Free Republic
Browse · Search
Religion
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

J.P. Moreland: Evangelicals are "over-committed" to the Bible
Insight Scoop ^ | November 16, 2007 | Carl Olson

Posted on 11/16/2007 10:52:24 AM PST by NYer

click here to read article


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-80 ... 121-131 next last
To: NYer

That’s fine. Jesus was “overcommitted” to the Bible too.


21 posted on 11/16/2007 12:02:42 PM PST by Titus Quinctius Cincinnatus (Conservatives - Freedom WITH responsibility; Libertarians - Freedom FROM responsibility)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: NYer
yet, Moreland argues, they have over-committed to the Bible in making it the sole authority, or source of knowledge.

To what else would any Christian worth the name turn, however? Certainly not the "Church", the pope, or the Magisterium.

22 posted on 11/16/2007 12:05:01 PM PST by Titus Quinctius Cincinnatus (Conservatives - Freedom WITH responsibility; Libertarians - Freedom FROM responsibility)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Secret Agent Man

Actually the Word of God is the sole source for faith and practice, not the bible alone, therein lies the difference.


23 posted on 11/16/2007 12:06:23 PM PST by raygunfan
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: NYer
“In the actual practices of the Evangelical community in North America, there is an over-commitment to Scripture in a way that is false, irrational, and harmful to the cause of Christ,” he said. “And it has produced a mean-spiritedness among the over-committed that is a grotesque and often ignorant distortion of discipleship unto the Lord Jesus.”

It's not the first time something like this has been said:

And the Father who sent me has himself borne witness about me. His voice you have never heard, his form you have never seen, and you do not have his word abiding in you, for you do not believe the one whom he has sent. You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life. (John 5:37-40)

Jesus said there's a difference between Him and Scripture. The Scrupture points to Him -- but it isn't Him. People can say and do some pretty hateful things based on their reading of Scripture ... and in so doing, they miss the point just like the Pharisees did.

24 posted on 11/16/2007 12:13:10 PM PST by r9etb
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Alex Murphy
Catholic priests sexually abused childed four times times as often as did "Protestant" pastors...

"Let him who has 25% of the sin cast the first stone."

25 posted on 11/16/2007 12:13:47 PM PST by SoothingDave
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 18 | View Replies]

Comment #26 Removed by Moderator

To: Secret Agent Man
What it means though, is that if and when writings and practices and teachings that come from fallible human beings contradict God’s Word, His Word is always right over anything any man or woman writes. It’s just that simple.

Yes, it's just that simple. Whatever you read the Bible to mean is always right. And whatever I read it to mean is alwasy right, too. Even when we disagree.

27 posted on 11/16/2007 12:15:49 PM PST by SoothingDave
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: raygunfan
Actually the Word of God is the sole source for faith and practice, not the bible alone, therein lies the difference.

That's exactly right. For example, if the Bible were solely sufficient, there'd be no need for the Holy Spirit.

28 posted on 11/16/2007 12:17:16 PM PST by r9etb
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 23 | View Replies]

To: r9etb
For example, if the Bible were solely sufficient, there'd be no need for the Holy Spirit.

Ummm... that's like saying "if a map was solely sufficient to find your way, there'd be no need for cartographers."

29 posted on 11/16/2007 12:21:55 PM PST by Sloth (Democrats and GOPers are to government what Jeffrey Dahmer and Michael Jackson are to babysitting)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 28 | View Replies]

To: Sloth

Once a cartographer has cartographed, his work is done. Is that really how you view the work of the Holy Spirit?

He inspired the Bible and now rests?


30 posted on 11/16/2007 12:24:49 PM PST by SoothingDave
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 29 | View Replies]

To: irishtenor; Gamecock
“We evangelicals could learn a lesson or two from our Catholic friends.”

LOL!!! Perhaps someone else is ready to swim the Tiber?

31 posted on 11/16/2007 12:25:45 PM PST by HarleyD (97% of all statistics are made up.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: HarleyD

Not me :>)


32 posted on 11/16/2007 12:27:43 PM PST by irishtenor (History was written before God said "Let there be light.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 31 | View Replies]

Comment #33 Removed by Moderator

To: irishtenor

Me either. I’ll stay on this side of the Tiber, thank you very kindly. I will say all I do is harp, harp, harp on how much Protestants are like Catholics these days. This is just another illustration.


34 posted on 11/16/2007 12:38:38 PM PST by HarleyD (97% of all statistics are made up.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 32 | View Replies]

To: HarleyD

Join the over 1 billion catholics now, itz a very big pool....


35 posted on 11/16/2007 12:43:17 PM PST by raygunfan
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 31 | View Replies]

To: raygunfan

When you have that many people in the pool, someone is bound to have peed in it.


36 posted on 11/16/2007 12:47:26 PM PST by HarleyD (97% of all statistics are made up.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 35 | View Replies]

To: SoothingDave
Once a cartographer has cartographed, his work is done. Is that really how you view the work of the Holy Spirit? He inspired the Bible and now rests?

Actually no, although I'd view that as a legitimate and defensible position. But I'd say that the *revelatory* work of the Spirit is complete, and the Bible is the only reliable resource for "faith and practice", which is what I was referring to.

37 posted on 11/16/2007 12:47:34 PM PST by Sloth (Democrats and GOPers are to government what Jeffrey Dahmer and Michael Jackson are to babysitting)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 30 | View Replies]

To: NYer

Sounds like this guy may be featured on a future edition of ‘Coming Home’.


38 posted on 11/16/2007 12:56:41 PM PST by PAR35
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Greg F

As a Catholic who flirted w/ being a born again Christian I say you are 100% right. Christ commands us to love and we as Christians should always approach each other’s differences with love. love. love. love. God is Love. Christ is Love and he commands us “Love one another.” I read these threads sometimes and see such sarcasm and vitriol. :(


39 posted on 11/16/2007 12:59:25 PM PST by jjm2111
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]

To: Sloth
But I'd say that the *revelatory* work of the Spirit is complete, and the Bible is the only reliable resource for "faith and practice", which is what I was referring to.

I see. So I guess you've never been confronted by a moral dilemma that's not covered by the Bible? The "revelatory" work of the Spirit is never done, because otherwise we can't know God's truth or practice His will for situations that are not explicitly in the Bible.

Moreover, the modern world is quite different from that described by the Bible. Just on a practical level, our culture has lost a tremendous amount of context -- parables that would have made perfect sense to a shepherd, mean much less to us.

The Bible is still very relevant -- it's still God's word, after all, and it embodies Truth. But to expect that we can recognize and apply that Truth today, in a world so different, and without "revelatory help" from the Holy Spirit, is a bit naive.

There's a difference between "revelation" and the revisionist canard of "discovering new Truths," btw.

40 posted on 11/16/2007 1:03:56 PM PST by r9etb
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 37 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-80 ... 121-131 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
Religion
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson