Sunday, February 11, 2007
Emerging church Critics miss the point Completely... Oh have i mentioned that before?
Blessings,
iggy
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Saturday, February 10, 2007
Judging man is judging God as not worthy….
Romans 2: 1-12
“You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. Now we know that God's judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. So when you, a mere man, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God's judgment? Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you toward repentance?
But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God's wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. God "will give to each person according to what he has done." To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For God does not show favoritism. All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law.”
I was challenged a while back by a person who stated I use the passage in Romans 2 wrongly in teaching people not to judge… so I decided that we should take a look at what is happening here…
First off, I will state chapter one in Romans is about the Gentile… and that they are clearly sinners… In a way Paul is winding up a pitch to toss out that will cross the plate if one is not ready to see what is happening. So point one:
Gentiles are sinners and because of creation have no excuse.
Sorry for the high speed run through Romans 1… so we come to chapter 2.
“You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things.”
These “you who pass judgment” are a reference to the Jewish believer in Rome. You see there were Jewish believers and gentile believers… and they did into get along. The Jewish believers condemned judged the gentiles for not following the Law as they did… they judged the gentile for not holding to the standard that the Jews saw the Law to be. Paul states that, yes these gentiles are sinners, but you do the same things and do not keep the very Law you are holding the gentiles to hold to…
Paul states that God’s judgment is based on Truth… for God is Truth… Jesus is Truth incarnate. Paul clearly points out that if one judges another yet is doing the same thing… that they will not escape God’s wrath at THE JUDGMENT. Why? Because as Paul is saying that they are hold “contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience” and that they are,” not realizing that God's kindness leads you toward repentance?” In other words they are denying the Grace of God and choosing to judge as God, they are choosing to be a god and denying God His rightful place.
Paul then state something that may sound a bit like it is against Grace, yet remember this is at the Last Judgment when God will judge you by what you did with Jesus and what you did with His Grace and Mercy…
“But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God's wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. God "will give to each person according to what he has done."”
Good News!
“To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life”
Bad news for those who displaced Jesus from His Throne of Judgment!
“But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger.”
Remember this is to “believers”… Which is hard for me to say as I believe in eternal security… which then make s me wonder if some who professed to be believers, were not… for they “hated their brothers” as John states. (1 John 2:9-10, 1 John 3:15)
To hate your brother is a sign one is not saved… so it would seem not all are "true believers" or are very immature believers.
“For God does not show favoritism. All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law.”
God does not have favorites in the way the Jewish believers tried to teach… in fact Paul does a great job in pointing something out we may all miss… all have sinned… and all will die… the playing field is level… Jew and Gentile, will perish with or without the Law.
Now, tie all this so far with this passage.
“Romans 3: 9-28 “What shall we conclude then? Are we any better? Not at all! We have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under sin.
As it is written: "There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one."
"Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit." "The poison of vipers is on their lips."
"Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness."
"Their feet are swift to shed blood; ruin and misery mark their ways, and the way of peace they do not know."
"There is no fear of God before their eyes."
Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin. But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished-- he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus. Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. On what principle? On that of observing the law? No, but on that of faith. For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law.”
I know there is a lot going on in this passage, but I wanted the whole context for you. “All have sinned and fallen short the glory of God” yet “are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”
To judge someone is in fact denying the Grace and mercy of God… and saying His justice is nothing… That is why Paul also writes: “
1 Corinthians 4: 4-6 My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me.
Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men's hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God. Now, brothers, I have applied these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, so that you may learn from us the meaning of the saying, "Do not go beyond what is written." Then you will not take pride in one man over against another.”
To judge is putting your own pride over and against another man… pride is sin… it is the sin of Satan… to judge another is Satanic, and puts one in alignment with the Accuser of the brethren, Satan himself. It spits on the the Grace of God and calls God unjust and a liar… that God will not do as He said and fulfill His word…This is not walking in faith… it is walking against it as it is saying God is not faithful… so beware and do not judge one another.
Discernment is one thing, judgment another. Discernment will give compassion towards the other and hope for best as you reach out to restore in all humility. Judgment condemns what Jesus died for to save… The bible may use “judge” or “judgment” in a way that if one does not have a clear biblical picture one will fall into sin… yet to understand the meaning behind the word, and by following the Holy Spirit, one will know the voice of God and will know what Jesus commanded us to do… to Love God and Love one another… to do less is blasphemy.
Blessings
iggy
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another example of the great discerning powers of the CRN group
Here is another example of the great discerning powers of the CRN group… and their followers.
Did anyone else notice that though the word "heresy" is thrown out there... there is not one example of this heresy? That Ken's articles all go to his own blog and not one outside source... and that the only heresy is that Rob is saying "God loves you"?
So, where is the heresy? I think it sad that you call names without any real source or proof... in fact this only looks like you disagree on some minor thing... like "God loves you" and claim heresy.... which makes me think... what is YOUR gospel... "God hates you?"
If so, you are the heretic... For scripture is clear about the love God has for us... even when we are God's enemies, He died for us... to save us... out of love for us... For Genesis to Revelation is about the great Love of God for us... from the promise to send the Seed to redeem all creation to the revealing of Jesus in the Book of Revelation... one theme is clear... God loves us, and desires that none will perish. He is waiting patiently in hopes that as many can be saved as possible...
I think they need to repent from mischaracterizing God... The only thing I am sure of is that on Apprising ministries if one looks hard enough they may find some of Ken's belly button lint from his inbred website that links to himself as his authority of research...
Beware of these divisive men that teach God hates you... they are false teachers who hold selfish ambition as their false idol.
Blessings,
iggy
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More proof that Christian Research Network is divisive (they are even fighting amongst themselves!)
The Bible warns against people like this and calls it "selfish ambition" Galatians 5:19 - 21 is clear that this is not of the Holy Spirit. "The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God."
If you notice some other signs of their sinful acts are popping out all over...
"Hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions, envy" are all showing out there on their very sleeves. How clear of a warning and how much proof that these people are not following God but the idol of their own self worth and self promotion.
Those of us who have and still receive the bulk of the hatred and fits of rage, are now seeing these peoples true nature. If they were just preaching Christ out of selfish ambition as in Philippians 1:17 I would not care as long as no harm was happening to my brothers and sisters in the Lord, yet these people rarely if ever even preach the Gospel they say they believe and seem to think it easier to cast stones at other believers they deem as "heretics" and "sinners" even going so far as to say that these "sinners" should not be allowed in their churches. The judge and condemn anyone they deem a lesser brother or sister and do not follow the teachings of scripture (which they claim to be defending) that they are to approach someone who has fallen in a gentle and humble manner. So the without realizing it nullify their rebukes for they themselves have placed themselves above reproach and beyond anyone else's rebuke... even scriptures clear teachings.
I do commend my brothers that have been attacked for maintaining great dignity under fire... and as Paul states in Philippians 1:27-28 " Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved--and that by God."
That one man I Christ Whom we stand on and that One Spirit is the Spirit of Reconciliation and Love... that we stand and proclaim the Gospel of the King and His Kingdom.
It would easy to gloat, yet I find myself not gloating as they do over what they perceive as a brother whose church was failing, (which was a lie) or even as one from their own ranks falls in the sin of homosexuality and they swoop in like vultures to pick the bone of their won comrade. I find myself greatly saddened that some choose to follow their fleshly ways and yet condemn others if they perceive that of them. I am saddened that these people decide to shame the Church and our Lord with their selfish ambition and call it of God.
I ask that we continue to pray, as I do see God cleaning house and exposing these who teach that judging the eternal destiny of others is their mandate and thus usurping Jesus from the Throne and judging things before their appointed time. That they confuse discernment with judgmental-ism and condemnation.
Pray for them to be reconciled with the Head which Whom they have come disconnected from.
Blessings,
iggy
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Tuesday, February 06, 2007
Jesus and Domitian (Rob Bell on the Book of Revelations)
Whatever you believe about the Book of Revelation, let alone Rob Bell, this teaching will challenge and actually give you tools to read the Book of Revelation with understanding.
It is a bit long, so get some coffee and gather the family... it is worth it.
(Oops! Thanks to Eric for pointing this out)
Blessings
iggy
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Monday, February 05, 2007
At last, a bumper sticker for both parties.
FINALLY, someone has come out with a 100% bipartisan political bumper sticker. The hottest selling bumper sticker comes from New York state.
Eternity... Vote for your destination
After your vote is done read this.
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Sunday, February 04, 2007
2 Corinthians 6:11-18 What it means to be "Separate"
[11] Our mouth is open to you, Corinthians. Our heart is enlarged.
[12] You are not restricted by us, but you are restricted by your own affections.
[13] Now in return, I speak as to my children, you also be open wide.
[14] Don’t be unequally yoked with unbelievers, for what fellowship have righteousness and iniquity? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?
[15] What agreement has Christ with Belial? Or what portion has a believer with an unbeliever?
[16] What agreement has a temple of God with idols? For you are a temple of the living God. Even as God said, “I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they will be my people.”
[17] Therefore, “‘Come out from among them, and be separate,’ says the Lord. ‘Touch no unclean thing. I will receive you.
[18] I will be to you a Father. You will be to me sons and daughters,’ says the Lord Almighty.”
It is truly sad when a person interprets this passage as not having unbelievers in their "church". That is truly a perversion and a mis-justice to the text.
Recently I read one person do just that to say that "Emergents" are the equivalent to Belial. Funny thing is that I know of no one that fits his definition of what a Belial worshiper is, as the lord Belial was the god of lust and fornication... and mostly of pride and arrogance. It was taught that that is how Belial would seduce was through using man's own arrogance and pride.... and exploiting these traits in a person. The irony is that a person who says an unbeliever should not be in "church" with a believer is in fact falling into the arrogance of Belial. And that is very sad.
So what is Paul stating here.
I see that for one thing it is that there where some who were turning the church of Corinth against Paul... and Paul desired to come to them, yet these people seemed bent on not letting him come.
Another sense is that there was Emperor worship and that in order to exchange in commerce, one must be in business with those in allegiance with the Emperor. This would be a very unequal relationship as a christian would be in a sense a lesser citizen in the emperor and would often be held in suspect. So often as in the case of Ephesus, one would have to take the mark of the Emperor (mark of the beast as referred to in the book of Revelation) to even buy or sell in the market place.
In Corinth there was also the common practice of inviting a person to the temple of so and so to partake in the eating of the sacrifice to that god... this was an issue in Corinth though Paul points out that there is no God other than God alone, to go to these places would cause one who is a lesser of faith to fall. Either fall back into the particular temple of worship or to just leave the fellowship of believers as a whole. At best they would be a believer who was committing a sin in their own mind or thinking that the other was sinning thus causing them to judge the other.
This explains why there are words like "share a portion with an unbeliever" as it would imply that there was a meal involved in this "union" of "yolked" individuals.
No where is this passage about separating from other believers in Christ, or that the unbeliever is not welcome in church.
It is about not getting trapped in this worlds system of belief and being double minded as one would straddle the idea that one can live in light and darkness and truth and a lie.
(This person who I referred to earlier is one that is spreading the lie that emergents do not believe in truth, he is just plain wrong, as the ones I know and myself do in fact believe in truth. Some as myself do not see that Truth to be truth needs a qualifier as "absolute" as that implies that some "truth" is not absolute, it cuts across the teaching of Scripture that "let your yes be yes and your no be no". It also give without realizing it more power to the idea of relative truth as it in it's very idea says, there is absolute truth and there is lesser non absolute truth... to me that would be a lie... yet I am faulted because I believe if something is not True it is a lie...)
If anything this passage is about being pure and not indulging in eating at the "temples" that are not of God, it is the calling that if one is a Christian to "come out from among THEM" not about kicking the unbeliever out of the churches...
How does this apply then to this day? We are to be careful who we join with. Meaning if there is any inkling to whether if one joins with a business or group, that if it is "questionable" it is better not to be a part of it. I have even attended some churches that are more a point of business contacts for the people that attend than a place of worship. It comes down to the matter of values... what is a value for the Kingdom over this world's values.
Blessings,
iggy
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Saturday, February 03, 2007
It is not good for man to be alone...
In the creation of woman, we have the story of redemption!
After the seventh day of creation, after God had rested, we then go into the next day, no it does not say this is day eight, and I admit it a bit of a stretch, yet as it flows it seems to be the next day or the eighth day and God brings all the animals before Adam to name. Of course as I pointed out before there is another plan that God has in mind... to show that Adam was alone and needed an other.
So after Adam names the animals he finds there is not suitable mate for himself... and God then does a wondrous thing. Genesis 2 21 -25 So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man's ribs and closed up the place with flesh. Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. The man said, "This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called `woman, ' for she was taken out of man." For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh. The man and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame. (NIV)
The thing to note is God causes man to fall into a deep sleep... a anti type of death, and takes from Adam a rib... and fashions a New Creation and it is woman.
This is the picture of the love story of God, that God takes out of fallen man and makes a Bride unto Himself. This is the story of God creating the Other, for His good pleasure, and that is the Church, the Bride of Christ... Women are the symbol of the Bride of Christ... and of redeemed man and the New Creation.
Blessings,
iggy
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The Bible, Inerrancy, Infallibility, and Trust… pt I
The Bible, Inerrancy, Infallibility, and Trust… pt I
Many years ago I took a class on religious studies which the teacher would teach and give very ambiguous stands on what the bible taught. He would wax on and on about the different schools of thought and on “higher criticism”. In the end as I looked over the notes form class I found that I did not see the bible as “The God” book and started to look at other religious books. I would go into all the details as it comes around to developing a religion that was a bit of a Hodge Podge of Hinduism, Buddhism and Christianity with liberal doses of Edger Casey and the teachings of a student of Alistair Crowley… Looking back it was a mess… yet at the time, having lost confidence in the Bible it all made sense.
I often wonder if I was still saved or if up to that point if I had actually come to know Jesus. Yet, I realize God still holds us in His Hands, even when we swerve severely off the path and will do everything that is possible to help us gain our footing on the path again… but this is not about THAT story, rather about whether the Bible is trustworthy.
As far as the OT I do believe it has been preserved the best of any ancient writings. I think the Jews did much credit to God and to themselves as to the consistency and ability to pass on the Scripture faithfully… In many ways I so see the OT as very much inerrant as can be… The NT though seems to be a bit murkier to me as the bulk of writings do not exist as compared to the OT and the history of the writings are not as long.
I am a bit skeptical over words like “inerrancy” or “infallibility” as I can not give my own rational assent to the idea that the bible in inerrant… or to say it this way that other than the original documents that we have an inerrant bible. Now, the first issue is of translation. Even if the original documents are perfect in all their splendor there is the matter of complete trust in man’s ability to translate the Bible from the original language so that is it “inerrant”. We must then trust man’s ability to know the writer’s intent and usage of the language….
Case and point is this.
Irenaeus wrote in his Irenaeus Against Heresies this about how to understand Paul’s writings… Irenaeus, though still very young, was a contemporary with Polycarp who was a direct disciple of the Apostle John. John lived in
Chapter VII.-Reply to an Objection Founded on the Words of
“1. As to their affirming that Paul said plainly in the Second [Epistle] to the Corinthians, "In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them that believe not,"51 and maintaining that there is indeed one god of this world, but another who is beyond all principality, and beginning, and power, we are not to blame if they, who give out that they do themselves know mysteries beyond God, know not how to read Paul. For if any one read the passage thus-according to Paul's custom, as I show elsewhere, and by many examples, that he uses transposition of words-"In whom God," then pointing it off, and making a slight interval, and at the same time read also the rest [of the sentence] in one [clause], "hath blinded the minds of them of this world that believe not," he shall find out the true [sense]; that it is contained in the expression, "God hath blinded the minds of the unbelievers of this world." And this is shown by means of the little interval [between the clause]. For Paul does not say, "the God of this world," as if recognising any other beyond Him; but he confessed God as indeed God. And he says, "the unbelievers of this world," because they shall not inherit the future age of incorruption. I shall show from Paul himself, how it is that God has blinded the minds of them that believe not, in the course of this work, that we may not just at present distract our mind from the matter in hand, [by wandering] at large.”
Yet here when I go to the most widely acclaimed and esteemed “anointed translation” the KJV, we read exactly what Irenaeus states is the wrong way.
“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. 5. For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake.” (2 Cor 4)
BTW Irenaeus is also fighting the dualist Platonist thought that is a big part of Gnosticism in the context of his writings. Here I think is an example of how it still has found it's way into the teachings of the church.
This is just one example that even the best translations will contain at least some error.
So until one finds the original documents and can confirm beyond any doubt there is no error, and then in all honesty I just can’t say, the bible is “inerrant”.
As far as infallibility, the same Protestants who write against the Catholic Church and traditions of the Church, seem to trust these same Catholics with the infallibility to be able to put the bible together in its present “infallible” form. They rail against the Catholics Church as apostate on one hand and then with the other trust that the Roman Catholic Church actually heard from God and was in that way “infallible” and able to take the books of the bible and give us our present cannon. This seems a most jumbled mess to me… so I will say that I do believe that there were Godly men who were able to take the “books” of the NT
I then must still come at the idea of inerrancy and infallibility from some other direction if I cannot trust that man has been faithful to God. Yet, again, to me the issue is not necessarily that man is faithful to God in keeping God’s Word, rather that God is faithful to His word and will fulfill it. So, though I do not trust man, I trust God…
I trust that even if there are some things that are not “inerrant” in our translations, God is able to work around or with the mistranslations. He is a great and mighty God and so I trust in Him.
Much of the NT scripture is quotations from the Septuagint which was the Greek translation of the Hebrew. Jesus would quote it, Paul, and much of Matthew as well as other passages are quoted out of the Septuagint.
Yet, if one takes the time to look at the NT to OT renderings, they often do nto state things the same… words are left out, or rephrased…
Romans 9:27 - 28"Though the number of the Israelites be like the sand by the sea, only the remnant will be saved. For the Lord will carry out his sentence on earth with speed and finality."
Isaiah 10:22 - 23. Though your people, O Israel, be like the sand by the sea, only a remnant will return. Destruction has been decreed, overwhelming and righteous. The Lord, the LORD Almighty, will carry out the destruction decreed upon the whole land.
Or when Jesus reads from the Scroll of Isaiah, He reads it as:
Luke 4: 17. The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: 18. "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, 19. to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.
Yet in Isaiah it reads differently:
Isaiah 61: 1. The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, 2. to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor,
It seems if this is a direct quote is should not change if the "doctrine" of inerrancy holds true… yet Jesus does not seem to even care that the wording is different, He seems more intent on the meaning and that the Spirit behind the words are intact. Notice that some who preach that we "must not add or take away from God's word" miss is that Jesus Himself did not seem as worried about that as they are. I think most often these miss the point... as adding and taking away from God's word has more to do with the Spirit behind the writing as opposed to the actual words themselves. This in not saying that the words have lost meaning, yet rather as Jesus stated about the Sabbath, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath." (Mark 2:27 - 28) I believe this is true of the Scripture also, and that Jesus is Lord of the Scripture as well.
Now that is the core I want to focus on… that if there is one area that is “infallible and inerrant”, is that the Spirit of the originals is very much in tact and with that we still have a trust worthy book in the Bible. God has preserved the Spirit of His Word though man may have not been that faithful.
The errors that are of focus often are not as egregious as those who oppose and attack the bible may present.
We have a faithful God, Who has given His written word… and so will preserve it in it essence.
Before someone goes off and starts stating what an apostate I am, let me tell you what you are missing if you feel that way still after what you read... I am saying I trust God at His word... and for His word... and I trust the Holy Spirit in that He is able to guide all in truth and knowledge of our salvation. If anything I am trusting more than one who must hold to the "doctrine" of inerrancy... Which is a doctrine of inference rather than unequivalently stated in the Scripture itself. IOW, there is not verse that says, "This book is inerrant". I will go more into the purpose and reason to trust scripture if one cannot place trust in the "doctrine" of inerrancy. Also, please note that there is great limitations on a blog as to what information and how much detail one can give. This is only but a brush off the top and not at all digging in deeply, though I sense I have gone deeper here than many have even given consideration to this topic.
Blessings,
iggy
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