|
hawkfan428 -> RE: Should Men Have Long Hair? (2/28/2008 12:18:25 PM)
|
quote:
ORIGINAL: bterpstra
quote:
ORIGINAL: FearoftheLordIt dosen't take much rightly dividing on this subject. The scripture is perfectly clear.
Things are not always as perfectly clear as they would seem on the surface. One of my favorite quotes is from H.L. Mencken, "For every problem, there is an answer which is simple, elegant, and wrong."
The problem is that we take a 2,000 year old document, translate it as best we can into English, and then try to take it at face value without understanding why the document was written in the first place, what were the issues at stake, what were the modes of communication at the time, etc.
I believe that the bible means what the original writer wanted the original reader to understand by the text he was writing. I'm not one of those that resorts to arguments like "that was then, this is now, we don't need to pay attention to this part."
But....
Passages like this one are difficult to figure out sometimes. On the one hand, there was a rabbinic interpretation method where it would not be uncommon for someone like Paul to use very broad language based on creation literature, appeals to "nature", etc. to make a point and try to resolve issues that at their root were local and time/culture bounded. On the other hand, Paul elsewhere legitimately points to creation literature, appeals to "nature" etc to resolve issues that at their root are eternal and fundamental.
How do you ever know the difference?
Well, understanding that there was some disagreement within greek culture on appropriate modes of dress during prayer helps. Understanding that short hair on women had a particular meaning in that local culture helps a bit. These things can be clues to help us figure the problem out.
Second, we look elsewhere in scripture for confirmation. Hayseed here rightly points out the conflict with the Nazarene rites. To the extent that the issue appears here and not really anywhere else, you have to begin to suspect that Paul is addressing a local issue.
People will disagree on this, and it's easy to fall on one side rather than the other. You can make a cogent argument on either side. In such cases, we are admonished not to get our unders in a bunch and agree to disagree.
Well put, bt! We all have to understand the context of what's written. In doing so, you walk away with a deeper meaning of scripture than ever!
|
|
|
|
