Comments on: Christian Enlightenment http://www.genepensiero.com/jr/blog/2009/05/29/christian-enlightenment/ the God of the universe is madly in love with you Fri, 12 Mar 2010 05:24:20 -0800 hourly 1 By: Kurt Willems http://www.genepensiero.com/jr/blog/2009/05/29/christian-enlightenment/comment-page-1/#comment-5046 Kurt Willems Wed, 03 Jun 2009 23:57:29 +0000 http://www.genepensiero.com/jr/blog/?p=2482#comment-5046 Hi Gene. I met you in college, I am friends with some of your friends like Jeff and Steph, Derrick and Laurel, and Mike (to name a few). I want to make a couple of remarks about the above quote. I agree with it in many ways. The bible is God's revelation to humanity about how to join his redemptive mission in the world! However, I get a bit suspicious when we start saying that applying intellectual study to the bible is a departure from spiritual authority. Sometimes, the intellectual challenge actually challenges and can help us understand this authoritative text even better. I think that we need to use all of the Academic methods available to us to know the scriptures in their historical context better. Anytime we are afraid of this, we settle for what we have always known, rather than the possibility of their being something more in the text. With that said, i do agree with the above comments about discarding what doesn't fit our lives. We can't simply dismiss what makes us uncomfortable.<div class="comment-remix-meta"><a href="#" class="replyto" onclick="replyto('5046','Kurt Willems'); return false;">Reply</a> - <a href="#" class="quote" onclick="quote('5046','Kurt Willems','Hi Gene. I met you in college, I am friends with some of your friends like Jeff and Steph, Derrick and Laurel, and Mike (to name a few).\r\n\r\nI want to make a couple of remarks about the above quote. I agree with it in many ways. The bible is God\'s revelation to humanity about how to join his redemptive mission in the world! However, I get a bit suspicious when we start saying that applying intellectual study to the bible is a departure from spiritual authority. Sometimes, the intellectual challenge actually challenges and can help us understand this authoritative text even better. I think that we need to use all of the Academic methods available to us to know the scriptures in their historical context better. Anytime we are afraid of this, we settle for what we have always known, rather than the possibility of their being something more in the text.\r\n\r\nWith that said, i do agree with the above comments about discarding what doesn\'t fit our lives. We can\'t simply dismiss what makes us uncomfortable.'); return false;">Quote</a></div> Hi Gene. I met you in college, I am friends with some of your friends like Jeff and Steph, Derrick and Laurel, and Mike (to name a few).

I want to make a couple of remarks about the above quote. I agree with it in many ways. The bible is God’s revelation to humanity about how to join his redemptive mission in the world! However, I get a bit suspicious when we start saying that applying intellectual study to the bible is a departure from spiritual authority. Sometimes, the intellectual challenge actually challenges and can help us understand this authoritative text even better. I think that we need to use all of the Academic methods available to us to know the scriptures in their historical context better. Anytime we are afraid of this, we settle for what we have always known, rather than the possibility of their being something more in the text.

With that said, i do agree with the above comments about discarding what doesn’t fit our lives. We can’t simply dismiss what makes us uncomfortable.

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]]> By: Michael http://www.genepensiero.com/jr/blog/2009/05/29/christian-enlightenment/comment-page-1/#comment-5042 Michael Tue, 02 Jun 2009 13:55:06 +0000 http://www.genepensiero.com/jr/blog/?p=2482#comment-5042 Gene, I think there is much weight in, <em>"...'what i cannot understand, i will discard...',"</em> especially as this deals with submitting fully to the Word of God as our authority. If we are honest, how many things in Scripture have we casted aside because we did not understand it, or it simply did not agree with our understanding? I know I used to do that very thing, and I tossed much aside. <em>Thus saith the Lord</em> can be so terrifying when it threatens to shake our foundation of tradition and personal sense of right and wrong. But the word of the Lord is like a fire and a hammer (Jeremiah 23:29), it both consumed and shattered me. And I found the Word of the Lord to be better and greater than any tradition -which has brought about great conflict. It seems like you have found an interesting read. May it bless you. Blessings, Michael<div class="comment-remix-meta"><a href="#" class="replyto" onclick="replyto('5042','Michael'); return false;">Reply</a> - <a href="#" class="quote" onclick="quote('5042','Michael','Gene,\r\n\r\nI think there is much weight in, <em>\"...\'what i cannot understand, i will discard...\',\"<\/em> especially as this deals with submitting fully to the Word of God as our authority. If we are honest, how many things in Scripture have we casted aside because we did not understand it, or it simply did not agree with our understanding? I know I used to do that very thing, and I tossed much aside.\r\n\r\n<em>Thus saith the Lord<\/em> can be so terrifying when it threatens to shake our foundation of tradition and personal sense of right and wrong. But the word of the Lord is like a fire and a hammer (Jeremiah 23:29), it both consumed and shattered me. And I found the Word of the Lord to be better and greater than any tradition -which has brought about great conflict.\r\n\r\nIt seems like you have found an interesting read. May it bless you.\r\n\r\nBlessings,\r\n\r\nMichael'); return false;">Quote</a></div> Gene,

I think there is much weight in, “…’what i cannot understand, i will discard…’,” especially as this deals with submitting fully to the Word of God as our authority. If we are honest, how many things in Scripture have we casted aside because we did not understand it, or it simply did not agree with our understanding? I know I used to do that very thing, and I tossed much aside.

Thus saith the Lord can be so terrifying when it threatens to shake our foundation of tradition and personal sense of right and wrong. But the word of the Lord is like a fire and a hammer (Jeremiah 23:29), it both consumed and shattered me. And I found the Word of the Lord to be better and greater than any tradition -which has brought about great conflict.

It seems like you have found an interesting read. May it bless you.

Blessings,

Michael

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]]> By: Mike http://www.genepensiero.com/jr/blog/2009/05/29/christian-enlightenment/comment-page-1/#comment-5035 Mike Fri, 29 May 2009 15:28:47 +0000 http://www.genepensiero.com/jr/blog/?p=2482#comment-5035 Good stuff man. Thanks for sharing<div class="comment-remix-meta"><a href="#" class="replyto" onclick="replyto('5035','Mike'); return false;">Reply</a> - <a href="#" class="quote" onclick="quote('5035','Mike','Good stuff man. Thanks for sharing'); return false;">Quote</a></div> Good stuff man. Thanks for sharing
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]]> By: Shellie (baylormum) http://www.genepensiero.com/jr/blog/2009/05/29/christian-enlightenment/comment-page-1/#comment-5034 Shellie (baylormum) Fri, 29 May 2009 14:58:24 +0000 http://www.genepensiero.com/jr/blog/?p=2482#comment-5034 I love where you said "what I do not understand, I will discard". One cannot change or choose just part of the Bible to accommodate the way the want to live their life! The Bible is just as relevant today as it was thousands of years ago! Yes, the world around has changed & is changing, but God's word does & can not be changed. It is the solid part of life. It is the guide of how to live life by giving the glory to God for every minute of the day, no matter the situation. You cannot live life by being self-centered & authoritative. Submitting to living life according to God's Word is not always easy. But, He's always there, ready to teach us how to become selfless & teachable. :)<div class="comment-remix-meta"><a href="#" class="replyto" onclick="replyto('5034','Shellie (baylormum)'); return false;">Reply</a> - <a href="#" class="quote" onclick="quote('5034','Shellie (baylormum)','I love where you said \"what I do not understand, I will discard\". One cannot change or choose just part of the Bible to accommodate the way the want to live their life! The Bible is just as relevant today as it was thousands of years ago! Yes, the world around has changed & is changing, but God\'s word does & can not be changed. It is the solid part of life. It is the guide of how to live life by giving the glory to God for every minute of the day, no matter the situation. You cannot live life by being self-centered & authoritative. Submitting to living life according to God\'s Word is not always easy. But, He\'s always there, ready to teach us how to become selfless & teachable. :)'); return false;">Quote</a></div> I love where you said “what I do not understand, I will discard”. One cannot change or choose just part of the Bible to accommodate the way the want to live their life! The Bible is just as relevant today as it was thousands of years ago! Yes, the world around has changed & is changing, but God’s word does & can not be changed. It is the solid part of life. It is the guide of how to live life by giving the glory to God for every minute of the day, no matter the situation. You cannot live life by being self-centered & authoritative. Submitting to living life according to God’s Word is not always easy. But, He’s always there, ready to teach us how to become selfless & teachable. :)
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