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Tracea · 01-25-2010

Very good points, thanks for the info! Most people today do read their Bibles forgetting a very important point: The Bible is a collection of letters written to a specific people at a specific time. This is called 'audience relevance.' It is almost like going to your grandmother's attic and reading her diary. If she wrote, 'it's supposed to rain tomorrow which may cancel our picnic!' we know that it's a past event, and that it won't necessarily rain on 'our' tomorrow just because we read that. Obvious statement, I know, but many people still read their Bibles thinking it is directly addressed to us today in the 21st Century. I think it's because we are taught that it's a supernatural book and transcends time. It certainly does speak universal truths to people of all ages, but we must recognize the difference between those verses and other verses that speak only to a distinct group of people at a distinct time in history.

Example: Romans 13:10 - "Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law."

and the next verse: Romans 13:11 - "And do this, understanding the present time. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed."

The first verse is for all people who will ever live, to acknowledge and put into practice. The second verse is Paul speaking directly to the Roman Christians in the first century only.

01-25-2010	#7 (permalink)
Tracea Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: eastern US Posts: 12	audience relevance Very good points, thanks for the info! Most people today do read their Bibles forgetting a very important point: The Bible is a collection of letters written to a specific people at a specific time. This is called 'audience relevance.' It is almost like going to your grandmother's attic and reading her diary. If she wrote, 'it's supposed to rain tomorrow which may cancel our picnic!' we know that it's a past event, and that it won't necessarily rain on 'our' tomorrow just because we read that. Obvious statement, I know, but many people still read their Bibles thinking it is directly addressed to us today in the 21st Century. I think it's because we are taught that it's a supernatural book and transcends time. It certainly does speak universal truths to people of all ages, but we must recognize the difference between those verses and other verses that speak only to a distinct group of people at a distinct time in history. Example: Romans 13:10 - "Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law." and the next verse: Romans 13:11 - "And do this, understanding the present time. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed." The first verse is for all people who will ever live, to acknowledge and put into practice. The second verse is Paul speaking directly to the Roman Christians in the first century only.