I often hear or read where someone has said or written that the bible speaks plainly on this or that subject, and furthermore they are confident that the bible truly says such and such. You can hear preachers say it is tight but it is right. By this they mean that the message may not indeed be popular, but it is the clear message never-the-less. All of these assertions are made upon certain presuppositions that exist in the thought processes and reasoning but are not frequently stated.
Presupposition number 1: The bible is written specifically to the audience reading it no matter what time or occasion. Most go so far as to believe and teach that it was written specifically to the generation they are a part of.
Wrong: the bible is primarily written to a specific generation and specific occasion. What people think as universal truths are not nearly so universal as they think. The most important message focus of the scripture is the one that the intended readers, hearers would have arrived at given their historical context, understanding, and the occasion written too.
Presupposition number 2: The entire bible is the Word of God for all times.
Wrong: This is patently false. The old testament defines the word of God as the Torah. The New Testament defines the word of God as the gospel of Jesus Christ, and Jesus Himself the gospel made flesh.
Presupposition number 3: The bible is a legal constitutional document provided by God for humanity.
Wrong: While the Torah was indeed a legal institutional document for Old Covenant Israel, the New Testament teaches that the purpose and focus of scripture is redemptive in nature. It speaks of Jesus the Messiah and his mission of reconciliation. The legal constitutional use of scripture was a teacher meant to drive one to Christ for reconciliation with God.
The three presuppositions mentioned above are responsible for the gross misunderstanding of the Christian message. It is the reason that the pure gospel of grace is not taught without mixture. It is indeed the prophesied leaven of the Pharisees and is the source of the strong delusion prophesied by Paul.
The fact is that for the New Covenant era, the bible is the redemptive narrative. It is a love story that tells of how God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son. It is a story that shows that there are no lengths that God is unwilling to go in reestablishing a pre-fall relationship with humanity. This alone is the focus of the gospel and the gospel alone is the focus of scripture.
I began this blog in 2009 to chronicle my paradigm shift. It came about because I was concerned with the way that current evangelical dogma caused such bondage and fear. I had grown tired of people manipulating others for power, prestige, and to perpetuate a system that was very likely incorrect, and had been developed after the first century to keep people under control. I dedicate this to those who have been victims of spiritual abuse, and for those who have not yet realized they are.
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Joe, I deeply appreciate this "audience relevant" post. In my limited understanding, this makes the most sense: who was this written to, why? what were the pressing events going on? Then, we can understand.
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