Do differences in practices of faith mean we follow the same Jesus Christ? (reject, gospel)

[sojourner]

Originally Posted by Scuba Pete

Where, I (and the scriptures) would suggest that revelation is the beginning of understanding.

Matthew 16:15 "But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?" 16 Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."
17 Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. NIV

You forgot the qualifier: Where reading scripture is concerned. Your scriptural reference here has to do with coming to faith, not understanding scripture.

[Scuba Pete]

Originally Posted by sojourner

You forgot the qualifier: Where reading scripture is concerned. Your scriptural reference here has to do with coming to faith, not understanding scripture.

You then rely on men's understanding for faith. I still rely on the Spirit and allowing God to reveal the truth to me.

[sojourner]

Originally Posted by Scuba Pete

You then rely on men's understanding for faith. I still rely on the Spirit and allowing God to reveal the truth to me.

OK. Let's take this to an absurd conclusion. If it were not for scholarship, you wouldn't be able to read the Bible, because, in the first place, it would not have been either translated or compiled in one handy-dandy English volume. Secondly, you wouldn't be able to read it, because you would not have applied the scholarship necessary to read and comprehend the written language. I think we would all agree that spiritual growth took a giant leap forward when the bulk of the population became literate during the Enlightenment. And, ironically, it has always been the literate ones who have provided the greatest theological illumination for the Church, since there has been a Bible to be read.

You seem to indicate that the Bible is the ground of your faith, yet you want to dismiss the scholarship that makes the written word understandable. An interesting choice.

[Scuba Pete]

Originally Posted by sojourner

OK. Let's take this to an absurd conclusion.

I agree. Your conclusion is absurd.

Originally Posted by sojourner

If it were not for scholarship, you wouldn't be able to read the Bible, because, in the first place,

We could go point by point here, but in reality you just don't believe in the POWER OF GOD.

Matthew 3:9 And do not think you can say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.NIV

[sojourner]

Originally Posted by Scuba Pete

I agree. Your conclusion is absurd. If it were not for scholarship, you wouldn't be able to read the Bible, because, in the first place,

We could go point by point here, but in reality you just don't believe in the POWER OF GOD.

Matthew 3:9 And do not think you can say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.NIV[/quote]
I do believe in the power of God. But I also believe God gave us minds with which to think. We underestimate what God has done for us when we check our minds at the church door.

[Scuba Pete]

Originally Posted by sojourner

We underestimate what God has done for us when we check our minds at the church door.

We exhibit hubris when we believe that we are able to fully understand God without his help.

[sojourner]

Originally Posted by Scuba Pete

We exhibit hubris when we believe that we are able to fully understand God without his help.

I have never, never, never, never, never said that "we use our intellect to understand God," or that "we use our intellect exclusively." What I have said is that we use our intellect in order to understand what's written in the Bible. The Bible isn't God. I have also said that intellect is a good start toward understanding the Biblical message. somehow, you keep wanting to make me out as being someone who puts no stock in spiritual experience, or the employment of such human features as intuition. I don't understand that, becuase I've never presented myself that way.

We exhibit naivete when we believe that we can understand the written word without the aid of scholarship.

[Scott1]

Originally Posted by sojourner

And, ironically, it has always been the literate ones who have provided the greatest theological illumination for the Church, since there has been a Bible to be read.

Literacy and scholarship are two different things....

I think Pete will concede that literacy is needed to READ.... but I don't think scholarship and intellectual assent is needed to become one with the Word... for that, all one needs is the grace of God.