Cultural vs. Requirement

[aspen]

How do you determine whether the author of a verse is speaking about culturally bound instructions - like women not speaking in church, perhaps? - or requirements for all Christians - like deacons being married to one wife?

What about the areas that Christians disagree on? Keeping the Sabbath, but changing the day? Please do not turn this thread into an Adventist soapbox - it was just an example, people!

 

[Episkopos]

How do you determine whether the author of a verse is speaking about culturally bound instructions - like women not speaking in church, perhaps? - or requirements for all Christians - like deacons being married to one wife?

What about the areas that Christians disagree on? Keeping the Sabbath, but changing the day? Please do not turn this thread into an Adventist soapbox - it was just an example, people!

Paul was writing to the people of his time for very specific reasons. We have a window, through the epistles, as to what was going on at the time...but without truly understanding the context in which the authors spoke. Rather than cultural...I would say contextual.

Having said that....there is much that we can apply today if we but listen to the Spirit. The Holy Spirit must actively speak to us in order to direct us to the way of God in OUR CONTEXT. We must be very careful to not twist the meaning of the word into OUR way of life. We are trying to conform to His way of life after all! ;)