Hi,
I'm all for people reading their bible now!
I want ministers to be cautious when they argue from Scripture, however, that Paul (or any canonical author) was commanding people in their time to "read their bibles." That's a gross anachronism as far as I know.
Yes, now that we have printed bibles in wide circulation it would be folly not to avail oneself of the advantages of being able to read God's Word.
As to Luther, well, he was an officer in the visible church that then was. He was an authorized professor of Biblical Studies in the University with considerable training in the arts and in Scripture and in theology. He was doing his job under the auspices of the church (in the University) lecturing on Scripture as a scholar and pastor when he began to move, gradually, toward the Protestant doctrine of justification.
He wasn't just some cat, on his own, on an island, reading Scripture by himself. He wasn't a 16th-century proto-American individualist evangelical.
rsc
Quote:
Originally Posted by wsw201  Quote:
Originally Posted by R. Scott Clark With ref to Isa 34 is this directed to the laity? Does it presume that every member of Israel has a copy of the Scriptures? Are you sure you want to take this verse as literally as you do in the context of Isa 34?
To whom was Jesus speaking in John 5:39? To Jewish laity? Were "the Jews" who were persecuting (ESV) him the laity and serfs or elites (pharisees etc)?
rsc Quote:
Originally Posted by fredtgreco
One might add:
ESV Isaiah 34:16 Seek and read from the book of the LORD: Not one of these shall be missing; none shall be without her mate. For the mouth of the LORD has commanded, and his Spirit has gathered them.
ESV John 5:39 You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me,
| | Dr. Clark,
I'm going to make a few "assumptions" here so correct me if I'm wrong.
1. That you are not arguing that no one here in the 21st century should not read Scripture on there own. It may be true that prior to the printing press the laity did not have wide access to Scripture but since then the laity can have full access to the Canon. In fact it was translated into varius languages so that the laity could actually read it. Didn't Luther translate the bible into German so that the German people could read it?
2. That what you are arguing against when you refer to "private readings" is actually private interpretations where folks are reading Scripture in a vaccum, ie; the "me and my bible" crowd. I believe that it was Luther who said "As each man reads the Scriptures, he finds his own pathway to hell". Luther was not arguing against a private individual reading Scripture just that one should take seriously what the church has historically said about what various passages mean so one can come to a fuller understanding of what God is conveying to his people. Coming to a full understanding of Scripture is the role of the church, which is to "equip the saints". |