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Old 08-17-2019, 05:48 AM   #36
aron
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Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Natal Transvaal
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Default A note on exegetical principles

Quote:
Originally Posted by stillseekingtruth View Post
I dont know how far ahead I am... there is still so much I don't get.
Those who wrote scripture, and their designated readers, didn't have degrees in theology, but they followed common - sense laws of logic, what we'd call conventional wisdom. To be sure there was mystery but even this did not depart from the trail of reason. Sometimes it just takes a while for our mind to catch up.

The danger is to think the scripture is about you.

"He shall protect you; and will allow no harm to befall you; and will set His angels over you to watch you, and lift you in their hands lest you stumble and strike your foot on a stone". The "He" is the Father, and the "you" is Jesus the Obedient Son. The NT pattern of textual reception is plain. It is not so esoteric.

The danger is to attempt to transpose our experiences and expectations on scripture, apart from Christ. Then we err in thinking "we" are the fulfillment, "our" enjoyment becomes our measuring-stick. It is a mirage. The RecV footnote would say, "This is the NT believer enjoying grace on the local church ground". Uh, no. Sorry.

The other error is to dismiss scripture. The psalmist said, "You rescued me because You delighted in me" (18:19). WL wrote "God did not delight in David the sinner", but Peter had already solved that puzzle in his exegesis on Psalm 16 - it was about Jesus, not David.

So don't get discouraged thinking that you can't make it. Jesus already worked the works of God. Your work is to believe in him. ~John 4:34; 5:19,36; 10:32,37 cf John 6:38 & 6:28,29.
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