Question for Study Group

[Qnts2]

 

Wow, how did the topic change ??

The Bible was inspired by the Holy Spirit for the common man so that anyone who reads the Bible will understand it. It is man who parses the words and goes into the Hebrew and Greek and Aramaic but the Holy Spirit, if one asks will interpret the words of the Bible far better than anyone of any number of letters behind their name be it BA, DD, or what ever. 

I studied theology in university and my sister knew more about the Word of God than I could ever begin to know. Letters?? NO! and that goes for any minister of the gospel -' book learning ' does not much to me except that one is good at memory work and can use books and computer to come up with the right answer. The Holy Spirit is FAR better a teacher than any prof.

Of course the Holy Spirit is the ultimate teacher, but it is the Spirit who gives Christian humans the spiritual gift of teaching!  And the fact that the Spirit teaches, does not excuse us from the necessity of studying to show ourselves approved to God a workman that does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth.

 

Pitting the study of God's word in the original languages vs the Holy Spirit is a very false dichotomy.  It is not man who wrote the verb and noun forms (parsing), but God Himself when He breathed out His word in those forms.  His creation should be appreciated and His servants honored who spend much time & effort attending teaching classes, laboring in the Word, conducted by men with the spiritual gift of teaching.  Men who labor in the Word are worthy of double honor (see 1 Timothy).

 

 

There are many differing methods of study and interpretation. One method of study which I find most beneficial is to read, and then ask God for an understanding. It is study with the Holy Spirit guiding and teaching. I am convinced that is the most profitable form of study, and not parsing the original languages, or using some of the many and diverse methods of hermeneutics.  

 

Not the methods of study are wrong, for they provide checks and balances. One of the worst interpretations I have found comes from inconsistent hermeneutics or approach. The second worst is interpretation by lexicon. I have come across people who interpret Hebrew passages by lexicon, but unfortunately, the lexicon does not individualize the various words by grammar, so all grammatical forms are listed under one word. The various grammatical forms have differing meanings, and to recognize what grammatical form a word is, you have to be able to read Hebrew. So I have come across people who translate by lexicon, but chose the meaning they like best and not the actual meaning of the written word.  

 

I do not believe a servant is to be honored by other servants for the time they spend studying and attending classes. 

 

One of the issues with attending seminary is that a person can have a huge amount of head knowledge, but are spiritually dry, proud and mean as hornets. Not all seminary students have this issue and it is not automaticly true. But, some seminaries are aware of this issue and offer classes and special sessions to keep the person on a spiritual growth path, while learning systematic theology etc.

[Littlelambseativy]

I would not want to begin to assess the value of what one person does against another in regard to any honour - ALL honour belongs to Jesus and Jesus alone. As I said the unschooled man who is humble and studies the Word is non the less worthy of any praise than the one who is schooled and knows languages. Schooling does not impress me. There are some on this board who know more without schooling than those who have many theology degrees. It is all about where your heart is not your head.

[EnochBethany]

I would not want to begin to assess the value of what one person does against another in regard to any honour - ALL honour belongs to Jesus and Jesus alone. As I said the unschooled man who is humble and studies the Word is non the less worthy of any praise than the one who is schooled and knows languages. Schooling does not impress me. There are some on this board who know more without schooling than those who have many theology degrees. It is all about where your heart is not your head.

 

I would not want to begin to assess the value of what one person does against another in regard to any honour - ALL honour belongs to Jesus and Jesus alone. As I said the unschooled man who is humble and studies the Word is non the less worthy of any praise than the one who is schooled and knows languages. Schooling does not impress me. There are some on this board who know more without schooling than those who have many theology degrees. It is all about where your heart is not your head.

 Study to present thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed,  handling aright the word of truth.

 

"Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and in teaching."

 

"And Elisha came again to Gilgal. And there was a dearth in the land; and the sons of the prophets were sitting before him; and he said unto his servant, Set on the great pot, and boil pottage for the sons of the prophets."

 

"in the first year of his reign I, Daniel, understood by the books the number of the years whereof the word of Jehovah came to Jeremiah the prophet, for the accomplishing of the desolations of Jerusalem, even seventy years.  And I set my face unto the Lord God,  to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting and sackcloth and ashes."

 

"The cloak that I left at Troas with Carpus, bring when thou comest, and the books, especially the parchments." < 2 Tim, Paul's swan song.

 

Elilphaz the Temanite: (Job 4):

 

"In thoughts from the visions of the night,

    When deep sleep falleth on men,

14     Fear came upon me, and trembling,

    Which made all my bones to shake.

15     Then  a spirit passed before my face;

    The hair of my flesh stood up.

16     It stood still, but I could not discern the appearance thereof;

    A form was before mine eyes:

     There was silence, and I heard a voice, saying,

17     Shall mortal man  be more just than God?

    Shall a man  be more pure than his Maker?"

 

"And it was so, that, after Jehovah had spoken these words unto Job, Jehovah said to Eliphaz the Temanite, My wrath is kindled against thee, and against thy two friends; for ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right"