Subject: I just started reading the Bible and.... |
Bible Note: Hi Pete, thanks for responding, I have no problem with your timing, it is a non-issue with me, and it is always good to hear from you. Your questions are quite challenging, and thought provoking and that is why I come to this forum when I can. You asked: how then are we to know at what precise time our faulty wisdom is not faulty. That is an excellent question. But, if we could answer that, our wisdom would not be faulty, now would it? (o; What I said was, 'When there appears to be anything amiss, it is always us who possess the faulty wisdom and not God." -The key here, is "appears" and it suggests an impression that could be an erroneous one. (I think, therefore I err) In response to your next question, on Deut 13:10, you wrote, "He commands us to kill our brother or any other family member if they try to entice us away from Him" I would bring up certain rules of hermeneutics here relating to cultural context but time and space being limited, I will give you the short answer and if you still are at a loss, I would appreciate another reply. What the author is trying to get across here, concerns the dangers of idolatry. In the prior chapter (12:30,31) he had warned following in ways of the Canaanites. In this chapter he is warning against the rise of idolatry from among themselves. Satan often uses people that are closest to us as tools to draw us away from God. A stranger would be far less likely to have an effect, satan well knows. When the seducer does appear, as a brother, child, parent, or whatever, he must not only be strongly resisted, but also punished by the law of the land. In that culture, I believe it was getting stoned to death. This was to be done not hastily, or privately, but after proper trial and conviction; and you, as informer, would be given the duty to cast the first stone. So Pete, when you do have a question like this, it is good to go back into the time and culture of the original author and the original language to translate for yourself, -after praying for understanding, and God will be faithful to help your understanding become more complete. We are actually commanded to do this, in 2Tim 2:15: Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth. (NASB) Is rendered in the (KJV) as, Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. Notice, for example, where the NASB writes "accurately handling", is in the Greek, "orthotomeo" Let us get an answer from: A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, by Arndt and Gingrich (p. 584), The Greek word orthotomeo is found once only in the New Testament, hardly enough to dogmatically state it means "dissect," and the authoritative source—A Greek-English Lexicon—says perhaps it means "guide the word of truth along a straight path." This is ample proof that to translate orthotomeo as "dissecting" is STRICTLY AN INTERPRETATION. Furthermore, the Septuagint shows the King James Version translators correctly rendered it "divide." I need to split this into two parts for sending, -More to follow (o: keliy |