Quote:
Originally Posted by OBW
You get this from those verses?
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I think I get the point. Nicodemus was a Pharisee, a "man of the Word". He was of the ruling council, so he'd surely had some success in handling the Word of God.
So he has some success in "the interpreted Word". But now he is facing the Word Himself. A whole nuther level.
So
ZNP is comparing that to the scribes of LSM, whose teachings are arguably based on the Word, i.e. the Bible. He's saying, Do not pretend that your handling, however skillfully, of the interpreted Word is any substitute for dealing with the Word Himself.
And if these "wordsmiths" tell you that their interpreted Word is tantamount to the path to the Word Himself, tell them what Jesus told Nicodemus: You must be born again. In other words: Nice try. Try again. Start over. Better luck next time. See ya on the other side.
The scribes and merchandisers of God's Word are on the wrong side. Their merchandising is itself a testimony that their teaching is of the earth. Just as Nicodemus' Pharisaic activity was a testimony of its earthly nature.
Anyway, I am of course not speaking for
ZNP. But that's what I got from his quote, and comment.