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It doesn't take very long to realize that a thorough understanding of the Bible -- and this would actually apply to any complex work from any culture -- requires specialized knowledge

More indignant blather. I have seen Calvinists on these forums tell me that the Bible is "perspicuous" and that even a 5-year old can understand it. Pathetic.

"More indignant blather. I have seen Calvinists on these forums tell me that the Bible is "perspicuous" and that even a 5-year old can understand it. Pathetic."

What's "pathetic" is that you can't legitimately defend your inane positions so you attempt to change the subject by making an intellectually dishonest, deceptive effort to misrepresent --to the careless reader-- what I posted, by leaving OUT the key points.

The "key points" of my post that you deliberately left out:

It doesn't take very long to realize that a thorough understanding of the Bible -- and this would actually apply to any complex work from any culture -- requires specialized knowledge, and a broad range of specialized knowledge in a variety of fields.

Let's anticipate and toss off the obvious objection: "Why did God make the Bible so hard to understand, then?"

It isn't -- none of this keeps a person from grasping the message of the Bible to the extent required to be saved; where the line is to be drawn is upon those who gratuitously assume that such base knowledge allows them to be competent critics of the text, and make that assumption indifferent to their own lack of knowledge -- what I have elsewhere spoken of in terms of being "unskilled and unaware of it."

"...The genres of the Bible include narrative, poetry, proverbial literature, wisdom discourse, a treaty (that's what Deuteronomy is, believe it or not!), legal codes, genealogies, biography (that is what the Gospels are!), personal letters and general letters, rhetoric (an art form in the ancient world), riposte, and apocalyptic. ....."

More indignant blather. I have seen Calvinists on these forums tell me that the Bible is "perspicuous" and that even a 5-year old can understand it. Pathetic.

Really? As someone whose theology tends toward Calvinistic, I'm surprised that I've never heard such a claim. I have, however, heard many Christians assert that a five-year-old could understand the Gospel. Are you sure that you didn't mix up the two?

>> “I have seen Calvinists on these forums tell me that the Bible is “perspicuous” and that even a 5-year old can understand it. Pathetic.” <<

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The understanding of the word of God ia a gift of the Holy Spirit, not of your own intellect.

And no, I do not expect you to understand this point.

Bible is "perspicuous" and that even a 5-year old can understand it.

A 5 year old knows the meaning of a Gift. They open it with excitement with no thought of I need to do something for it.

One step further - if their parent died on the way home from purchasing their gift - how much more will they cherish it - probable keep it forever and the wrappings. The last thing their parent bought them, did for them.

Matt 18 "And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven."