Studying the Bible without thinking critically

[Willie T]

One man's thoughts on how far astray our confused "literalism" can lead us.

Much of the Bible is written in symbols. A helpful way to understand this, perhaps, would be to speak of these symbols as a set of patterns and associations. By this I mean that Biblical symbolism is not a code. It is, instead, a way of seeing, a perspective. For example, when Jesus speaks of "living water" (John 4:10), we rightly recognize that He is using water as a symbol. We understand that when He spoke to the woman at the well, He was not merely offering her "water." He was offering her eternal life. But He called it "water." We should immediately ask: Why did He do that? He could have simply said "eternal life." Why did He speak in metaphor? Why did He want her to think of water?

Now this is where we can make a big mistake, and this is the primary error of some interpreters who try to take a "symbolic" approach. It is to think that Biblical symbolism is primarily a puzzle for us to solve. We can suddenly decide: "Aha! Water is a special code-word which means eternal life. That means that whenever the Bible talks about water symbolically, it is really talking about eternal life; whenever someone takes a drink, he is really becoming a Christian." It just doesn't work that way (as you will see if you try to apply it throughout the Bible). Besides, what sense would it make for the Bible simply to put everything in code? The Bible is not a book for spies and secret societies; it is God's revelation of Himself to His covenant people. The puzzle-solving, mystical interpretation tends to be speculative; it does not pay sufficient attention to the way the Bible itself speaks.

When Jesus offered "water" to the woman, He wanted her to think of the multiple imagery connected with water in the Bible. In a general sense, of course, we know that water is associated with the Spiritual refreshment and sustenance of life which comes through salvation. But the Biblical associations with water are much more complex than that. This is because understanding Biblical symbolism does not mean cracking a code. It is much more like reading good poetry.

The symbolism of the Bible is not structured in a flat, this-means-that style. Instead, it is meant to be read visually. We are to see the images rise before us in succession, layer upon layer, allowing them to evoke a response in our minds and hearts. The prophets did not write in order to create stimulating intellectual exercises. They wrote to teach. They wrote in visual, dramatic symbols; and if we would fully understand their message we must appreciate their vocabulary. We must read the Bible visually. The visual symbols themselves, and what the Bible says about them, are important aspects of what God wants us to learn; otherwise, He wouldn't have spoken that way.

So, when the Bible tells us a story about water, it is not "really" telling us about something else; it is telling us about water. But at the same time, we are expected to see the water, and to think of the Biblical associations with regard to water. The system of interpretation offered here is neither "literalistic" nor "symbolic"; it takes the "water" seriously and literally, but it also takes seriously what God's Word associates with water throughout the history of Biblical revelation.

What are some of the Biblical associations which might have occurred to the woman at the well, and to the disciples? Here are a few of them:

1. The watery, fluid mass that was the original nature of the earth at the creation, and out of which God formed all life (Gen. 1);
The great river of Eden that watered the whole earth (Gen. 2);

1. The salvation of Noah and his family by the waters of the
   Flood, out of which the earth was re-created (Gen. 6-9);
2. God's gracious revelations to Hagar by a fountain (Gen. 16) and a well (Gen. 21);
3. The well called Rehoboth, where God gave Isaac dominion (Gen. 26);
4. The river out of which the infant Moses, the future Deliverer of Israel, was taken and made a prince (Ex.2);
5. The redemptive crossing of the Red Sea, where God again saved His people by water (Ex. 14);
6. The water that flowed from the stricken Rock at Sinai, giving life to the people (Ex. 17);
7. The many ritual sprinklings in the Old Testament, signifying the removal of filth, pollution, sickness and death, and the bestowal of the Spirit upon the priests (e.g., Lev. 14; Num. 8);
8. The crossing of the Jordan River (Josh. 3);
9. The sound of rushing waters made by the pillar of cloud (Ezek. 1);
10. The River of Life flowing from the Temple and healing the Dead Sea (Ezek. 47).
11. Thus, when the Bible speaks of water, we are supposed to have in our minds a vast host of associative concepts, a complex of Biblical images that affects our thinking about water. To put it differently, water is supposed to be something like a "buzz-word," a term that calls up many associations and connotations. When we read the word water we should be reminded of God's saving acts and revelations by water throughout Scripture. The Bible uses many of these "buzz-words," and increases the number of them as it goes on; until, by the time we get to Revelation (the capstone of Biblical prophecy), they all come rushing toward us at once, in a blizzard of associative references, some of which are obvious, some obscure. To the one who really knows his Bible and has noted the literary patterns and images, much of the book will look familiar; to the rest of us, it's confusing. In Revelation, we are confronted with all the Biblical connotations of numerous images: not only water, but light, fire, clouds, angels, stars, lamps, food, stones, swords, thrones, rainbows, robes, thunder, voices, animals, wings, scavengers, eyes, keys, a chain, trumpets, plagues, mountains, winds, seas, altars, blood, locusts, trees, heads, horns, and crowns.

(D.C. from PR)

 

[jshiii]

Not surprisingly, illiteracy and low critical thinking skills co-occur.

I agree Aspen! Try Noah, Abraham and Peter? Their intellectual abilities were low IMHO. I have 2 Bachelor Degrees and I even feel illiterate when it comes to God's word! This is exactly why I do not rely on my own Wisdom, but only of God's!!!!

The Lord Jesus Christ ONLY, is Worthy of all our Praise and Worship!
Eternity is a Very long Time!
Satan Loves Distractions!

 

[ScottA]

From the start, I think this is a bad idea.

this issue goes way beyond whether or not a specific verse should be read literally or may also be interpreted figuratively; this happens when people are either afraid to think too much about what they are reading, or they never learned how to think critically.

Not surprisingly, illiteracy and low critical thinking skills co-occur.

“Approximately 32 million adults in the United States can't read, according to the U.S.Department of Education and the National Institute of Literacy. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development found that 50 percent of U.S. adults can't read a book written at an eighth-grade level.”

at this rate, the American working class is not only growing, it remains confined to permanent plebeian status - factory workers without factories.

Perhaps we need a refresher on how to study scripture? Not sure proper technique is this issue, however......

for all those out there, who promote an anti-intellectual view of exegesis and Christianity, what motivates your method? And how do you interpret scripture without knowledge outside the Bible? Pure revelation from God?

Sounds like a challenge of intellect versus organic versus spiritual. I suspect, if one turns to either the right or the left to the person next to them they will get a different approach than their own, and the energy spent will help to keep the world turning on its axis.

 

[hermeneutics]

From the start, I think this is a bad idea.

this issue goes way beyond whether or not a specific verse should be read literally or may also be interpreted figuratively; this happens when people are either afraid to think too much about what they are reading, or they never learned how to think critically.

Not surprisingly, illiteracy and low critical thinking skills co-occur.

“Approximately 32 million adults in the United States can't read, according to the U.S.Department of Education and the National Institute of Literacy. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development found that 50 percent of U.S. adults can't read a book written at an eighth-grade level.”

at this rate, the American working class is not only growing, it remains confined to permanent plebeian status - factory workers without factories.

Perhaps we need a refresher on how to study scripture? Not sure proper technique is this issue, however......

for all those out there, who promote an anti-intellectual view of exegesis and Christianity, what motivates your method? And how do you interpret scripture without knowledge outside the Bible? Pure revelation from God?

Mat 24:1 And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple.

Mat 24:2 And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.

Mat 24:3 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?

When shall these things be and the end of the end of the world (age), asked the disciples?
Jesus was thirty years old when he started to teach, 70 AD (40 years or one generation) would be the end of the age.

Mat 24:15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, whoso readeth, let him understand:
(My understanding as to the facts, it was the devil’s children, the same ones that Jesus said of them “ye are of your father the devil”)

Mal_2:11 Judah (father of the Jews) hath dealt treacherously, and an abomination is committed in Israel and in Jerusalem; for Judah hath profaned the holiness of the LORD which he loved, and hath married the daughter of a strange god.

Mat 24:34 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.

The temple was totally destroyed in 70AD, end of the age.

 

[Jay Ross]

Mat 24:1 And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple.

Mat 24:2 And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.

Mat 24:3 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?

When shall these things be and the end of the end of the world (age), asked the disciples?
Jesus was thirty years old when he started to teach, 70 AD (40 years or one generation) would be the end of the age.

Mat 24:15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, whoso readeth, let him understand:
(My understanding as to the facts, it was the devil’s children, the same ones that Jesus said of them “ye are of your father the devil”)

Mal_2:11 Judah (father of the Jews) hath dealt treacherously, and an abomination is committed in Israel and in Jerusalem; for Judah hath profaned the holiness of the LORD which he loved, and hath married the daughter of a strange god.

Mat 24:34 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.

The temple was totally destroyed in 70AD, end of the age.

My chronological research, suggests that the beginning of the fifth age occurred when Jesus was born, not after 70 AD as is suggested in the post above
Shalom.

 

[A_Man]

From the start, I think this is a bad idea.

this issue goes way beyond whether or not a specific verse should be read literally or may also be interpreted figuratively; this happens when people are either afraid to think too much about what they are reading, or they never learned how to think critically.

Not surprisingly, illiteracy and low critical thinking skills co-occur.

“Approximately 32 million adults in the United States can't read, according to the U.S.Department of Education and the National Institute of Literacy. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development found that 50 percent of U.S. adults can't read a book written at an eighth-grade level.”

at this rate, the American working class is not only growing, it remains confined to permanent plebeian status - factory workers without factories.

Perhaps we need a refresher on how to study scripture? Not sure proper technique is this issue, however......

for all those out there, who promote an anti-intellectual view of exegesis and Christianity, what motivates your method? And how do you interpret scripture without knowledge outside the Bible? Pure revelation from God?

Eighth grade reading level is not so bad. How many posts on this forum are more complicated than that? That is reasonably literate for novels, books and online participation, not.'illiterate.'

 

[A_Man]

Eighth grade reading level is not so bad. How many posts on this forum are more complicated than that? That is reasonably literate for novels, books and online participation, not.'illiterate.'

 

[aspen]

Eighth grade reading level is not so bad. How many posts on this forum are more complicated than that? That is reasonably literate for novels, books and online participation, not.'illiterate.'

no, it’s functionally literate.
I think we need to aim higher.
Remaining functionally literate means ‘just getting by’

It excludes the ability to study and understand technology, history, philosophy and science beyond the point of simply consuming it on the most basic level

it also leaves us open to the Dunning Kruger effect - the dumber we are the more we believe we are experts on a subject. This false confidence permeates all areas of our lives - Trump is a great example of this behavior, which is why no one takes him seriously outside of his base

 

[aspen]

Mat 24:1 And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple.

Mat 24:2 And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.

Mat 24:3 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?

When shall these things be and the end of the end of the world (age), asked the disciples?
Jesus was thirty years old when he started to teach, 70 AD (40 years or one generation) would be the end of the age.

Mat 24:15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, whoso readeth, let him understand:
(My understanding as to the facts, it was the devil’s children, the same ones that Jesus said of them “ye are of your father the devil”)

Mal_2:11 Judah (father of the Jews) hath dealt treacherously, and an abomination is committed in Israel and in Jerusalem; for Judah hath profaned the holiness of the LORD which he loved, and hath married the daughter of a strange god.

Mat 24:34 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.

The temple was totally destroyed in 70AD, end of the age.

I am not seeing the connection....
Are you associating the Temple with worldly knowledge?

 

[hermeneutics]

I am not seeing the connection....
Are you associating the Temple with worldly knowledge?

When was the end of the world (age) to come? That was the question the disciples asked Jesus.
Jesus had already told them that some of them would still be living when he came.

Jesus went farther when he said the temple would be destroyed when they saw the abomination of desolation that Daniel had spoken, then the end was near.

The end of the age of law, was over the day the temple was destroyed!

 

[aspen]

When was the end of the world (age) to come? That was the question the disciples asked Jesus.
Jesus had already told them that some of them would still be living when he came.

Jesus went farther when he said the temple would be destroyed when they saw the abomination of desolation that Daniel had spoken, then the end was near.

The end of the age of law, was over the day the temple was destroyed!

Ok thanks - I get what you are saying

 

[A_Man]

no, it’s functionally literate.
I think we need to aim higher.
Remaining functionally literate means ‘just getting by’

It excludes the ability to study and understand technology, history, philosophy and science beyond the point of simply consuming it on the most basic level

it also leaves us open to the Dunning Kruger effect - the dumber we are the more we believe we are experts on a subject. This false confidence permeates all areas of our lives - Trump is a great example of this behavior, which is why no one takes him seriously outside of his base

Their calling an an eighth grade reading level 'illiterate' sounds rather ridiculous to to me. I'm for education. i've spent just under half of my not-so-short life in school (bachelors, masters, PhD.) An eight grade reading level is not enough to be a great scholar, but it is certainly enough to function at a high level and is probably sufficient for working in the trades, etc. If you get to that level, you can grow by reading more, too.

English is also a very complicated language. Some languages have much fewer vocabulary words. Spanish has endings like -isimo and -ucho instead of separate stand-alone words. Low reading levels may have to do with English excessive number of vocabulary words.

 

[shnarkle]

From the start, I think this is a bad idea.

this issue goes way beyond whether or not a specific verse should be read literally or may also be interpreted figuratively; this happens when people are either afraid to think too much about what they are reading, or they never learned how to think critically.

Not surprisingly, illiteracy and low critical thinking skills co-occur.

“Approximately 32 million adults in the United States can't read, according to the U.S.Department of Education and the National Institute of Literacy. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development found that 50 percent of U.S. adults can't read a book written at an eighth-grade level.”

at this rate, the American working class is not only growing, it remains confined to permanent plebeian status - factory workers without factories.

Perhaps we need a refresher on how to study scripture? Not sure proper technique is this issue, however......

for all those out there, who promote an anti-intellectual view of exegesis and Christianity, what motivates your method? And how do you interpret scripture without knowledge outside the Bible? Pure revelation from God?

I was reading something about Benjamin Franklin who said that he couldn't remember not being able to read. From his earliest youth, he could read. His earliest memories were of reading. This was long before there was such a thing as public education. If you start with a good unabridged dictionary, you can literally teach yourself not only how to read, but have a vocabulary that rivals William F. Buckley's verbosity.

As far as being able to distinguish figurative from literal speech, the simplest way to arrive at the truth is to ask which figure is being employed. To simply claim that a passage is figurative doesn't cut it. There are hundreds of figures of speech employed in thousands of different ways in the bible, and they are all being used intentionally by the author to emphasize something. if the reader isn't familiar with the figure, or doesn't see what is being emphasized, they 're most definitely going to miss out on the true interpretation.

What I found to be one of the most useful ways of understanding the bible, but particularly the New Testament was by starting from the beginning of Genesis and reading the entire Old Testament. By focusing on the New Testament without any reference to the Old Testament, there really is no context. I struggled to understand Paul's letters for decades, but it wasn't until I had read the Old Testament a few times that I truly began to see what he was talking about.

My recommendation for those who have never read it is to start by getting one of those bibles for children. Not the one's with pictures, but the ones that have been distilled down to the main elements. These translations offer something just beyond Cliff's Notes on the bible. Cliff's Notes are also a good place to get a rough overview of the big picture. Then advance to a regular bible translation, something like the NAB, or NASB, or NKJV. The NIV flows, but it's also essentially no different than the NWT, and the bible isn't meant to flow. It's intended to make people stop and think.

 

[shnarkle]

thanks for your reply, Marks.

I agree that reading the Bible is important, but I cannot see it as a closed system - without knowledge gained from experience and other narratives, the Bible just becomes rote. There is no meaning beyond identity - “I read the Bible because I am a Christian” rather than “I read the Bible to learn how to love from as many perspectives as possible so I can love more perfectly”

The thing about reading what others have gleened from the bible is that we see how it affects people. We see how it moves and motivates people. We see how it inspires people. God's word is meant to get into people and live through them. It affects different people differently, and it reveals a lot more about the person reading it than most people think.

For me there has been a progression from boredom, apathy, confusion, disgust, resentment, anger, rage, repentance, humility, intrigue, interest, humor, insight, awe, wonder, gratitude, etc. I see this all the time in discussion groups, or just talking to people about the bible. People tend to reflect themselves in the text.

I can remember as a child identitying with the children in the narratives, or perhaps with the disciples and Christ, but about twenty years ago, I discovered myself identifying with the Pharisees, the prodigal son's older brother, etc. It was disturbing.

 

[shnarkle]

To *Invisibilis'* point, THAT seems to be a gigantic hurdle for many on this forum. (My wife taught four classes a day of Remedial Reading at a local high school for students almost ready to graduate, who could barely read on a third-grade level.)

I was reading the Junior Classics in 5th grade, but today, there are hardly any real reading skills being taught, at all.

When I was a freshman in college almost 40 years ago, I was talking with one of the professors who informed me that over half of all incoming freshman who are accepted, must take bonehead English and Math 101 courses. This wasn't an easy college to get into either. I found that incredibly disturbing back then, but things have only gotten worse.

A hundred years ago, the classics were taught in elementary school. Now, they're not even taught in most colleges. People used to say that grade and high school is just glorified day care for kids, but it can now be extended to college as well. It's almost a complete waste of time for most students.

 

[shnarkle]

Their calling an an eighth grade reading level 'illiterate' sounds rather ridiculous to to me. I'm for education. i've spent just under half of my not-so-short life in school (bachelors, masters, PhD.) An eight grade reading level is not enough to be a great scholar, but it is certainly enough to function at a high level and is probably sufficient for working in the trades, etc. If you get to that level, you can grow by reading more, too.

The problem is that an eighth grade reading level isn't the same across the country. It can vary a few grades just from one county to another. I just read a dissertation from a college graduate. It looked like something my eighth grade English teacher would have covered in red ink, and handed back to me to completely do over.

 

[shnarkle]

One man's thoughts on how far astray our confused "literalism" can lead us.

Much of the Bible is written in symbols. A helpful way to understand this, perhaps, would be to speak of these symbols as a set of patterns and associations. By this I mean that Biblical symbolism is not a code. It is, instead, a way of seeing, a perspective. For example, when Jesus speaks of "living water" (John 4:10), we rightly recognize that He is using water as a symbol. We understand that when He spoke to the woman at the well, He was not merely offering her "water." He was offering her eternal life. But He called it "water." We should immediately ask: Why did He do that? He could have simply said "eternal life." Why did He speak in metaphor? Why did He want her to think of water?

Now this is where we can make a big mistake, and this is the primary error of some interpreters who try to take a "symbolic" approach. It is to think that Biblical symbolism is primarily a puzzle for us to solve. We can suddenly decide: "Aha! Water is a special code-word which means eternal life. That means that whenever the Bible talks about water symbolically, it is really talking about eternal life; whenever someone takes a drink, he is really becoming a Christian." It just doesn't work that way (as you will see if you try to apply it throughout the Bible). Besides, what sense would it make for the Bible simply to put everything in code? The Bible is not a book for spies and secret societies; it is God's revelation of Himself to His covenant people. The puzzle-solving, mystical interpretation tends to be speculative; it does not pay sufficient attention to the way the Bible itself speaks.

When Jesus offered "water" to the woman, He wanted her to think of the multiple imagery connected with water in the Bible. In a general sense, of course, we know that water is associated with the Spiritual refreshment and sustenance of life which comes through salvation. But the Biblical associations with water are much more complex than that. This is because understanding Biblical symbolism does not mean cracking a code. It is much more like reading good poetry.

The symbolism of the Bible is not structured in a flat, this-means-that style. Instead, it is meant to be read visually. We are to see the images rise before us in succession, layer upon layer, allowing them to evoke a response in our minds and hearts. The prophets did not write in order to create stimulating intellectual exercises. They wrote to teach. They wrote in visual, dramatic symbols; and if we would fully understand their message we must appreciate their vocabulary. We must read the Bible visually. The visual symbols themselves, and what the Bible says about them, are important aspects of what God wants us to learn; otherwise, He wouldn't have spoken that way.

So, when the Bible tells us a story about water, it is not "really" telling us about something else; it is telling us about water. But at the same time, we are expected to see the water, and to think of the Biblical associations with regard to water. The system of interpretation offered here is neither "literalistic" nor "symbolic"; it takes the "water" seriously and literally, but it also takes seriously what God's Word associates with water throughout the history of Biblical revelation.

What are some of the Biblical associations which might have occurred to the woman at the well, and to the disciples? Here are a few of them:

1. The watery, fluid mass that was the original nature of the earth at the creation, and out of which God formed all life (Gen. 1);
The great river of Eden that watered the whole earth (Gen. 2);

1. The salvation of Noah and his family by the waters of the
   Flood, out of which the earth was re-created (Gen. 6-9);
2. God's gracious revelations to Hagar by a fountain (Gen. 16) and a well (Gen. 21);
3. The well called Rehoboth, where God gave Isaac dominion (Gen. 26);
4. The river out of which the infant Moses, the future Deliverer of Israel, was taken and made a prince (Ex.2);
5. The redemptive crossing of the Red Sea, where God again saved His people by water (Ex. 14);
6. The water that flowed from the stricken Rock at Sinai, giving life to the people (Ex. 17);
7. The many ritual sprinklings in the Old Testament, signifying the removal of filth, pollution, sickness and death, and the bestowal of the Spirit upon the priests (e.g., Lev. 14; Num. 8);
8. The crossing of the Jordan River (Josh. 3);
9. The sound of rushing waters made by the pillar of cloud (Ezek. 1);
10. The River of Life flowing from the Temple and healing the Dead Sea (Ezek. 47).
11. Thus, when the Bible speaks of water, we are supposed to have in our minds a vast host of associative concepts, a complex of Biblical images that affects our thinking about water. To put it differently, water is supposed to be something like a "buzz-word," a term that calls up many associations and connotations. When we read the word water we should be reminded of God's saving acts and revelations by water throughout Scripture. The Bible uses many of these "buzz-words," and increases the number of them as it goes on; until, by the time we get to Revelation (the capstone of Biblical prophecy), they all come rushing toward us at once, in a blizzard of associative references, some of which are obvious, some obscure. To the one who really knows his Bible and has noted the literary patterns and images, much of the book will look familiar; to the rest of us, it's confusing. In Revelation, we are confronted with all the Biblical connotations of numerous images: not only water, but light, fire, clouds, angels, stars, lamps, food, stones, swords, thrones, rainbows, robes, thunder, voices, animals, wings, scavengers, eyes, keys, a chain, trumpets, plagues, mountains, winds, seas, altars, blood, locusts, trees, heads, horns, and crowns.

(D.C. from PR)

When we see people using figurative speech, they are using it to emphasize something, but this is especially the case with someone who has had a profound direct revelation from God. Someone like an Isaiah, or Daniel must use Symbols, Metaphors, etc. because literal speech is incapable of conveying what's really going on. Even figurative speech fails at some point.

We drink water to sustain our bodies, but living water sustains our soul. It isn't something we can just look at, or understand. It has to be ingested. It has to be taken deep within ourselves until it not only permeates our entire being, but overflows.

 

[A_Man]

The problem is that an eighth grade reading level isn't the same across the country.

That is a problem.

I work in higher education, but it irritates me sometimes to hear politicians and social pundits treating a college education almost like a religious obligation. Some of the trades pay quite well, and if there aren't enough jobs requiring that education to go around, it's sad to see college grads working as cashiers. Aren't those 12, 13 or 14 years of school supposed to give people some kind of general education?

A lot of how educated one is has to do with how much one reads. A lot of Americans read a lot with their phones, but third grade comments and emoticons probably don't cut it. Most of them aren't in these forums. A decade and a half ago, 8% of Internet users used discussion forums.

A lot of reading of scripture and especially memorization seems to be good for the mind. I think the KJV is very good for sharpening the cognitive skills, as are some of the other modern translations. Something like Good News or the Message might be less so-- in my opinion at least. The reader may get less impact of the word of God through a filtered, watered down more dynamic than dynamic equivalence translation.

 

[shnarkle]

That is a problem.

I work in higher education, but it irritates me sometimes to hear politicians and social pundits treating a college education almost like a religious obligation.

Wait until those college degrees are free. Wait until everyone has a college degree, and they're all trying to get those jobs that used to pay so much, but now don't pay much of anything because so man people are willing to get their career off the ground that they're willing to work for less than the high school kid flipping burgers at Burger King. What kind of stellar expectations can we expect from these STEM fields then?

Some of the trades pay quite well, and if there aren't enough jobs requiring that education to go around, it's sad to see college grads working as cashiers.

Some of these kids are waking up. It was cliché even a few decades ago to tell someone looking for a good attorney to ask the waiter or bus boy because they all had law degrees.

Aren't those 12, 13 or 14 years of school supposed to give people some kind of general education?

No. They're supposed to inculcate them so they can change society. What's probably going to happen is that college is going to be extended indefinitely as an end in and of itself.

A lot of how educated one is has to do with how much one reads. A lot of Americans read a lot with their phones, but third grade comments and emoticons probably don't cut it. Most of them aren't in these forums. A decade and a half ago, 8% of Internet users used discussion forums.

Reading rather than not reading is probably an improvement.

A lot of reading of scripture and especially memorization seems to be good for the mind.

Probably good for one's quality of life as well if the teachings and principles are put into practice. Yes, what one reads is definitely a major factor.

 

[hermeneutics]

One man's thoughts on how far astray our confused "literalism" can lead us.

Much of the Bible is written in symbols. A helpful way to understand this, perhaps, would be to speak of these symbols as a set of patterns and associations. By this I mean that Biblical symbolism is not a code. It is, instead, a way of seeing, a perspective. For example, when Jesus speaks of "living water" (John 4:10), we rightly recognize that He is using water as a symbol. We understand that when He spoke to the woman at the well, He was not merely offering her "water." He was offering her eternal life. But He called it "water." We should immediately ask: Why did He do that? He could have simply said "eternal life." Why did He speak in metaphor? Why did He want her to think of water?

Now this is where we can make a big mistake, and this is the primary error of some interpreters who try to take a "symbolic" approach. It is to think that Biblical symbolism is primarily a puzzle for us to solve. We can suddenly decide: "Aha! Water is a special code-word which means eternal life. That means that whenever the Bible talks about water symbolically, it is really talking about eternal life; whenever someone takes a drink, he is really becoming a Christian." It just doesn't work that way (as you will see if you try to apply it throughout the Bible). Besides, what sense would it make for the Bible simply to put everything in code? The Bible is not a book for spies and secret societies; it is God's revelation of Himself to His covenant people. The puzzle-solving, mystical interpretation tends to be speculative; it does not pay sufficient attention to the way the Bible itself speaks.

When Jesus offered "water" to the woman, He wanted her to think of the multiple imagery connected with water in the Bible. In a general sense, of course, we know that water is associated with the Spiritual refreshment and sustenance of life which comes through salvation. But the Biblical associations with water are much more complex than that. This is because understanding Biblical symbolism does not mean cracking a code. It is much more like reading good poetry.

The symbolism of the Bible is not structured in a flat, this-means-that style. Instead, it is meant to be read visually. We are to see the images rise before us in succession, layer upon layer, allowing them to evoke a response in our minds and hearts. The prophets did not write in order to create stimulating intellectual exercises. They wrote to teach. They wrote in visual, dramatic symbols; and if we would fully understand their message we must appreciate their vocabulary. We must read the Bible visually. The visual symbols themselves, and what the Bible says about them, are important aspects of what God wants us to learn; otherwise, He wouldn't have spoken that way.

So, when the Bible tells us a story about water, it is not "really" telling us about something else; it is telling us about water. But at the same time, we are expected to see the water, and to think of the Biblical associations with regard to water. The system of interpretation offered here is neither "literalistic" nor "symbolic"; it takes the "water" seriously and literally, but it also takes seriously what God's Word associates with water throughout the history of Biblical revelation.

What are some of the Biblical associations which might have occurred to the woman at the well, and to the disciples? Here are a few of them:

1. The watery, fluid mass that was the original nature of the earth at the creation, and out of which God formed all life (Gen. 1);
The great river of Eden that watered the whole earth (Gen. 2);

1. The salvation of Noah and his family by the waters of the
   Flood, out of which the earth was re-created (Gen. 6-9);
2. God's gracious revelations to Hagar by a fountain (Gen. 16) and a well (Gen. 21);
3. The well called Rehoboth, where God gave Isaac dominion (Gen. 26);
4. The river out of which the infant Moses, the future Deliverer of Israel, was taken and made a prince (Ex.2);
5. The redemptive crossing of the Red Sea, where God again saved His people by water (Ex. 14);
6. The water that flowed from the stricken Rock at Sinai, giving life to the people (Ex. 17);
7. The many ritual sprinklings in the Old Testament, signifying the removal of filth, pollution, sickness and death, and the bestowal of the Spirit upon the priests (e.g., Lev. 14; Num. 8);
8. The crossing of the Jordan River (Josh. 3);
9. The sound of rushing waters made by the pillar of cloud (Ezek. 1);
10. The River of Life flowing from the Temple and healing the Dead Sea (Ezek. 47).
11. Thus, when the Bible speaks of water, we are supposed to have in our minds a vast host of associative concepts, a complex of Biblical images that affects our thinking about water. To put it differently, water is supposed to be something like a "buzz-word," a term that calls up many associations and connotations. When we read the word water we should be reminded of God's saving acts and revelations by water throughout Scripture. The Bible uses many of these "buzz-words," and increases the number of them as it goes on; until, by the time we get to Revelation (the capstone of Biblical prophecy), they all come rushing toward us at once, in a blizzard of associative references, some of which are obvious, some obscure. To the one who really knows his Bible and has noted the literary patterns and images, much of the book will look familiar; to the rest of us, it's confusing. In Revelation, we are confronted with all the Biblical connotations of numerous images: not only water, but light, fire, clouds, angels, stars, lamps, food, stones, swords, thrones, rainbows, robes, thunder, voices, animals, wings, scavengers, eyes, keys, a chain, trumpets, plagues, mountains, winds, seas, altars, blood, locusts, trees, heads, horns, and crowns.

(D.C. from PR)

1Co 12:4 Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.
1Co 12:5 And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord.
1Co 12:6 And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.
1Co 12:7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.
1Co 12:8 For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;
1Co 12:9 To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;
1Co 12:10 To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:
1Co 12:11 But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.

People will understand some but not all things of God, the gifts that He gives are to his children and are always spiritual, not natural.

You have the gift of knowledge!