Quote:
Originally Posted by Drake
Good, Trapped, because that was a main point.
Understand that in trying to help answer your inquiry about two apparently contradictory statements in a single document I am conveying the authors (plural) thoughts in context. They are not contradictory in my understanding but they are in yours so this is a conversation to give my best shot at explaining how I see it and then you can do what you like with it.
So, to that end, besides the part you understand quoted above do you also understand how Brother Lee used the analogy of an trumpet to assemble an army with no uncertain sounding as the ministry (trumpet) with One Publication (as the uncertain component) and how that “sounding” is a call to the churches to assemble (as an army) for battle?
If so, from the base note last section do you also understand how Brother Lee made the distinction of an army in a country as being distinct in purpose and function from the civilians though both are part of the same country?
It doesn’t matter whether you agree with the analogy. In this conversation between us it doesn’t even matter if you accept the application of I Corinthians 14:8 in the analogy. All that matters is if you understand how the author understood and explained it.
I’ll pause here for your confirmation before proceeding. So far, we have only discussed one of the contradictory statements but once we understand this one we will juxtapose with the other.
Drake
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Drake!
This is so fascinating. So, so fascinating!
Of course since my neurons and synapses fire similarly to everyone else's, I do understand mentally the analogy you describe. The problem is the analogy draws from something other than the One Publication: the Bible. And in reading the portion of the scriptures that it draws from, the analogy literally just
isn't there. If the very foundation of the analogy falls apart at the outset (i.e. there is no such thing as "the one trumpet" based upon the very verses from which the trumpet motif is taken), what on earth is the point in trying to build anything upon it?!
If I took 1 Corinthians 14:7 and said "since there is a flute and a harp there must be an orchestra. We must have the one flute in the one orchestra for the one symphony in the Lord's recovery. Please note that if you do not play in this one orchestra, it does not mean you are not a musician, but who should ever listen to your music if you are not in the one orchestra? There is no benefit there and any sound you produce must be carefully discerned before listening." And the One Publication became a proclamation that the saints in the churches should only buy CDs and mp3s of the music put out by the "One Orchestra". What would you do?
I hope you would say, "Whoa, whoa......hold on. There is no "One Orchestra". The verses are not talking about having an orchestra! It's talking about speaking in an orderly way in the meetings. I'm not going to go buy a tuba and learn how to play the tuba because brother Lee misapplied or overapplied the analogy of the sound of a flute when Paul was comparing the sound it made to the sound of a believer's sharing in a meeting!"
Same concept for the army. If you wouldn't entertain the concept of a One Orchestra based on 1 Cor. 14:7, why entertain the concept of a one trumpet being the One Publication based on 1 Cor. 14:8?
Now I understand other posters' reference to the king without clothes. It's like......."psssst....but....they're not there! The clothes aren't there! The analogy, the inference, the extrapolation......it isn't there! Why is there a big gathering and parade and push to celebrate the king's clothes when there are no clothes? Why are we being "called" by brother Lee to gather around the extrapolation of an analogy that isn't there and that the Lord isn't calling us to?"
It is so fascinating. There are some people for whom all things must make logical sense in order to build upon it. There are others who can dismiss the logic and keep building. I am the former. I cannot do the latter.
Trapped