A sheep in wolf's clothing
He hath made the earth by his power, he hath established the world by his wisdom, and hath stretched out the heavens by his discretion.
(Jeremiah 10:12, 51:15) KJV
It turns out that theologians fudge their data just like scientists do. Sometimes things don’t make sense, do they? What could possibly be wrong with helping them make sense? This approach is inductive, aka eisegesis.
Continue reading “A Spellyng Mystaque”
“To whom will he teach knowledge, and to whom will he explain the message? Those who are weaned from the milk, those taken from the breast? For it is precept upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little.”
(Isaiah 28:9-10) ESV
It’s not a good idea to pull Bible passages out of context because we’ve decided what we want them to mean and then proclaim that we have some new doctrine. That’s inductive reasoning, or eisegesis.
Continue reading “Deductive Reasoning”
But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain.
(Titus 3:9) KJV
The Bible explains the Bible. However, we’ve only got what we’ve been given, but everything that we’ve been given has been given us for a reason. Now, based on the premise God cannot lie and the Bible is true, we ought to be able to use what we’ve been given to deduce how the Bible accounts for all empirical observations and physical evidence. The key is deduction. The theological word for deductive reasoning is exegesis.
Continue reading “Spaghetti Theology and Inductive Reasoning”
Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
(2 Timothy 2:15) KJV
Biblical exposition is a tricky business. It’s also something that’s not to be taken lightly. In general, taking one passage from the Bible, imputing a meaning to it, and then building a doctrine on it is exactly what you DON’T do.
Continue reading “Biblical Exposition”
As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.
(2 Peter 3:16) KJV
There’s a side effect to the creation of gravity that’s going to upset some people: if the Earth formed around a gravitational singularity then it’s spherical. It’s impossible for the Earth to be flat.
Continue reading “Flat Earth Induction”
Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
(Colossians 2:8) KJV
Obviously the earth isn’t flat, therefore, the Spirit of Truth can’t lead you to that conclusion. It’s very simple, God isn’t going to expect you to believe something that’s obviously wrong.
Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
(Colossians 2:8) KJV
Most people who develop models of earth that account for the physical features of earth mentioned in the Bible come up with variations on this theme.
I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.
(Revelation 22:18-19) ESV
We (all of us) are warned about tampering with the Bible. Are we (that’s me and the Holy spirit) worried because our interpretation of the Bible is substantially different to anything that’s gone before it? No.
Continue reading “December 28th”
Matty Lawrence 