God said it.\u00a0 I believe it.\u00a0 That settles it.<\/p>\n
This is the epitome of the relationship between truth and faith I inherited from my elders.\u00a0 I could tell by the way they said it, it was meant to be a direct arc, a syllogism where the minor premise\u2014\u201cI believe it\u201d\u2014and the conclusion\u2014\u201cThat settles it\u201d\u2014were already contained within the major premise\u2014\u201cGod said it.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/a>\u201cTo speak the truth and shoot straight with arrows.\u201d1<\/sup><\/a> \u00a0That was Persian virtue according to Nietzsche.\u00a0 \u00a0By the way, to miss that mark<\/a> is the primary meaning of \u201csin\u201d in the Bible.<\/p>\n I am a fan of such simple goodness.\u00a0 But like most fans I am better at cheering on the practitioners of simple goodness than I am at practicing it myself.\u00a0 You see, though everything flows from the major premise\u2014\u201cGod said it\u201d\u2014in practice, I must derive God\u2019s word from Bible study.<\/p>\n Suddenly, the simple self-contained major premise is a question: \u201cWell, what did God say?\u201d\u00a0 Even, \u201cWhat did He mean by that?\u201d\u00a0 Once God\u2019s speaking is derived by internal and external debate, the only rational response\u2014believing what He says\u2014becomes a question as well.\u00a0 \u201cWell, do I believe that?\u201d\u00a0 And the resultant certainty and peace of mind is also open to question.<\/p>\n That\u2019s why I intended to call this An Impractical Bible Study<\/em>.\u00a0 A practical Bible study should propel one on the straight and simple trajectory outlined by my elders.\u00a0 This one will wander and meander and ponder and wonder: What is truth? What is faith? Who is God? What is He trying to say to us?\u00a0 So, since I\u2019m not even aiming at the mark, I probably should have called it A Sinner\u2019s Impractical Bible Study<\/em>.\u00a0 But would anyone have any interest in that?<\/p>\n What Kind of Carpenter Is Jesus?<\/em> is catchier, and in some ways, more to the point.\u00a0 First, it\u2019s a question.\u00a0 I\u2019ll ask a lot of questions.\u00a0 And I\u2019ll have to do something more, and something less, than turn to the Gospel According to Mark chapter six verse three<\/a> for an answer.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Addendum<\/strong>: September 29, 2108
\nA table of Mark 6:3 comparing the NET and KJV follows.<\/p>\n