CLAPTRAP, DRIVEL, TWADDLE, HOGWASH, AND BALONEY

CLAPTRAP, DRIVEL, TWADDLE, HOGWASH AND BALONEY

Reviewed and redacted Thursday, March 09, 2017

John [MKJV] 1:14; 17:10-21 [John establishing the fact] And the Word became flesh, and tabernacled among us. And we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and of truth. …  [Jesus prayed] And all Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine; and I am glorified in them. And now I am in the world no longer, but these are in the world, and I come to You, Holy Father. Keep them in Your name, those whom You have given Me, so that they may be one as We are. While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name. Those that You have given Me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. And now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world that they might have My joy fulfilled in them. I have given them Your Word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I do not pray for You to take them out of the world, but for You to keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through Your truth. Your Word is truth. As You have sent Me into the world, even so I have sent them into the world. And I sanctify Myself for their sakes, so that they also might be sanctified in truth. And I do not pray for these alone, but for those also who shall believe on Me through their word, that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You, that they also may be one in Us, so that the world may believe that You have sent Me.

1Corinthians 2:9-16; 10:12 [the apostle Paul wrote] But as it is written, "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard," nor has it entered into the heart of man, "the things which God has prepared for those who love Him." But God has revealed them to us by His Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, yea, the deep things of God.

For who among men knows the things of a man except the spirit of man within him? So also no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. But we have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit from God, so that we might know the things that are freely given to us by God. These things we also speak, not in words which man's wisdom teaches, but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is judged by no one. For who has known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ. … For we do not dare to rank or compare ourselves with some of the ones commending themselves. But they, measuring themselves among themselves, and comparing themselves to themselves, are not perceptive.

2Timothy 3:7, 16-17 [Paul writing to young Timothy] Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. … All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly [completely] furnished unto all good works.

  Since first ability to, reading has been a big part of my life. I subscribe to magazines, have near-hoarder shelves and stacks of books throughout home, and people give me materials to read and review. And then there’s internet sendings and questions posed to be researched. I occasionally get behind on home infrastructure maintenance, but I’m always behind on reading.

  Much reading however does not assure embracing truth that leads to sound godly knowledge and wisdom for living sensibly.  (2Tim.3:1-17)

  An example is yesterday I read article in magazine given to me for review, CONNECTIONS for evangelical Lutheran Christians. The article is titled BIBLICAL AUTHORITY TODAY, by Dennis Bielfeldt (March/April/Easter 2011), President and professor of Theology at the Institute of Lutheran Theology, holding Ph.D. in Philosophical Theology.

  Bielfeldt writes of how he as child once believed the Bible as absolutely true before exposure to “higher criticism” that includes scientific evidence against, intellectual problems with, questions about what the Bible really means, human subjectivity interfering with astute objectivity (blind faith versus intelligent belief).

  He then reminds that instead of letting all questions of whether Scripture is absolute Truth or not, we should “… try instead to derive Biblical authority out of the effect of the text on the reader.” He goes on to explain we shouldn’t be too objective or too subjective when it comes to the Bible, ultimately failing to provide solid authoritative ground. Bielfeldt then offers yet another option; that the Bible’s authority may be grounded in the Word if and as it confronts its readers.

  Moving on, he compares reading Tibetan Book of the Dead as a de facto (in reality) authority in the lives of people, which Christians convinced the Bible is Truth would say is example of misplaced authority. This I am saying!

  Then he begins to wind down with “Yet through the self-communication of God, these finite, historically-conditioned [Bible] texts bear to us the infinite gifts of divine law and grace, of divine presence and salvation – no matter what interpretive problems exist.”

  Must stop here and as 5 year old grandson explains something, periodically asks “Got it?!” In phone conversation last evening this same precocious little boy explained that the flamingos in his yard get their energy from the rain that was falling on them.  

EBB4 (Wednesday, October 30, 2013)