Quote:
Originally Posted by Nell
I think this was the best thing I ever learned from Bill Mallon regarding studying and understanding the Bible. Something like this: - Descriptive passages describe what happened; they give us the historical narratives and the stories of the events that took place.
- Prescriptive passages give us clear commands and instructions as to how we are to live our lives.
- When we misunderstand the style of writing we run the risk of misunderstanding the character and nature of God.
- We should primarily build our doctrine on prescriptive passages and then supplement that doctrine with the overall themes and trends and patterns that we learn from descriptive Biblical passages.
- We should avoid building our doctrine on individual descriptive passages that describe individual events.
- Are there any other passages from scripture that give us equally clear commands and instructions confirming the "teaching" in question?
|
Nell, thanks, great info on the Bible.
Dr. Philip Comfort, renowned Greek scholar who once ministered in my LC, gave this example to clarify
prescriptive and descriptive instructions in the Bible using John 21.1-14: The disciples were instructed to "cast their net on the right side." As soon as they did, the net was overflowing with fish too many to haul in. Obviously Phil's example here made the distinction real easy to understand.
Such is also the case with "
all things common" in Acts -- it happened, it was wonderful, it was of the Lord, but do not repeat! That's what Karl Marx attempted to do. It's called communism.
Such is also the case with "one church one city," the foundation of Recovery exclusivism. It was mentioned in Revelation 2-3, it was wonderful, it was of the Lord, but do not repeat! Those who have tried this, have become the most divisive folks in church history.