Privite Revelation

wfr · #1 Sep 2, '11, 8:41 am

Hi All
I recently overheard some Protedtant Christians talking about the Bible. The subjuct of interpertation came up. One says to the other that one should not interpert the Bible but should just "listen to the Spirit". He contended that the Holy Spirit will tell you what it means for you. He went to to claim that the Bible can mean differant things to differant people depending on what the Spirit says. This seems like a very dangerious way to approch Scripturer. Your comments?

PAX CHRISTI
Bill

lutherlic · #2 Sep 2, '11, 9:43 am

Protestants in breaking with the Church, have no authority to resolve different interpretations. There are many quite significant denominational differences as well as personal spins. People read Holy Scripture under the color of their biases and find that it supports their individual lifestyle preferences. No surprise there. Dangerous indeed.

fhansen · #3 Sep 2, '11, 10:25 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by lutherlic

Protestants in breaking with the Church, have no authority to resolve different interpretations. There are many quite significant denominational differences as well as personal spins. People read Holy Scripture under the color of their biases and find that it supports their individual lifestyle preferences. No surprise there. Dangerous indeed.

I agree-people can take the written word and use it to justify whatever beliefs/actions they want. That's why we need the Magistereum. It's perfectly fine to read scripture and let it speak to us-and it will; Proverbs and Pslams, for example, are great sources of wisdom, but we can't depend on our own interpretation to understand the gospel-Gods plan of salvation-fully and accurately.

Julia Mae · #4 Sep 2, '11, 10:56 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by wfr

Hi All
I recently overheard some Protedtant Christians talking about the Bible. The subjuct of interpertation came up. One says to the other that one should not interpert the Bible but should just "listen to the Spirit". He contended that the Holy Spirit will tell you what it means for you. He went to to claim that the Bible can mean differant things to differant people depending on what the Spirit says. This seems like a very dangerious way to approch Scripturer. Your comments?

PAX CHRISTI
Bill

Actually, I agree. The Church doesn't have an "official" interpretation for very bit of Scripture. But, the Church will give a definitive opinion if someone says the Scripture means something heretical.

Now, about what they said. Yes, you can read one passage one day and get one meaning and the same passage a week later and see something else and yes that can be the Holy Spirit speaking. You could also be inspired by a Hallmark card, a TV show or a song.

It doesn't mean that when your Pastor gives a homily on the parable of the sower, he is wrong or it doesn't mean anything. I'm just saying that God can use Scripture to give you a personal message about your life at that moment.

Also, all the churches read the same passages every single day. But all Priests aren't giving the same homily or focusing on the exact same meaning. They get inspired, also.

Of course, I've seen some Protestants just toss out parts of Scripture, or use bits and pieces to support very dubious theology - heresy. So, we have to always turn to the Church. But it's a living Word, and if you read as a prayer form, you will hear from God. If you read in another way that's good, too.

Waiting · #5 Sep 2, '11, 11:05 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by Julia Mae

Actually, I agree. The Church doesn't have an "official" interpretation for very bit of Scripture. But, the Church will give a definitive opinion if someone says the Scripture means something heretical.

Now, about what they said. Yes, you can read one passage one day and get one meaning and the same passage a week later and see something else and yes that can be the Holy Spirit speaking. You could also be inspired by a Hallmark card, a TV show or a song.

It doesn't mean that when your Pastor gives a homily on the parable of the sower, he is wrong or it doesn't mean anything. I'm just saying that God can use Scripture to give you a personal message about your life at that moment.

Also, all the churches read the same passages every single day. But all Priests aren't giving the same homily or focusing on the exact same meaning. They get inspired, also.

Of course, I've seen some Protestants just toss out parts of Scripture, or use bits and pieces to support very dubious theology - heresy. So, we have to always turn to the Church. But it's a living Word, and if you read as a prayer form, you will hear from God. If you read in another way that's good, too.

Very well thought through. Unless someone is interpreting a passage contrary to Christ's meaning, the passage can be viewed as inspirational, whatever personal message you receive from it.

I Thirst · #6 Sep 2, '11, 11:15 am

A great book on this subject is Fr. Groeschel's A Still, Small Voice: A Practical Guide to Reported Revelations.
http://www.amazon.com/Still-Small-Vo.../dp/0898704367

wfr · #7 Sep 2, '11, 12:24 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Julia Mae

Actually, I agree. The Church doesn't have an "official" interpretation for very bit of Scripture. But, the Church will give a definitive opinion if someone says the Scripture means something heretical.

Now, about what they said. Yes, you can read one passage one day and get one meaning and the same passage a week later and see something else and yes that can be the Holy Spirit speaking. You could also be inspired by a Hallmark card, a TV show or a song.

It doesn't mean that when your Pastor gives a homily on the parable of the sower, he is wrong or it doesn't mean anything. I'm just saying that God can use Scripture to give you a personal message about your life at that moment.

Also, all the churches read the same passages every single day. But all Priests aren't giving the same homily or focusing on the exact same meaning. They get inspired, also.

Of course, I've seen some Protestants just toss out parts of Scripture, or use bits and pieces to support very dubious theology - heresy. So, we have to always turn to the Church. But it's a living Word, and if you read as a prayer form, you will hear from God. If you read in another way that's good, too.

I agree that Scripture can have a secondary meaning that is personial. But Scripture does not change its meaning depending on the reader. This man I spoke of believed that his understanding of Scrirture comes from God. This is to claim infallbility for ones self. The issue I see is that there is no authority beyond ones self to protect against error. This same fellow was saying that when he goes to church he judges if the sermon is "of god or man". This type of freewheeling Christianity is the perfect storm for error. It seems to be privite interpertation in free fall. I can read the Bible and draw meaning from it but I have Church dogma as a gardrail. With out that I can have no
Certianity that I have not straied into hericy
PAX CHRISTI
Bill

Fidelis · #8 Sep 2, '11, 12:28 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Waiting

Very well thought through. Unless someone is interpreting a passage contrary to Christ's meaning, the passage can be viewed as inspirational, whatever personal message you receive from it.

That's right; as long as you don't claim to come up with a definitive interpretation of Scripture that is at odds with Church teaching, there is a wide latitude for personal interpretation.

Where people get in trouble is where, out of pride, they get so wedded to their own personal interpretations that they feel they are right, and that the Church (and everyone else that disagrees with them) is wrong. This is what happened to Martin Luther. It is a sure prescription for error, heresy, schism and apostasy.

I Thirst · #9 Sep 2, '11, 12:39 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fidelis

That's right; as long as you don't claim to come up with a definitive interpretation of Scripture that is at odds with Church teaching, there is a wide latitude for personal interpretation.

Where people get in trouble is where, out of pride, they get so wedded to their own personal interpretations that they feel they are right, and that the Church (and everyone else that disagrees with them) is wrong. This is what happened to Martin Luther. It is a sure prescription for error, heresy, schism and apostasy.

Bingo!

miguel · #10 Sep 2, '11, 5:33 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by wfr

I agree that Scripture can have a secondary meaning that is personial. But Scripture does not change its meaning depending on the reader. This man I spoke of believed that his understanding of Scrirture comes from God. This is to claim infallbility for ones self. The issue I see is that there is no authority beyond ones self to protect against error. This same fellow was saying that when he goes to church he judges if the sermon is "of god or man". This type of freewheeling Christianity is the perfect storm for error. It seems to be privite interpertation in free fall. I can read the Bible and draw meaning from it but I have Church dogma as a gardrail. With out that I can have no
Certianity that I have not straied into hericy
PAX CHRISTI
Bill

It implies the Holy Spirit brings different people to irreconcilable interpretations of truth...nonsense.

EricFilmer · #11 Sep 2, '11, 11:06 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by wfr

One says to the other that one should not interpert the Bible but should just "listen to the Spirit". He contended that the Holy Spirit will tell you what it means for you. He went to to claim that the Bible can mean differant things to differant people depending on what the Spirit says. This seems like a very dangerious way to approch Scripturer. Your comments?

Quote:

Originally Posted by miguel

It implies the Holy Spirit brings different people to irreconcilable interpretations of truth...nonsense.

Well said. And to put this another way, God is Truth, and truth does not contradict. And yet there are doctrinal disputes among many Protestants each claiming their interpretation of Scripture is correct. For example, Baptist theology maintains that water baptism is not necessary for salvation, but the Church of Christ says that it is. Well, in the eyes of God one of them is right and the other one is wrong. They cannot both be correct. And yet both sides will claim that the Holy Spirit led them in the discernment of truth concerning this matter.

miguel · #12 Sep 3, '11, 4:39 am

Excellent quote from Bishop Sheen, BTW.

thomas jd · #13 Sep 3, '11, 9:28 am

2 Peter 3:16-17
"
There are some things in them hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable
twist to their own destruction, as they do the other scriptures.'
That is St. Peter describing private interpretation of scripture!

Benadam · #14 Sep 3, '11, 6:24 pm

People get confused forgetting that the Holy Spirit reveals truth relative to individual persons to individual persons. No divine promises attached to this function of the Holy Spirit.

The Church is a universal reality so truth related to it pertains to that. Truth meant to be known universally isn't often given to individuals. More often the voice of the Holy Spirit to the Church requires generations of listening by faithfull ears before it is heard.