Syntax=Private interpretation while Dogma=Community of believers IMO. TT abounds with the former with David Miller at the 'head of the class'.
----- Original Message ----- From: "David Miller" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <TruthTalk@mail.innglory.org> Sent: January 17, 2005 00:45 Subject: Re: [TruthTalk] Good News! > Excellent post, Debbie, but please do reconsider some of your syntax to line > up with Biblical language. > > For example, you wrote: > > The apostles Paul and James (to go back to a previous post) > > ultimately believed in the same Good News, but in emphasizing > > different things they didn't say the same thing; they said > > complementary things. > > Based upon 1 Cor. 1:10 and Acts 15 and Acts 21, I would say that Paul and > James did speak the same thing. They had the same mind and were in unity of > speech. In the context of what you are saying above, I agree with you, but > at the same time I am concerned that using the syntax of "they didn't say > the same thing" cuts across the syntax of Scripture. My concern is that > people will use what you are saying to justify actual disagreements that are > not complementary. In other words, they will be open to the relativism of > our modern educational system which allows people to believe whatever they > want. The assumption is that whatever they believe will fit in and be > relevant in some way. It does not even have to be something that actually > fits somewhere. > > It is important for us to see how our perspectives, when they are accurate > of the truth, actually fit together like a jigsaw puzzle. If they do fit > together in complementary fashion, then we see the whole, and we see how we > have the same mind and how we do speak the same things. In fact, if someone > were to contradict James, Paul would probably speak up for him and justify > his teachings. Likewise with James. When Jews in Jerusalem maligned Paul > and misrepresented him, James would speak up for him (hence the situation in > Acts 21). > > Debbie wrote: > > They certainly don't sound the same; > > They don't sound the same when taken out of context and put in a different > context. They do sound the same when they are fit together in a whole and > understood in relationship to one another. > > Debbie wrote: > > We can't use sameness as a necessary > > condition of rightness. To me that seems > > a scary direction to move in. > > Excellent point. This distinguishes dogma from analysis. Much of > Christianity has missed it in relying upon dogma and using sameness as a > condition of rightness. Very excellent point. > > Peace be with you. > David Miller. > > > ---------- > "Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer every man." (Colossians 4:6) http://www.InnGlory.org > > If you do not want to receive posts from this list, send an email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] and you will be unsubscribed. If you have a friend who wants to join, tell him to send an e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] and he will be subscribed. ---------- "Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer every man." (Colossians 4:6) http://www.InnGlory.org If you do not want to receive posts from this list, send an email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] and you will be unsubscribed. If you have a friend who wants to join, tell him to send an e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] and he will be subscribed.