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in totidem verbis – considering a problematic hermeneutic (part 6)
I have been arguing something fairly obvious to most people who take the Bible seriously: there is much more to the Bible than just the bare, explicit words we read. Hence my concern with the in totidem verbis, “in just so many words” approach. To be sure, almost all of the big things that the… Continue reading
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Kuyper on church & state
“To be sure a father regulates in his family the religion of that family. But when the government was organized, the family was not set aside, but remained; and the government received only a limited task, which is defined by the sovereignty in the individual sphere, and not least of all by the sovereignty of… Continue reading
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When all is Foggy – a poem
Peering into the mists of gray That shroud the surface of the bay, Nothing I see except a veil Of fog surrounding every sail. Then suddenly against a cape A vast and silent form takes shape, A great ship lies against the shore Where nothing has appeared before. Who sees a truth must often gaze… Continue reading
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Paradise Lost – John Milton
Here shalt thou sit incarnate, here shalt reignBoth God and man, Son both of God and Man,Anointed universal King. All powerI give thee; reign for ever, and assumeThy merits; under thee, as head supreme,Thrones, Princedoms, Powers, Dominions, I reduce:All knees to thee shall bow, of them that bideIn Heaven, on Earth, or under Earth in… Continue reading
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G. K. Chesterton – from ‘Heretics’
“Truths turn into dogmas the instant that they are disputed. Thus every man who utters a doubt defines a religion. And the scepticism of our time does not really destroy the beliefs, rather it creates them; gives them their limits and their plain and defiant shape. We who are Liberals once held Liberalism lightly as… Continue reading
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The Swans – a poem
Here’s a poem I wrote at a particularly dark time in my life. It’s about hopes and dreams failing. I’m a pretty terrible poet, but it is what it is. Dying swans lay strewn across the shore Their battered wings, a portent of powerless beauty Long necks bow in bloodied resignation No more will they… Continue reading
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in totidem verbis – considering a problematic hermeneutic (part 5)
In the book of Revelation, the Apostle John records his observations and experiences during a series of visions. Here’s part of one: After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, “Come up here, and I will show you… Continue reading
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in totidem verbis – considering a problematic hermeneutic (part 4)
I continue in this series, thinking about how we should read and interpret the Bible. The principles that undergird the interpretation of the Bible are called “hermeneutics”. There are many hermeneutical principles that people use when interpreting the Christian scriptures, but most of these are not clearly stated, examined, or applied consistently. The criterion I… Continue reading
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Uncreation – a poem
Hi. Here is a little poem I wrote that summarizes Genesis chapters 1-3. Eternal decree Darkness, deep Spirit’s sweep Chaos flees Galaxies cleave Land, sea Firmament be Creatures breath Image bearer Man, wife Tree, life Serpent slither Tasty thought Pleasant fruit Power pursuit Death caught Too late Sweaty brow Hardship now Seed await Continue reading
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in totidem verbis – considering a problematic hermeneutic (part 3)
This is my third post thinking about a hermeneutical principle I have called in totidem verbis. That’s a Latin phrase which means “in just so many words”. It’s where a person reading the Bible relies on the explicit words and ideas presented in the text to determine what the Bible is trying to say. I… Continue reading
spes clara 