Quote:
Originally Posted by ABrotherinFaith
This was exactly my experience. I remember reading one of the Psalms once in a small group. I wondered, as in saying, " I wonder..." if what the footnote said about there being some Psalms that were written according to the human concept and some according to the spiritual one worked in the Psalm we were talking about. Immediately, a sister jumped in and said, "that's what the footnote says and that's how I understand it. There are two lines in the Psalms... it's right there". And then I said, "Or...it's not." I received a mixed bag of looks that ranged from daggers to confusion.
I always remember the verses where the Lord REASONS with people, where Paul REASONS with people.
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The word Reason in the bible means differently to what you say.
On Isaiah 1:18 (for example), Ellicott's commentary says:
Come now, and let us reason together.—The Authorised Version suggests the thought of a discussion between equals. The Hebrew implies rather the tone of one who gives an authoritative ultimatum, as from a judge to the accused, who had no defence, or only a sham defence, to offer (Micah 6:2-3). “Let us sum up the pleadings—that ultimatum is one of grace and mercy—‘Repent, and be forgiven.’”
This and other commentaries explain that reasoning with God is not as thou sayest:
http://biblehub.com/commentaries/isaiah/1-18.htm
For this reason I must reject any idea that the Lord reasons with people as equals or entertains their meager opinions. What's the Lord going to do, accept our mere human opinion? (consider Job). Rather, the Lord's reasoning is an authoritative ultimatum - it's God's way or nothing.
In fact, the story of Job is a good example of how God reasons with people. This reasoning is not one of best friends sharing their opinions. It is one of God showing that He is God, and Job is not. God says this about Job's opinions:
Job 38:2 “Who is this that obscures my plans with
words without knowledge?
Job 40:2 "“Will the one who contends with the Almighty correct him?"
Job responds:
Job 42:3 "Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know."
Proverbs 18:2 A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion.
The bible emphasizes teacher-student (disciple) relationships. Not round-table discussions where each person has a turn in stating their opinion and everyone goes home feeling enlightened. Most denominational bible studies are run as round-table opinion chit-chats, and everyone goes home with the same opinions they came in with (they will often pose the useless questions "what do you think about this?" "what do you feel about that"?). A genuine bible study is where a teacher or someone who knows more than the students, will enlighten the students, so the students leave knowing more than they did before. Jesus taught the 12 disciples, they in turn taught their disciples, and so on and so forth. This is the biblical pattern. Sometimes in a small group it is nice to know other people's opinions, but unless one of those opinions is the truth and the correct interpretation, no one is going to be enlightened.
There is a quote by Isaac Asimov which is relevant:
There is a cult of ignorance in the United States, and there always has been. The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that "my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge."