Inerrant application of the Scriptures?

I think it is safe to say as Fundamental Baptists
the core of our "Fundamentalism" is the inerrancy of Scriptures.

As an IFB, the core problem I see in many Fundamental Baptist Churches is not that we believe our Scriptures to be inerrant - it is that we believe our application of those Scriptures to be inerrant as well.

We cannot stand people who apply the scriptures
differently then we do.

Take II Timothy 2:9-10(NIV) as an example:
"I also want women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God."

Application #1:
dress modestly - means women should not wear pants and only wear dresses that come down
to their ankles. Also these dresses must come right up to the womens neck. The sleaves should come down to the hands.

Women should not have braided hair - in fact women should not go to beauticians.

Women should not wear any jewelrey or clothes should not buy dresses from anywhere except discount clothing stores.

Application #2:
dress modestly - means women should not wear pants and only wear dresses that come down just below their knees. Sleaves must come down to at least the middle upper arm. Dress Colars must come within 1 inch of the base of the neck.

Women should not cake makeup on or wear strong perfumes. Braiding and hair coloring is ok in moderation.

Women may shop at any discount store AND Sears and JCPenny but not Saxs Fifth Avenue.(ha ha - had to add a funny)


Application #3
dress modestly - means women may wear pants as long as they are not "poured" into them. As with pants, dresses should be not be skin tight and dresses lengths should come to the knee.

Women should not look like Prostitutes in whatever culture they live.

If you want to gob makeup on your face and look like a clown - go ahead.

Go ahead and shop wherever you want- just make
sure you are giving to the Lord's Work and helping others with what God has given you.

There could be tons of variations on the applications I gave you.

The problem is when someone adheres to application #1 and he looks down on his brother
who chooses application #2 or when those who adhere to application #2 look down on those who adhere to application #3.

Romans 14:4-6(NIV)
"4Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.
5One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. 6He who regards one day as special, does so to the Lord. He who eats meat, eats to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who abstains, does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God."

Just some thoughts

IFBReformer

 

You forgot to mention those who adhere to application #3 and look down on those who adhere to application #1. </font>[/QUOTE]rlvaughn,
I agree completely with you. It goes both ways. But honestly in the IFB churches I have seen 90% percent of the time it is the person with the more stricter standard looking down on the person with the less strict standard.

IFBReformer

[ April 07, 2003, 09:23 PM: Message edited by: IfbReformer ]

 

Headcoveredlady,

Thanks for the response. You have pointed out some
excellant passages and I would be happy to answer your questions.

What does judging someone else's servant have to do with I Timothy 2 - everthing. Heres how:

Romans 14:1(NIV)
"Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters."

The entire context of Romans 14 is how Christian brothers are to handle "disputable matters". Paul gives two examples, one of those who did not eat meat and the other of those who regard certain days as holy and others who regard all days alike. But those are examples to illustrate the point of how to handle disputable matters.

Romans 14 is all but ignored in most IFB churches. I am thankful that the IFB church
I attend not only addressed it - the Pastor preached an entire series on it for several weeks.

So how do disputable matters relate to I Timothy 2? Paul tells women to dress modestly - but does he answer how long a women's dress must be to be considered modest? Does he answer if her sleaves should come down to her wrist or elbow?

There is no argument that a women should dress modest -the "disputable matter" is the exact parameters of how you define "modest".

Context is important here. The Apostle is not talking about how we apply the scripture as believers, he is taking about how the scriptures came about. The Prophets did not write God's Word by their own interpretation, but they spoke and wrote and they were moved by the Holy Spirit.

For instance, many people question Paul's writings when it comes to women, and how he forbids women from usurping authority over men in the church. They say -this was his own opinion - but II Peter tells us he was moved by the Holy Ghost.

II Peter 1:20-21(KJV)
20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.
21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

The NIV helps to clearify this verse:

II Peter 1:20-21(NIV)
"20Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation. 21For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit."

Again, context is very important. I have learned two important concepts when it comes to my beliefs and convictions - The first is one my father taught me all growing up - "Book, Chapter, Verse". When someone tells me the Bible teaches something I want to know where it is. Then after they give me the "Book, Chapter and Verse" the second rule applies. "Context, Context, Context".

I Corinthians 5:9-13(NIV)
"9I have written you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people-- 10not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. 11But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat.
12What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? 13God will judge those outside. "Expel the wicked man from among you.""

In I Corinthians 5 when Paul writes "Are you not to judge those inside" he not speaking about judging your brother on disputable matters. In fact he says just the opposite when it comes to disputable matters when he wrote in Romans 14:10 "You, then, why do you judge your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before God's judgment seat." He is speaking of church discipline - when a brother in the church is living in outward, defiant sin such as adultery or drunkeness(these are clearly not disputable matters) we are to expel him from the church.

One little note I will add at the end here:

Catholic Theologians have used II Peter 1 for years to say exactly what you are saying. That we cannot privately interpret the scriptures for ourselves.

They say there must be one authority for interpretation of Scripture and that is the Catholic Church.

Baptists have historically rejected this view. They have believed it is the right and freedom of every believer and groups of believers to interpret the scriptures as they feel the leading of the Holy Spirit.

That is why no two Christians see things the same in in every place in the scriptures.

Thats what a church is for -it is an assembly of like-minded(interpreting the scriptures the same) believers joined in a common bond.

Something to ponder.

Once again thanks for the questions, I hope I was able to help you on these passages.

IFBReformer

[ April 08, 2003, 11:18 AM: Message edited by: IfbReformer ]

 

I haven't actually seen this, can you point that out. What I do remember is repeadtly being bashed for not being a #1. Never objected to anyone being a #1.

We just went over this subject 2 weeks ago, does anyone think we need to do this again?
Time to move on and discuss something more profitable then the constant arguing over dresses. </font>[/QUOTE]I did not see that thread. But really there is no hurt in discussing the same topics. Maybe there are new people in the forum.

I don't mean this in any way to mean at all or to take a bad tone at all - but if you don't want to discuss something that is similar or the same as something you recently discussed then don't join the discussion.

Just a thought

IFBReformer