First, this is off-topic, but relevant to this one as well as a lot of other things. I caught this in something CMW was saying about something else. . . .
Quote:
Originally Posted by countmeworthy
. . . I have learned and discovered that many passages especially in the gospels are addressed to the Jews Jesus was preaching to. Just because we converted gentiles read the gospels and the NT does not necessarily mean the subject matter is directed to us.
|
I think that this is true in many more ways. Even if you find these things directed at the Jews of the day, there are other things that are written only for certain parts of current Christians. Without trying to get into all the possibilities, it seems clear to me that Jesus spoke differently to the 12 than to the larger group of regular followers, and to all of them differently than to the crowds (both the curious and those who believed and stayed where they were).
For example, he did not talk about servant leadership in contrast to the ways of the Jewish leaders with the idea that every Christian was to be a leader. That does not mean that we do not all need a servant's heart. But that particular teaching was for the disciples that were to become the leaders of the church as it got going. (And for the leaders of the church from that time to today.)
But we read the Bible as if it is generically written to every possible Christian in the same way for every possible purpose. Somehow we think that 1 Corinthians 12, discussing "gifts" is just about certain "spiritual" stuff. And even then we kind of think everything is for me.
So maybe we have no idea how to read the outer darkness metaphor. It could be that it only relates to someone else. But unless we are sure, it is wise to neither toss it aside nor to over-think it. Accept that there is reason to avoid the possible application of out darkness to ourselves. That is the way to deal with it. Rather than try to argue it away, act in such a manner that its "possible" application is not activated.