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NASB | Mark 12:34 When Jesus saw that he had answered intelligently, He said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." After that, no one would venture to ask Him any more questions. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Mark 12:34 When Jesus saw that he answered thoughtfully and intelligently, He said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." And after that, no one would dare to ask Him any more questions. |
Bible Question:
Scribe, Thanks for your insight. I have been told that natural man is dead to the things of God (Ephesians 2:1 and others). If this scribe hadn't been born again yet, how could he have understood that what Jesus was saying was the truth? Huron |
Bible Answer: Hi, I don't know if you are familiar with any of the studies done on paradigms...basically they are a system or grid of assumptions (intellectual, emotional, experiencial, cultural) through which you look at the world and perceive its meaning. We all have them and they help us maintain a sense of control in our lives. The power of a paradigm is that it blinds us to information or ideas that contradict our assumptions (it isn't that we don't want to see the evidence, it is that we can't see it) - the natural man 'cannot' perceive the things of the spirit, for example. We are dependent upon something penetrating our defensive shield that will rock our paradigm, sometimes personal crisis, sometimes a failure of our existing paradigm...but in those moments we are open to change. While the natural man is still dead (not spiritually alive), new birth is not a requirement for the process of questioning existing paradigms. In addition, the apprehesion of truth is also not dependent on new birth. Even if I hear the truth, I may choose not to venture down the path in the direction that truth is pointing...or I may. It seems that we have been built in such a way as to respond (toward or away from) truth when it faces us, regardless of the condition of our spirituality. |