Twisting Scripture vs A Literal Reading

by AllTimeJeff 64 Replies latest watchtower bible

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  wobble

  Just to answer the thread title.

  In daily life,and in reading, we constantly have to use exegesis to understand what we are reading or hearing , for example, you see a sign that reads :

  "Parking Free Zone"

  That can mean two opposite things, one of which, if you park your car there will result in grief.

  In reading scripture we have to do the same thing, and a sensible brief thought is all it usually takes to realise if it is literal or not.

  Taking,say, most of it as literal will not prevent the mis-use of Scripture, i.e demanding women keep silent in the congregation, and should wear head coverings etc.

  As we know literal interpretations have been used to justify Slavery and much more that is rightly rejected today.

  The Bible needs to be read taking into account the writers agenda, knowledge, including how developed his theology is, the milieu in which he lived and the time in which he wrote, and more.

  For example, a Bible writer penning his words after 70 C.E will have a different agenda, and probably world view, than one writing before that fateful year.

  There are books on how to read the bible, how good they are I know not, but I would doubt any advocate a mainly literal reading as being productive.

  Most of the Bible belongs to the Jews, and their heritage of Midrash is surely recommended to Christians too in Pauls words that "All Scripture is inspired and beneficial for teaching " i.e Instruction.

  I feel that most of it is in the form of allegory and parable to teach us how to live, it is not a list of rules.

  Jesus' summation of the law into the Golden Rule shows that.
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  Chalam

  Hello Jeff,

  The "twisting" of scripture is one thing, a warning all round.

  2 Peter 3:16-18 (New International Version)

  16 He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction.

  17 Therefore, dear friends, since you already know this, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of lawless men and fall from your secure position. 18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.

  Acts 20:28-32 (New International Version)

  28 Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood. 29 I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. 30 Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. 31 So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.

  32 "Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.

  2 Corinthians 4:1-4 (New International Version)

  1 Therefore, since through God's mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart. 2 Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. 3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. 4 The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. Revelation 22:18-21 (New International Version)

  18 I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book. 19 And if anyone takes words away from this book of prophecy, God will take away from him his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.

  20 He who testifies to these things says, "Yes, I am coming soon."
  Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

  21 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God's people. Amen.

  Notice in each of the these warnings, the grace of Jesus is mentioned directly afterwards i.e. the free gift of salvation. As for how to read the bible, there is only one way (if you want to use it for its true purpose).

  John 5:39-40 (New International Version)

  39 You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, 40 yet you refuse to come to me to have life.

  1 Corinthians 2:14 (New International Version)

  14 The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.

  John 14:26 (New International Version)

  26 But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.

  John 15:26 (New International Version)

  26 "When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me.

  Blessings,

  Stephen
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  designs

  Talk about a group that twists Scripture. So Stephen, now that you admit to Shunning like the Witnesses, why does your Cult of the Trinity turn so easily to violence. A Political leader or a National referendum or even silly differences over doctrine (twisting scripture) and the Cult of the Trinity will kill each other. 1900 years of documented History.

  Your Cult makes our former religion look like amateurs in the abuse department.

  Still trying to convert the xjw community to your Cult.
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  PSacramento

  Terry has labored over the last couple of months to demonstrate (in my view, conclusively) that the bible is far from unaltered, and often mistranslated. These facts, inconvenient as they might be for believers, are nonetheless, a problem for those who claim that the bible IS the word of god.

  Terry has done an excellent job in summerizing some of the views and his views of course, out there about those issues, yes.

  Bart would be proud :)

  Those views have also been answered and re-answered over and over again, even b efore Bart put them out there, since he really didn't put out anythign new persay.

  Are those replies and answers bias? of course, just like Bart's and Terry's and Mine and yours, that is a given.

  When we don't know soemthing for sure, all we can do is postulate and voice ourt opinion, it doesn't make them right, but is does make them "ours",

  But to your point:

  Which leads me to ask, isn't it possible to "twist" the meaning of a scripture if one is determined to NOT read a scripture literally?

  Isn't reading the bible literally the only way to NOT twist scripture?

  That woudl depend on HOW and WHY the bible was written.

  Can many things be taken literal? yes.

  Can ALL things? No.

  How can we decide which ones to take as literal and which ones to take as symbolic?

  Good question, the first thing is ti understand that the bible was written by MAN, not matter how inspired it was written by MAN.

  Then we must take into account the TOTALLITY of those writings, one does NOT get a clear picture of Paul from Romans, but from ALL HIS LETTERS.
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  Mad Sweeney

  Jeff's original point still stands.

  If you agree that scripture (some or all, whatever) CAN be interpreted and IS NOT literal, then YOU ARE TWISTING the meaning of the words from what the words literally mean into AN INTERPRETATION of what they mean.

  I mean, look at the bulk of this thread. It's like reading Chubby Checker up in here!
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  Terry

  Life can be difficult. Hell, it is difficult.

  If we use our mind and intelligence wisely we discover a core of practical and workable values for everyday use.

  Hard work, education, social connections and (above all) a good Plan can create a life for us that leads to success and happiness. (With setbacks along the way).

  But, this simply isn't enough for some people.

  They want a Royal Road to happiness. They want to bypass the hard work and due dilligence part of life.

  They want to believe there is a secret passage, a trick, a magic word that will let them cut ahead to the front of the line.

  Part of this Magic-Thinking is immaturity and part of it is societal.

  Every society has superstitious people and myth chasers. Word spreads and these short-cut hunters become ingrained into urban legends, religious tales and wonderful stories.

  The Bible is part of this. The fact that all the legendary and imaginary crap from a primitive nomadic race has bubbled up into modern times as the source of Divine Wisdom is ridiculous, of course. The Kaballah, the I Ching, astrology, witchcraft...the list goes on and on...

  But, it all boils down to this. Whatever Wisdom there is is not SECRET. It is known. The problem with it is that Wisdom is too mundane, practical and ordinary to be exciting enough to fire our imagination and catapult us to the head of the line.

  WHEN ANYBODY ACTUALLY APPLIES the "teachings" of the bible their life changes about as much as a placebo can change a life (and for about as long.) Beyond that--people lie.

  People are only too glad to lie about the "miracles" in their life and tell you what God has done for them answering their prayers.

  They are liars. They are self-deluding. They keep the ball rolling.

  Everything the mind of mind can conceive has been applied to making the Bible work for people who devoutly believe it to be the source of Divine wisdom.

  Literal meanings? Spiritual meanings? Historical Dispensational meanings? Chronological meanings?

  You name it---it has been tried, codified, amplified, preached, teached and ingrained into legend.

  It is the lazy person's preoccupation.

  Bible obesssion is a direct corollary to irrational thinking.

  Bible interpretation is right up there with tea leaves, casting lots and reading bird livers.

  It is the cave-in of intellectual death which buries the human spirit under the rubble of dead centuries of failed guesses of how the universe really works.
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  Married to the Mob

  ATJ

  Twisting the scriputes has been going on for centuries! But everyone does it to make the bible meet their own agenda. JW say that they live by the word of the bible but truth is that they themselves twist scripture and literals to suit their agenda.

  Example 1

  After the flood Noah was told by god that they mustn't eat the blood of any animal. Not to work on the sabbeth etc etc

  The literal of this is you must drain the blood before you eat the animal.

  The inference (twisting the scripture) is that you should not consume blood of another in any form.

  Example 2

  Jesus talks about how the shepard should save the live of a sheep even on the sabbeth. He makes a statement that life is more imortant than any law.

  The literal of this is that the preservation of the life of the sheep is more important than law.

  The inference is that any life is more important than any law.

  Both these examples show how literals and inferences are twisted are used to meet the agenda of the faith interpreting them.

  In intepreting, which is a natural human action we understand what is required of us, however it should always be done is a balanced consistant method.
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  leavingwt

  
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  PSacramento

  LOL !

  Nice one.
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  leavingwt