[aron]

God's word is living; we all know this. I propose that we shouldn't come to God's word and pick through it according to our pre-existing concepts. If we do so, we risk looking like Zechariah in Luke chapter 1, trying to argue with the angel Gabriel. Or Peter, remonstrating with Jesus: "Lord, this should never happen to you!"

If God wants to reveal His Son to us in the writings of David, so be it. Yes, David sinned. So did Isaiah, and Jeremiah. Or do we pretend to receive Isaiah and Jeremiah's writings because they were such good men? No; instead we know that God was pleased to reveal something of His beloved Son, through such humble vessels.

I know that anyone who has carefully read my posts will see that I occasionally question what I read in scriptures, and will try to "quibble" with what seem to me to be "natural concepts" of the writer(s). For example, I've pointed out that possibly the aged apostle John had some less than sanguinary views of Paul's organizational efforts, based on John's writings in his epistles and his "Revelation". The details are irrelevant here, but let's just say that John's silence speaks quite a lot to me, as do his repeated admonitions to "repent".

But do I reject the bulk of Paul's ministry as "natural" because I have some reservations with his organizational style? Please. John warned us not to add to God's word, nor to remove any. God has spoken - deal with it. If you don't get something, don't pretend that it has no value. You just don't get it, that's all. Who knows- maybe tomorrow the light will shine and you will get taken somewhere very special.

I believe there are layers and layers of reality in God's word. Let's not kid ourselves and think that we have laid hold of something, just because we've seen a few rudiments. The Spirit clearly wants to "lead you into all the reality". Don't tell the Spirit where you can and can't go. The Spirit can take you really deep, if you let go, and follow, and if you obey and abide. God's word can give you life, if you let it. God's word is living; it is not a dead insect to pin to your favorite conceptual cork board.