original writer and his original audience would have understood it (chariots are always chariots and never M1A1 tanks). Don't proof-text. Use scripture first to understand scripture.

If/when those principles are learned and applied then a lot of subjectivism is extinguished.

Something to support this is that there are many denominations in the Christian church particularly meaning that there are disagreements on how scripture is interpreted.

Except that's not wholly true. The Church (big "C," the body of Christ, the ekklesias) is more unified than disparate, especially on the essentials of the faith or its core doctrines.

i will send money if anyone can help bridge this gap i have been facing for awhile now in my spiritual journey.

lol! How much money are we talking about?

Be specific with the gap you need bridging and I'll see if I can help. You won't have to send me anything but a heart sincere and willing to learn .




Welcome to the forum. Btw, this is the Introduce Yourself board. If you take your concern to one of the more appropriate boards where discussions occur a larger array of others will contribute.

 

[Adjac]

thank you for replying! i don't much about the navigation on this site. where could i go to post this thread to another board? or could you share it?

and well i've been on this spiritual journey for about 4 years. my first major bump was that a best friend and i were discussing religion, and he basically introduced the ever popular idea that morals are subjective and of course if you wanna use logic that's true. However, when a God exists the idea of subjectivity is eliminated becuase everything is abosolutely defined. After realizing this, i understood that logic cannot be applied to religion or God bc well first the idea of God as a deity and being able to live outside time and space, being omniopotent, etc. is outside the realm of logic and reasoning. and once again it doesn't apply to God. well not too long ago after explaining this to him. he understood the premise. but we had another discussion where he said morals and feelings cannot be seperated. and persisted by saying that everything is subjective, that each individual's experience is subjective. He's saying that morals cannot be objective bc you are needed to interpret it. That anytime you are invoked in a situation it automatically becomes subjective. no experience is objective That all these experiences require me and nothing else. so anything i interpret or take in is subjective. and so i am trying to understand how i can understand the bible on a practical level if ultimately what's processed in my brain becomes subjective or unique to only my experience. How can I am trying to reach a resolve and i've been asking numerous forums and sites and i hadn't had much luck until now.

maybe there's a disconnect that i'm failing to realize in all of this. which has brought me here. how can i get to God if i can't even interpret the bible objectively from a practical standpoint?

 

[~Anastasia~]

I recognize in your question a certain type of reasoning.

People have long tried to use philosophical models to understand theological principles.

That has been the source of many if not most/all heresies over the many centuries.

Let’s just say that human reasoning can lead to a lot of error.

When you are considering morals, for example, there can be true moral dilemmas. A good example is when choosing a course of action it is only possible to have a less-than-perfect outcome. So essentially whatever we choose is bad in some way. In that case (and really in any case) the way to determine what we should do is by the rule of love. What is the most loving thing to do in the situation?

That in itself can be a complex question, and we might not get that part right every time, since we lack God’s perfect knowledge. But the DESIRE to do what is loving is the important thing - it is what shapes our hearts and makes us more like Christ, which is the purpose of living as a Christian.

But taking the discussion back to trying to understand theology through philosophical discussions is dangerous to understanding. Some people find such kinds of discussion very enjoyable and stimulating (I did) but they are not the way to find Truth.

Truth is a Person - Jesus Christ. All things should be understood through Him as much as possible in order to arrive at a proper understanding.

I hope that answers your question.

As far as navigating the forum, there are indeed a lot of areas, and it depends on what kind of discussion you’d like to have. There are people of all kinds here, so you will find just about every possible opinion.

thank you for replying! i don't much about the navigation on this site. where could i go to post this thread to another board? or could you share it?

and well i've been on this spiritual journey for about 4 years. my first major bump was that a best friend and i were discussing religion, and he basically introduced the ever popular idea that morals are subjective and of course if you wanna use logic that's true. However, when a God exists the idea of subjectivity is eliminated becuase everything is abosolutely defined. After realizing this, i understood that logic cannot be applied to religion or God bc well first the idea of God as a deity and being able to live outside time and space, being omniopotent, etc. is outside the realm of logic and reasoning. and once again it doesn't apply to God. well not too long ago after explaining this to him. he understood the premise. but we had another discussion where he said morals and feelings cannot be seperated. and persisted by saying that everything is subjective, that each individual's experience is subjective. He's saying that morals cannot be objective bc you are needed to interpret it. That anytime you are invoked in a situation it automatically becomes subjective. no experience is objective That all these experiences require me and nothing else. so anything i interpret or take in is subjective. and so i am trying to understand how i can understand the bible on a practical level if ultimately what's processed in my brain becomes subjective or unique to only my experience. How can I am trying to reach a resolve and i've been asking numerous forums and sites and i hadn't had much luck until now.

maybe there's a disconnect that i'm failing to realize in all of this. which has brought me here. how can i get to God if i can't even interpret the bible objectively from a practical standpoint?

 

[Deade]

thank you for replying! i don't much about the navigation on this site. where could i go to post this thread to another board? or could you share it?

and well i've been on this spiritual journey for about 4 years. my first major bump was that a best friend and i were discussing religion, and he basically introduced the ever popular idea that morals are subjective and of course if you wanna use logic that's true. However, when a God exists the idea of subjectivity is eliminated becuase everything is abosolutely defined. After realizing this, i understood that logic cannot be applied to religion or God bc well first the idea of God as a deity and being able to live outside time and space, being omniopotent, etc. is outside the realm of logic and reasoning. and once again it doesn't apply to God. well not too long ago after explaining this to him. he understood the premise. but we had another discussion where he said morals and feelings cannot be seperated. and persisted by saying that everything is subjective, that each individual's experience is subjective. He's saying that morals cannot be objective bc you are needed to interpret it. That anytime you are invoked in a situation it automatically becomes subjective. no experience is objective That all these experiences require me and nothing else. so anything i interpret or take in is subjective. and so i am trying to understand how i can understand the bible on a practical level if ultimately what's processed in my brain becomes subjective or unique to only my experience. How can I am trying to reach a resolve and i've been asking numerous forums and sites and i hadn't had much luck until now.

maybe there's a disconnect that i'm failing to realize in all of this. which has brought me here. how can i get to God if i can't even interpret the bible objectively from a practical standpoint?

Hello Adjac,
welcome to CF.

I hope you'll enjoy your stay here. My first published book is based on how Christian's should view morals. It is offered free on my website listed as my homepage in my profile.

 

[Samaritan Woman]

if God's word is objective, then how we interpret it is subjective? the argument is that since our interpretation of the world is unique to us. that would make our interpretation subjective. So by the time say gospels or God's teachings get to us perhaps we are all hearing objective truths, but it automatically becomes a subjective experience once interpreted. something to support this is that there are many denominations in the Christian church particularly meaning that there are disagreements on how scripture is interpreted. but once again, if that's the case how do we ever get to God's objectivity. and if those things are objective then should we not all agree on the same perspective of something. Especially when it's from God?

A major reason why there are so many denominations (of which there are often only minor differences though that is not always the case) is based in ignorance of how how to properly interpret scripture verses. These rules are referred to as Hermeneutics. Over the last 15+ years I have been to countless churches with few if none offering education in proper biblical study. This leads to opinion ruling one's view of scripture instead of respect for it.

You may find this article informative - Lesson 6: Principles of Biblical Interpretation | Bible.org

 

[OldWiseGuy]

if God's word is objective, then how we interpret it is subjective? the argument is that since our interpretation of the world is unique to us. that would make our interpretation subjective. So by the time say gospels or God's teachings get to us perhaps we are all hearing objective truths, but it automatically becomes a subjective experience once interpreted. something to support this is that there are many denominations in the Christian church particularly meaning that there are disagreements on how scripture is interpreted. but once again, if that's the case how do we ever get to God's objectivity. and if those things are objective then should we not all agree on the same perspective of something. Especially when it's from God?

i will send money if anyone can help bridge this gap i have been facing for awhile now in my spiritual journey.

Interpretation is subjective. For example, people know that stealing wrong, but excuse themselves from the objective meaning, applying their own parameters through rationalization, justification, etc.

 

[Deade]

maybe there's a disconnect that i'm failing to realize in all of this. which has brought me here. how can i get to God if i can't even interpret the bible objectively from a practical standpoint?

Below you will find the first and fourth paragraphs of my first book.

CHAPTER ONE - COMPROMISED MORALS

Reasons for moral standards
​

Are there reasons for moral standards? Who should dictate these standards? Are morals absolute or relative? Before we address these questions, we must investigate our belief in God. If we have absolutely no belief in God, we will probably find very few answers. The further away we get from God the more we, in society, begin to resemble tribal barbaric pagans.
​

We can therefore answer the above questions as follows: Morals are important for peace of mind and happiness, also for peaceful coexistence with others. If we believe in God, He should be the absolute authority on how we practice moral uprightness. God's word claims that morals are absolute. The writings of Solomon, throughout the book of Proverbs, show us practical applications of moral principles. We may not always agree with what is written in God's word, but it is absolute and must be discerned by faith. Indeed, without faith we cannot please God. “But without faith it is impossible to please Him: For he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6).

The book is called: Stumbling Blocks: A Lack of Knowledge. It is free on my homepage (see my profile).

 

[Aussie Pete]

if God's word is objective, then how we interpret it is subjective? the argument is that since our interpretation of the world is unique to us. that would make our interpretation subjective. So by the time say gospels or God's teachings get to us perhaps we are all hearing objective truths, but it automatically becomes a subjective experience once interpreted. something to support this is that there are many denominations in the Christian church particularly meaning that there are disagreements on how scripture is interpreted. but once again, if that's the case how do we ever get to God's objectivity. and if those things are objective then should we not all agree on the same perspective of something. Especially when it's from God?

i will send money if anyone can help bridge this gap i have been facing for awhile now in my spiritual journey.

The Bible is God's written word. It is a spiritual book for spiritual people. Lord Jesus lives in us in the Person of His Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit's job is to take what is of Christ and make it real to us. It is to lead us into Truth (Lord Jesus is the Truth). The Bible is the written Word, Lord Jesus is the Living Word. The Bible is objective truth, the Lord Jesus is the subjective truth. The subjective never contradicts the objective, which is how we can avoid confusion and deception. We need to be led by the Spirit continually.

Denominations exist for two reasons. The first is that people form their own opinions on the truth of God's word. They do not rely on the Holy Spirit to reveal the truth. Then pride kicks in, and demands that everyone subscribe to the particular pet doctrines that a person or group has formed. Since other groups are just as adamant, division occurs - in direct disobedience to God's Word. It is a disgrace and should never have happened. It has and the church is much the weaker as a result.

 

[SirHash]

thank you for replying! i don't much about the navigation on this site. where could i go to post this thread to another board? or could you share it?

and well i've been on this spiritual journey for about 4 years. my first major bump was that a best friend and i were discussing religion, and he basically introduced the ever popular idea that morals are subjective and of course if you wanna use logic that's true. However, when a God exists the idea of subjectivity is eliminated becuase everything is abosolutely defined. After realizing this, i understood that logic cannot be applied to religion or God bc well first the idea of God as a deity and being able to live outside time and space, being omniopotent, etc. is outside the realm of logic and reasoning. and once again it doesn't apply to God. well not too long ago after explaining this to him. he understood the premise. but we had another discussion where he said morals and feelings cannot be seperated. and persisted by saying that everything is subjective, that each individual's experience is subjective. He's saying that morals cannot be objective bc you are needed to interpret it. That anytime you are invoked in a situation it automatically becomes subjective. no experience is objective That all these experiences require me and nothing else. so anything i interpret or take in is subjective. and so i am trying to understand how i can understand the bible on a practical level if ultimately what's processed in my brain becomes subjective or unique to only my experience. How can I am trying to reach a resolve and i've been asking numerous forums and sites and i hadn't had much luck until now.

maybe there's a disconnect that i'm failing to realize in all of this. which has brought me here. how can i get to God if i can't even interpret the bible objectively from a practical standpoint?

Adjac, I really encourage you to study the works of CS Lewis. Particularly "Mere Christianity". He was a master at distilling the theological down to the practical; whats more, he cut across denominations--using their commonalities to illustrate many essential truths of following Christ.
Once you've finished Mere Christianity, I'd also recommend The Screwtape Letters.
From my reading of your posts, I think you can find much of what you seek there.
Prayers bro.

 

[Samaritan Woman]

All you need is love.

Love is no substitute for proper discernment; without it we cannot even know what true love in our various relationships and its manifestations is.

 

[Akita Suggagaki]

Love is no substitute for proper discernment; without it we cannot even know what true love in our various relationships and its manifestations is.

Don't underestimate your intuition.