Well now, here is part of the problem. I can imagine all sorts of things, and by doing so and getting other people to believe my imaginings, I am cooking up a recipe for disaster. By posting the actual scripture, as you did, and as we did, the readers can see for themselves what the Lord says. Without scripture as a guide, all sorts of vain imaginings take root and that is never good. I think you can agree with that. The three of us take our passion for the Word (which you mistake for our own feelings) seriously, and we have a duty to instruct others. In spite of what you might think, none of us asked for this job and it isn't easy to do, but we are blessed to have it.
I can agree to a point about vain imaginings. What you construe as vain imaginings may not always be that, at all.
No, I took your EMOTIVELY EXPRESSIVE . . . aspects
ABOUT Scripture
as that--evidence of the/your emotional aspects about your constructions and interpretations on Scripture.
Such emotional aspects and the particular flavors and 'emotional DNA' about such things have become very telling things to me. I don't know how to describe that very well. I just know it in my bones.
In and of themselves, they'd be of no consequence. But over the decades, I've learned that they are red flags when certain criteria are abundantly met as has been the case on this thread. Perhaps I could put it this way--when say 70-90% of the red flags indicate RELIGIOUS SPIRIT, then I have to conclude, that a RELIGIOUIS SPIRIT is likely involved. I suppose we could call it, the DUCK CRITERIA. Too many factors indicate it's a duck. So, it must be a duck. At least, that's the BEST hypothesis--given the abundant evidence.
I can recognize pure and simple passion for The Word. I have a lot of that. And, I can say that you folks seem to have some of that.
But it's not pure and simple only that. Not by a long shot. And I would be dishonest, undiscerning, unScriptural and unloving to you, to let you think that I believed it was when it so clearly is not.
I take my PASSION FOR THE WORD rather seriously, too, BTW.
Amen.
"There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love." -- 1 John 4:18.