“A hermeneutical rule of thumb (and quite a good one, I might add) is that unclear verses should be interpreted in the light of the clear ones. But however wise this is — and it is wise — we also have to distinguish between verses which are unclear, and verses that are excruciatingly clear but which conflict with the received interpretation” (Against the Church, p. 185).
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This is incredibly true. To the point that I can imagine quite a lot of people saying it while being blind to how often it can be applied.
Too true, Pastor Wilson, but we also have to distinguish between taking apparent contradictions at face value and breezily papering over chasms between the Old and New Covenants, which amounts to deliberate cognitive dissonance. At the bottom of the page, you talk about the similarities and chasms between converted and unconverted “covenant members,” and want to apply Jesus’ illustrations to people who are not Jews. It was possible to be an unconverted Jew — at least until God called on a Jehu or rounded up some Gentile armies to deal with the problem — thus Jesus’ recognition of Nathaniel as… Read more »
So true–I just threw away Lewis Smedes’s “Mere Morality” because he was brushing off clear texts.
Mike–how do you define Kingdom of Heaven? The Kingdom is like a net full of good and bad fishes.