Lin

Paula, from one of your lessons:

“One of the most aggravating trends in the modern Bible study is the question, “what does this verse/passage mean to me?”. That’s a totally backwards way to read the Bible. We’re not here to impose our beliefs on the Bible, we’re here to get our beliefs from the Bible. The idea is to figure out the writer’s intended meaning, not how we can make the words support something we want to believe and then call it a Biblical teaching. We’re supposed to be getting something out of the Word, not putting something in.”

it is so easy to fall into this trap. I even see some of us doing it in our SS and we have to pull ourselves back each time. ( I do believe that certain passages can ‘speak’ to us differently at different times but that does not mean the passages means something different. The Holy Spirit used it  to teach ME something personally. that sort of thing. )

it is hard to even lovingly rebuke people for giving deciding what a passage means to ‘them’ as they get so offended but it has to be done.

In reality, many of the hierarchalists are doing this very thing when interpreting scripture. And it is easy for others to believe it when they do not know the scope of scripture. I just keep asking them questions…what about this and how does that relate to what you are saying, etc., etc. Ask enough of these  type questions in a group situation and those around at the time start seeing a bigger picture and wondering about such interpretations. (Not those who are married to the hierarchical view, though. They have an agenda)