How should you interpret the Bible?

[Kronos]

Hello All;
I am leading a discussion next Month on how one should interpret the bible. I've allready led one discussion on this subject and I sucessfuly demonstrated the dangers of quoting single verses out of their context, the context of the whole chapter. I was at this stage planning on Using the text in Acts 5 as a vehicle for discussion and exploring different ways in which this could be interpreted. If you start the chapter at verse 12 as we did in service the other day then you get a totally different interpretation than if you start at verse one. I would appreciate any input you people may have;

Thank You

Kronos

[McCulloch]

While it seems like a really good hermeneutic principle to insist that passages must be taken in context, that approach will end up being self-defeating. You see, the writers of the New Testament are guilty of ripping Old Testament passages out of context, wildly distorting their original intent, to make their point.

[ThatGirlAgain]

[Shermana]

Likewise, reading Paul without certain passages where the Context crucially hinges on is a common practice, which is anti-cherry-picking (the art of ignoring select verses that completely change the desired context). For instance, much is said that Paul says you must not obey the Law, or that it's a "curse".

Sure, just ignore Romans 2:13 and 3:31 and Galatians 3:12 which specifically say you must still obey the Law, no matter what you think about it.

There is also speculation that more than one of the "prophecy" passages are later interpolations. One of them for instance mistakenly attributed something to the wrong prophet originally.

[ThatGirlAgain]

[Kronos]

Thanks very much for your input people, I will have to do some research and post a reasoned reply tomorrow. I never thought that the NT writers were fond of verse mining or putting a spin on earlier works. You also have to think of the historical context as ThatGirlAgain says, you have to consider the target audience as in Corinthians when it says "Women should not talk in church" obviously times have moved on and our two Lady Elders would strongly disagree with this. Catch up with the thread tomorrow.

Kronos

PS

My friend John's favorite bible is "The Message" and I use the "Amplified" the King James Bible Is 400 years old this year, thats why we covered it in our earlier debate. I think its one of the most impactfull books ever written in English as it coincided with the development of printing and everyone wanted to read it. It had the effect of increasing literacy rates tremendously, but maybe thats a new thread.

[ThatGirlAgain]

[Kronos]

Hi Chaps and chapesses. thanks for your help but i find myself a bit bemused, Someone said when I opened this discussion topic that they diddnt want to muddy the waters, I think their allready pretty muddy.
I really dont want to be too contentious in my discussion group as these are my friends, I've always felt it is wrong to impose your faith on others as faith is a private thing, but you cant hide behind that.

I will think on

[ThatGirlAgain]

[Prince]

Scripture say's" All your children shall be taught by God and great will be your childrens blessings".

It is written in the prophets: They shall all be taught by God. Everyone who listens to my Father and learns from him comes to me.

Whoever has my commandments and keeps them is the one who loves me. And whoever loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and reveal myself to him."

Only the son knows the father and only the Father knows the son and whoever the son wishes reveal him.