Comments on: The Wisdom of Mr McLaren – Part Eight: Biblical Interpretation http://www.geoffreport.com/wp/2006/05/04/the-wisdom-of-mr-mclaren-part-eight-biblical-interpretation/ politics ~ theology ~ life ~ fart jokes Thu, 11 Feb 2010 13:44:38 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: TheGeoffRe(y)port » Mystery, Truth and Paradox http://www.geoffreport.com/wp/2006/05/04/the-wisdom-of-mr-mclaren-part-eight-biblical-interpretation/comment-page-1/#comment-217 TheGeoffRe(y)port » Mystery, Truth and Paradox Fri, 09 Jun 2006 03:04:51 +0000 http://www.geoffreport.com/wp/2006/05/04/the-wisdom-of-mr-mclaren-part-eight-biblical-interpretation/#comment-217 [...] Don’t know if it’s just me, but it seems to me that I can’t read anything without coming across the question of whether we can really ever have “answers” about who God is, or whether we are forever just asking more questions. And as much as it hurts my deeply rationalised mindset - I’m starting to think that maybe there really is something to the notion that a big part of who Jesus was, and who God is, isn’t about knowing stuff, but about searching for stuff. Whether it’s been reading “A Generous Orthodoxy” (in particular this post), or “Velvet Elvis” (thanks Bec you’re a legend), the discussion seems to be everywhere - and the latest is over at “Out of Ur” - Is Jesus the Answer or the Question? The article is very interesting, but the comments are even more so. “Dialogue. Questions. Definitive answers. Mystery. Faith. What if? What if not? Authority. Thought, thinking. Ideas. Conclusions. Rabbit trails. Dead ends. [...] [...] Don’t know if it’s just me, but it seems to me that I can’t read anything without coming across the question of whether we can really ever have “answers” about who God is, or whether we are forever just asking more questions. And as much as it hurts my deeply rationalised mindset – I’m starting to think that maybe there really is something to the notion that a big part of who Jesus was, and who God is, isn’t about knowing stuff, but about searching for stuff. Whether it’s been reading “A Generous Orthodoxy” (in particular this post), or “Velvet Elvis” (thanks Bec you’re a legend), the discussion seems to be everywhere – and the latest is over at “Out of Ur” – Is Jesus the Answer or the Question? The article is very interesting, but the comments are even more so. “Dialogue. Questions. Definitive answers. Mystery. Faith. What if? What if not? Authority. Thought, thinking. Ideas. Conclusions. Rabbit trails. Dead ends. [...]

]]> By: Christina http://www.geoffreport.com/wp/2006/05/04/the-wisdom-of-mr-mclaren-part-eight-biblical-interpretation/comment-page-1/#comment-65 Christina Mon, 08 May 2006 10:38:48 +0000 http://www.geoffreport.com/wp/2006/05/04/the-wisdom-of-mr-mclaren-part-eight-biblical-interpretation/#comment-65 I know what you mean... These questions frustrate me, and not being able to resolve them bugs me even more I know what you mean… These questions frustrate me, and not being able to resolve them bugs me even more

]]> By: geoff http://www.geoffreport.com/wp/2006/05/04/the-wisdom-of-mr-mclaren-part-eight-biblical-interpretation/comment-page-1/#comment-64 geoff Mon, 08 May 2006 09:21:16 +0000 http://www.geoffreport.com/wp/2006/05/04/the-wisdom-of-mr-mclaren-part-eight-biblical-interpretation/#comment-64 No, I like it - if you're just ranting then you're certainly not alone! :) I guess it's all part of the journey, there could almost be something freeing in not being able to know everything - if only it didn't bug me so much..... No, I like it – if you’re just ranting then you’re certainly not alone! :)

I guess it’s all part of the journey, there could almost be something freeing in not being able to know everything – if only it didn’t bug me so much…..

]]> By: Christina http://www.geoffreport.com/wp/2006/05/04/the-wisdom-of-mr-mclaren-part-eight-biblical-interpretation/comment-page-1/#comment-63 Christina Mon, 08 May 2006 07:39:27 +0000 http://www.geoffreport.com/wp/2006/05/04/the-wisdom-of-mr-mclaren-part-eight-biblical-interpretation/#comment-63 You are asking some great questions here Geoff, and ones that I wrestle with too. I don't really understand why God asked the Israelites to purge the land by killing and destroying etc. I see some of it as a way of the Israelites being a "set apart" people. I thought that part of it was to help them at having a bash at purity - less temptation and modelling of ungodly lifestyles. The interesting thing about this is that it never stopped them from falling into sin, false gods etcetera. This little bit of it may be useful for us - shunning things outside of us that we call "of the world, or worldly" may not really help us in our personal purity all that much. Of course throwing out CDs, only watching G rated things, not going to parties etc is somewhat less radical than genocide, but maybe the motivation underneath is similar. And perhaps the relative fruitfulness is similarly ineffective. Holiness is much more about internal than external postures and places. Maybe I am just ranting. You are asking some great questions here Geoff, and ones that I wrestle with too. I don’t really understand why God asked the Israelites to purge the land by killing and destroying etc. I see some of it as a way of the Israelites being a “set apart” people. I thought that part of it was to help them at having a bash at purity – less temptation and modelling of ungodly lifestyles. The interesting thing about this is that it never stopped them from falling into sin, false gods etcetera. This little bit of it may be useful for us – shunning things outside of us that we call “of the world, or worldly” may not really help us in our personal purity all that much. Of course throwing out CDs, only watching G rated things, not going to parties etc is somewhat less radical than genocide, but maybe the motivation underneath is similar. And perhaps the relative fruitfulness is similarly ineffective. Holiness is much more about internal than external postures and places. Maybe I am just ranting.

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