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To: 1000 silverlings
not been baptised either with water or by the HS, he had no understanding.

It is true that the Eunuch was not baptised, but Acts 8:31 nevertheless says that he needed help understanding the scripture, and verse 35 says that St. Philip preached -- that is, interpreted, since the book was on the Eunuch's lap, -- the scripture. Thus understanding comes from apostolic authority, not from just the text. And we observe thie same thing today, -- baptised and even confirmed Christians hold opposite views on the scripture, so some of them had to interpret it wrongly.

We do not believe in private interpretations of scripture

Thnak you for saying that. Who are "we"? Most Protestants on this thread would say that they feel comfortalbe interpreting the scripture for themselves. My opinion is that they are mistaken, and they take Luther's or Calvin's or Don Brown's interpretation, but pretend it is their own.

unintelligible

I gave several examples of who one needs to know Greek and the Middle-eastern culture of antiquity to understand translated scripture. The point is that although theology is culture-invariant, we don't get the theology directly from the scripture as very little of it is in the form of theological treatise. In order to get theology form the scripture, one has to first understand the scripture, like the Eunuch in Acts 8, and for that apostolic authority is necessary, or else you get da Vinci code nonsense out of your scripture-reading.

6,738 posted on 05/16/2006 10:53:58 AM PDT by annalex
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To: annalex
The scripture that the eunuch needed help understanding was a specific text from Isaiah

Acts 8:29 Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot.

8:30 And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest ?

8:31 And he said, How can I , except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him.

8:32 The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth: 8:34 And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man?

8:35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.

You notice that it is the Spirit which sends Philip to the chariot, it is the Spirit which testifies of Christ, and it is the Spirit that picks Philip up and whisks him away. It is not "some man" as you would like us to believe. It is a man true, but it is a man filled with the Spirit.

"We" are bible believing Christians.

2Pe 1:20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.

6,742 posted on 05/16/2006 11:36:44 AM PDT by 1000 silverlings
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To: annalex
we don't get the theology directly from the scripture as very little of it is in the form of theological treatise.

You are too used to longwinded dry theologians. The bible is pure theology from beginning to end.

6,743 posted on 05/16/2006 11:41:32 AM PDT by 1000 silverlings
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To: annalex

One shock that I had first reading theologians was that not all of them even believe in Christor God either. You can comment on the bible and on theology and not be a believer. What is theology? Essentially isn't it the spiritual relationship between God and man? Someone who is not led of the spirit will never reach the conclusion that the Spirit will lead to.


6,745 posted on 05/16/2006 11:49:38 AM PDT by 1000 silverlings
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