So, standing before us we have five different people (all Believers and all Bible students). They each hold a different view. And worse yet, they all espouse their view as though they, and they alone, have received this of the Lord.
Are we to believe one of them over the others? Or, perhaps NONE of them, but rather the man who humbly says "I believe this is what I have heard."?
To tell you the truth, I tend to discount anyone who stands and declares he is speaking something directly from God. Why? Because, standing right next to him (or making the very next post, to bring it home and keep it real) is yet another person claiming, "No!, it is THEM who has been given the truth."
And in all this blustering, you hardly ever hear someone say. "I may have it wrong, but THIS is what I understand God to be saying."
Again...it's complicated.
I can tell you HOW it works for me.
'I" KNOW, what "I" read, re-read, study, have a talk with "the Lord" about, and what and when "I" receive from 'Him", for what "I" have asked "Him" about.
It's a TWO WAY communication...EXPRESSLY BETWEEN, "TWO"...The Lord and myself.
It is always my initiation in Asking.
It is always AFTER, reading, reading, studying, comparing to other scriptures, etc.
What "I" receive from the "Lord"...I TRUST.
I can talk ABOUT, what I believe.
I can talk ABOUT, Understanding I have received.
I can NOT MAKE ANOTHER "UNDERSTAND" as "I" do....
It is NOT "MY" "word', or "MY" "understanding" to GIVE TO ANOTHER.
That is the POINT.
It is GODS WORD...
And
GODS UNDERSTANDING...
And ONLY HE can give HIS UNDERSTANDING of HIS OWN WORD...
(Just as I certainly would not ask BOL to give me your understanding of your words...nor can I give another the Understanding of Gods Words).
For the most part...no problem for ANYONE to QUOTE Scripture. We have the advantage of INK and PAPER to see the written words.
However "IF" you observe, the number of people WHO...."present their understanding of Scripture"...
You get a variety of PAT responses...
As Examples...
1) in Hebrew/ Greek this word means, this, this, this, and in English it means, this, this, this, and this book says to choose this meaning.
2) it makes SENSE...blah blah
3) Logically...blah blah
4) Philosophies of men
5) Commentaries of men
6) if it ain't this...then it has to be that
7) this Pastor said...blah blah
8) it doesn't make Sense...blah blah
9) Quotes from umpteen randomly chosen men...blah blah
10) I think...ah ha, the individual busy brain
11) the Pope said...lol
Those are ROUTINE infusions commonplace when discussing Scripture....
******NONE mention a forthright and earnest discussion having been engaged by the individual .... with the Lord Himself. ****
I have said on numerous occasions....
Understanding ACCORDING to GOD...
Comes FROM GOD...to the Individual
Who Seeks it....and that is MY preference.
The most response I get to THAT ^...
Is ... don't know what you mean...
Or.... perhaps like you indicate...."pfft"
Ie "scoffing" at such a notion.
To tell you the truth, I tend to discount anyone who stands and declares he is speaking something directly from God.
That does not trip my trigger to rejection...but rather DOES do one of two things...
1) My first reaction is to recollect "IF" I have myself heard, skimmed OR read, reread, studied, had a conversation with God ON THAT TOPIC....or NOT.
If so, then I ponder on recalling what He gave to me on THAT TOPIC....and stick with that, period.
2) My second reaction is "IF" I have NOT read, reread, studied the POINT / Scripture in question....THEN I DO...and follow the same steps of THEN asking God Himself about it.
Dependant upon what the OTHER HAS SAID, and what the Lord has given me....
Sometimes I will be IN AGREEMENT with the other....
And Sometimes I will REJECT what the Other has claimed, and will REJECT the source they claimed.
Again for the most part...it is the aforementioned "LIST", which most here claim as "their source" for determining "their" understanding. And very FEW that I am in agreement with.
Glory to God,
Taken