The Scriptures Are Subjective

[Luke]

So according to this line of reasoning God simply inspired words at random (doesn't really seem possible) without any meaning attached to them and for no reason? If any of the above statement is not true than the Bible is absolute and not subjective.

If God had a reason for giving scripture then there is an absolute meaning to what He said.

If God was getting a message across to us than there is an absolute meaning we are to understand.

To say that there the bible is not absolute and it can mean whatever you want it to mean and ever bodies interpretation is correct is both illogical sense conflicting views cannot both be correct and seems lazy in that it avoids the work of proper diligent bible study for the truth. It also makes God a liar since God is not the author of confusion if there is no sense in the Bible it is simply a book of confusion.

[Reader]

1 Tim. 3:16 - All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness

If the scriptures are profitable for doctrine, instruction and so forth, and if they can validly be interpreted any old way and that is supposedly fine, then Paul was foolish to write this. It appears to me, quite clearly, that Jesus and the apostles taught specific doctrine. When the Sadducees asked him a question pertaining to the resurrection (they did not believe in it), Jesus replied in Matthew 22:29 Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God

I could write a book. I know exactly what is in my mind as I write. I know that which I desire to convey. While someone may read and think that I meant something different, that does not make my writing subjective. They have instead misunderstood what was written.

[FlamingZword]

Originally Posted by Luke

If God had a reason for giving scripture then there is an absolute meaning to what He said.

If God was getting a message across to us than there is an absolute meaning we are to understand.

You are correct there is an absolute and correct meaning to each scripture, but people are quite willing to let their ideas color the meaning of each scripture.
Per example as a oneness believer the statement
"Hear Oh Israel the Lord your God is one Lord"
to me it means that God is indeed an absolute one.
however to a Trinitarian the same statement means a compound one.

you see the bias a person has reinterprets the meaning of a passage.

[jfrog]

Originally Posted by Reader

1 Tim. 3:16 - All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness

If the scriptures are profitable for doctrine, instruction and so forth, and if they can validly be interpreted any old way and that is supposedly fine, then Paul was foolish to write this. It appears to me, quite clearly, that Jesus and the apostles taught specific doctrine. When the Sadducees asked him a question pertaining to the resurrection (they did not believe in it), Jesus replied in Matthew 22:29 Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God

I could write a book. I know exactly what is in my mind as I write. I know that which I desire to convey. While someone may read and think that I meant something different, that does not make my writing subjective. They have instead misunderstood what was written.

To blame the reader on your poor writing would be unforgivable. It matters what the reader takes away from your writing and not what you wrote.

[Reader]

If someone misinterprets what I was conveying, it must mean I have poor writing skills? Are you saying all the writers of the Bible have poor writing skills?

[Dichotomy Girl]

Originally Posted by Luke

So according to this line of reasoning God simply inspired words at random (doesn't really seem possible) without any meaning attached to them and for no reason? If any of the above statement is not true than the Bible is absolute and not subjective.

If God had a reason for giving scripture then there is an absolute meaning to what He said.

If God was getting a message across to us than there is an absolute meaning we are to understand.

To say that there the bible is not absolute and it can mean whatever you want it to mean and ever bodies interpretation is correct is both illogical sense conflicting views cannot both be correct and seems lazy in that it avoids the work of proper diligent bible study for the truth. It also makes God a liar since God is not the author of confusion if there is no sense in the Bible it is simply a book of confusion.

Originally Posted by Reader

1 Tim. 3:16 - All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness

If the scriptures are profitable for doctrine, instruction and so forth, and if they can validly be interpreted any old way and that is supposedly fine, then Paul was foolish to write this. It appears to me, quite clearly, that Jesus and the apostles taught specific doctrine. When the Sadducees asked him a question pertaining to the resurrection (they did not believe in it), Jesus replied in Matthew 22:29 Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God

I could write a book. I know exactly what is in my mind as I write. I know that which I desire to convey. While someone may read and think that I meant something different, that does not make my writing subjective. They have instead misunderstood what was written.

I just want to point out that using a Biblical scripture saying that the Bible is absolute/true/God's Word/inerrant doesn't really work on a logical level.

It's a faith thing. You either have the faith to believe the Bible is Absolute/God's Word/Inerrant or the faith to believe that it's Inspired but fallible or the faith that it's complete hogwash. You can't PROVE anything about the Bible, only BELIEVE.

And in that case, I would say that it is in fact Subjective, (based on or influenced by personal feelings, tastes, or opinions.). And that's just the beginning. Once you choose one of the 3 choices above to believe about the Bible, you then read it through the filter of your culture, gender, age, history, background, religious affiliation, education and experiences. (and hopefully the Holy Spirit)

[Reader]

Of course bringing up scripture means nothing to people who don't believe the Bible, think it is a book of stories and nothing more, and so forth.

Jesus quoted scripture. Tell him that he can't prove anything about scripture......

[Luke]

Dichotomy Girl if someone is trying to decide whether or not a book is to be taken absolutely or subjectively I would imagine that the best way to come to the proper conclusion would be to go to author in this case God. As the bible is God's word why would it be illogical to see what the Bible has to say about itself and how it is to be understood? No one is saying proving the legitimacy of the Bible by the Bible that would be like trying using circular dating a (a faulty practice used by evolutionist). It would seem illogical to allow anyone but the author a book decide whether He meant what He said or not.

[Dichotomy Girl]

Originally Posted by Luke

Dichotomy Girl if someone is trying to decide whether or not a book is to be taken absolutely or subjectively I would imagine that the best way to come to the proper conclusion would be to go to author in this case God. As the bible is God's word why would it be illogical to see what the Bible has to say about itself and how it is to be understood? No one is saying proving the legitimacy of the Bible by the Bible that would be like trying using circular dating a (a faulty practice used by evolutionist). It would seem illogical to allow anyone but the author a book decide whether He meant what He said or not.

See, this is where I can't win though.

As I would say that I HAVE gone to God, and prayed and studied. And yet, my conclusions are quite different from yours. Which would therefore most likely conclude you to believe that I'm either lying, deceived, clueless, possessed, a false prophet, mistaken or not really saved.

[Dichotomy Girl]

Originally Posted by Reader

Of course bringing up scripture means nothing to people who don't believe the Bible, think it is a book of stories and nothing more, and so forth.

Jesus quoted scripture. Tell him that he can't prove anything about scripture......

Sigh..see this forces me to play devil's advocate....

We weren't there. We don't KNOW that Jesus quoted scripture, we just KNOW that someone wrote down that He did.

Look, I'm not anti-Bible. I'm really not. I'm quite fond of it actually. I just don't worship the Bible. And I don't have a relationship with nor serve the Bible. I do however, believe it's ultimate purpose is to lead us to worship/relationship/service to Jesus, through the infilling of the Spirit.