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For Discussion
“fundamentalism is the last refuge of rationalism” — Biblical “Inerrancy”
This, of course, is the problem with the Kansas City Schoolboard, many Christian biology students, and a whole host of other people who must believe that Truth is factually accurate.
I find [maximalist] theorizings an overreaching intended to build a firm foundation on a paper thin sheet of ice. Further, I take [maximalists] to be, at heart, unbelievers. For [they] will not believe unless you have proof. And [they] will not have proof unless [they] can establish historical fact. And [they] must establish historical fact, or [they] have no evidence. And without evidence [they] have no proof. And so the circularity goes.
This, of course, is the problem with the Kansas City Schoolboard, many Christian biology students, and a whole host of other people who must believe that Truth is factually accurate.
- There is only one God.
- The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are each equally God.
- Jesus Christ was truly Man.
- Jesus Christ was truly God.
These are spiritual truths, but they by their nature do not "exclude contradictory statements". If it were that simple, the we could easily have skipped over several heresies -- there would be no need for them since ideas like the Trinity would not exist. All "spiritual truth" would be logically accessible.
Truth is not like that. Sure, parts of it are logically accessible, but Truth transcends logic. Because Truth emanates from Christ himself; because Christ is Truth.
Suppose you were able to successfully argue that "spiritual truth" is a subset of all truth. What, then, do you make of the statement "You will know [spiritual truth] and [spiritual truth] will set you free"?
John 8:32
Re: John 8:32
Start in v 31
Starting in v. 31, Jesus says "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the Truth, and the Truth will set you free."
I don't think you could say that he is talking about information here at all. He says "If you hold to my teachings, ... THEN you will know the Truth, and the Truth will set you free."
Elsewhere, we are told that even demons believe spiritual truth, and they tremble. Here, Jesus tells us that we have to "hold to" his teachings. The Amplified version, uh, amplifies this as "hold fast to My teachings and live in accordance with them". That means we're already aware of the information he's taught us and we've put it into practice. So, it is as the result of holding to his teachings that we "know the Truth".
If my understanding is correct, then I don't see how it would be possible to say that the Truth here is information about salvation.
Know = do
Jesus clearly wants more from faith than intellectual assent.
Re: Know = do
I've got a lot to learn from your openness here. It is good to see that this hasn't devolved into a dogmatic shouting match.