The advancement of Truth...
In my previous OP, I got a good response to one question that had bugged me considerably, but I fear I covered too many points to gt them all answered.
In this one, I want to set down some thoughts and observations that some may find interesting.
Looking at the Mosaic Law, as set out in the Pentateuch, certain unique features present themselves
1) monotheism
2) a concern for the poor and disadvantaged in society
3) an emphasis on hygiene
Now maybe some experts on comparative religion will come in here and point out parallels in other cultures, but as far as I know, these features placed the Hebrews far above their contemporaries like the Egyptians and Babylonians.
I is suggested in the Pentateuch, I think, that the Jewish nation was to be a showcase for God's excellence - that if the Jews kept this Law, the surrounding nations would be shown the Glory of Yahweh and be drawn to worship Him themselves.
Now, this was the way it was presented to me in my teens. Later on , however, I discovered that some scholars took the view that the Pentateuch was *not* written by Moses. not only was it giving an account of Moses funeral, but the phrases in Deut. 34 10-12 would suggest that they were written centuries later, and not within a few years after his death.
It is noted that at some point in history, the priests working in the temple at Jerusalem discovered 'the Book of the Law' , that had become lost , somehow. scholars point out that Deuteronomy
a) makes no emphasis on the Aaronic priesthood, unlike Leviticus.
b) is more detailed that Leviticus ( which forbids eating insects). In Deuteronomy, we find the words "except those that hop" are added.
c) seem to use formulae and concepts that are more in keeping with 500BC than an earlier date.
It is therefore suggested that Deuteronomy was actually written later as part of Josiah's reform movement. Now, this would not invalidate it altogether in my view. Let me explain
The Jewish law did place emphasis on certain things, which made them unique among their neighbours. We should note, though, that the later prophets
wrote in the first person
did not do miracles.
In the book of Kings, we find an account of Elijah calling down fire from heaven on a band of soldiers whom the king had sent to capture him. I seem to recall that after a duel with the prophets of Baal on the top of Mount Carmel, Elijah had to flee into the wilderness to escape Jezebel's wrath. It seems a bit inconsistent that a man who could command such celestial firepower as Elijah could muster would need to fear anyone.
Perhaps it is at this point that legend starts to become less fixed and the narrative more realistic.
One notices, too, that although there are injunctions to show oneself to a priest if one has leprosy, there are no records of miracles, nor any command to pronounce miraculous cures (in spite of the account of Naaman, that showed that such was possible).
The Hebrews also list bats among the birds that one should not eat. There is mention of washing hands before a meal, but no mention of soap. Nor is there any mention of antisepsis in Scripture. Now, this suggests to me that evolution does not just happen in a biological sense.
There is also, I think *cultural* and even *spiritual* evolution is happening as well.
The Hebrews wrote in upper case, without punctuation. this made interpretation hard, and rendered the text ambiguous, sometimes. We have a Bible today, not just with punctuation , but divided into chapters and verses, written in books and not on scrolls. The Christian communities themselves invented the first books, called codices, I believe.
If, then, we can clearly detect shift in emphasis and doctrinal development in the Bible itself, should we not expect the same in our own day? as someone said " the Book of Revelation was the longest suicide note in history - God is still speaking to us, even today."
Far from proving the Bible to be 'wrong', or showing that the OT should be discarded and ignored, I get the sense that it was ' leading to Christ' in more senses than one. It was showing how Christ could be expected to be revealed and how the development of his Church would continue.
Instead of seeing God as speaking just through the pages of an ancient collection of texts, I see him as working through his people - past, present and future.
Protestant theology holds that the Pope is not infallible, and that the decision of a council of bishops is subordinate to scripture. yet history shows that the Hebrews considered certain texts to be so important that they were translated into Greek alongside Genesis for the benefit of the Jewish reader. In spite of being in the LXX, these works were not put into the Present day Canon.
And that decision was made by the same bishops that we Protestants say were not infallible! We cannot have it both ways, folks...
A recognition of God's continuous working has led to the abolition of slavery. I recall reading somewhere that in the American Civil War, that one preacher stood up in the pulpit and said
"God has rebuked every kind of sin that man ever committed - yet God never, anywhere in Scripture, condemns slavery". Hence, he reasoned, owning other people was quite compatible with Christian principles.
And yet , the abolitionist movement was not led by atheists and humanists, but rather, by Christians such as Newton and Wilberforce. In our present day, movements such as Greenpeace, Traidcraft and Make Poverty History also have their origin among the body of Christ - His Church on Earth. It is by this means that God/de still speaks to the world today on the issues that affect humanity.
In this one, I want to set down some thoughts and observations that some may find interesting.
Looking at the Mosaic Law, as set out in the Pentateuch, certain unique features present themselves
1) monotheism
2) a concern for the poor and disadvantaged in society
3) an emphasis on hygiene
Now maybe some experts on comparative religion will come in here and point out parallels in other cultures, but as far as I know, these features placed the Hebrews far above their contemporaries like the Egyptians and Babylonians.
I is suggested in the Pentateuch, I think, that the Jewish nation was to be a showcase for God's excellence - that if the Jews kept this Law, the surrounding nations would be shown the Glory of Yahweh and be drawn to worship Him themselves.
Now, this was the way it was presented to me in my teens. Later on , however, I discovered that some scholars took the view that the Pentateuch was *not* written by Moses. not only was it giving an account of Moses funeral, but the phrases in Deut. 34 10-12 would suggest that they were written centuries later, and not within a few years after his death.
It is noted that at some point in history, the priests working in the temple at Jerusalem discovered 'the Book of the Law' , that had become lost , somehow. scholars point out that Deuteronomy
a) makes no emphasis on the Aaronic priesthood, unlike Leviticus.
b) is more detailed that Leviticus ( which forbids eating insects). In Deuteronomy, we find the words "except those that hop" are added.
c) seem to use formulae and concepts that are more in keeping with 500BC than an earlier date.
It is therefore suggested that Deuteronomy was actually written later as part of Josiah's reform movement. Now, this would not invalidate it altogether in my view. Let me explain
The Jewish law did place emphasis on certain things, which made them unique among their neighbours. We should note, though, that the later prophets
wrote in the first person
did not do miracles.
In the book of Kings, we find an account of Elijah calling down fire from heaven on a band of soldiers whom the king had sent to capture him. I seem to recall that after a duel with the prophets of Baal on the top of Mount Carmel, Elijah had to flee into the wilderness to escape Jezebel's wrath. It seems a bit inconsistent that a man who could command such celestial firepower as Elijah could muster would need to fear anyone.
Perhaps it is at this point that legend starts to become less fixed and the narrative more realistic.
One notices, too, that although there are injunctions to show oneself to a priest if one has leprosy, there are no records of miracles, nor any command to pronounce miraculous cures (in spite of the account of Naaman, that showed that such was possible).
The Hebrews also list bats among the birds that one should not eat. There is mention of washing hands before a meal, but no mention of soap. Nor is there any mention of antisepsis in Scripture. Now, this suggests to me that evolution does not just happen in a biological sense.
There is also, I think *cultural* and even *spiritual* evolution is happening as well.
The Hebrews wrote in upper case, without punctuation. this made interpretation hard, and rendered the text ambiguous, sometimes. We have a Bible today, not just with punctuation , but divided into chapters and verses, written in books and not on scrolls. The Christian communities themselves invented the first books, called codices, I believe.
If, then, we can clearly detect shift in emphasis and doctrinal development in the Bible itself, should we not expect the same in our own day? as someone said " the Book of Revelation was the longest suicide note in history - God is still speaking to us, even today."
Far from proving the Bible to be 'wrong', or showing that the OT should be discarded and ignored, I get the sense that it was ' leading to Christ' in more senses than one. It was showing how Christ could be expected to be revealed and how the development of his Church would continue.
Instead of seeing God as speaking just through the pages of an ancient collection of texts, I see him as working through his people - past, present and future.
Protestant theology holds that the Pope is not infallible, and that the decision of a council of bishops is subordinate to scripture. yet history shows that the Hebrews considered certain texts to be so important that they were translated into Greek alongside Genesis for the benefit of the Jewish reader. In spite of being in the LXX, these works were not put into the Present day Canon.
And that decision was made by the same bishops that we Protestants say were not infallible! We cannot have it both ways, folks...
A recognition of God's continuous working has led to the abolition of slavery. I recall reading somewhere that in the American Civil War, that one preacher stood up in the pulpit and said
"God has rebuked every kind of sin that man ever committed - yet God never, anywhere in Scripture, condemns slavery". Hence, he reasoned, owning other people was quite compatible with Christian principles.
And yet , the abolitionist movement was not led by atheists and humanists, but rather, by Christians such as Newton and Wilberforce. In our present day, movements such as Greenpeace, Traidcraft and Make Poverty History also have their origin among the body of Christ - His Church on Earth. It is by this means that God/de still speaks to the world today on the issues that affect humanity.