{Fundamental Points of View [continued (3)]}[14th March 1988]

[Redbook5:52-53][19880314:1115c]{Fundamental Points of View [continued (3)]}[14th March 1988]

19880314.1115

[continued]

The twin pillars of his* orthodoxy are, as I understand it, the Bible as the infallible Word of God; and the entry into his life of Jesus Christ. We do have to be careful with words here. He agrees that the Bible may be mis-translated: he is studying Greek and Hebrew at the University College in Lampeter. He also agrees that the Bible may be open to interpretation, or perhaps I should say mis-interpretation: there is** only one correct interpretation, which is arrived at with the aid of the Holy Spirit. It would not be quite fair to say that he believed that he had achieved that correct interpretation of the whole Bible: but I had the impression that where he had arrived at an interpretation, there was not much room for doubt. Nevertheless, in discussing the meaning and use of particular passages, such as Luke XIV.26,*** there was what I should regard as 'special pleading'.

The Holy Spirit is distinguishable in theory from God the Father and God the Son, as they are from each other: but not, as it turned out, in practice. Jesus Christ represents a genuinely and powerfully felt presence within the mind of this man.* The Question to whose answer (given a {degree of}**** delicacy of questioning) I could not in the end come near, was: what is this Jesus Christ within his mind? This question, given that the video* and books* talk in terms of false Christs at large, should be acceptable. He did not wish to convince me that this Jesus Christ was the real one: when I reached that stage (i.e. was born again), I also would know without doubt.

*[See last previous entry.]

**[in the mind of this man, not that of the writer, evidently.]

***(& compare the other Gospels' versions – ref infallible word of God.)

{ 'Anyone who comes to me without hating father, mother, wife, children, brothers, sisters, yes and his own life too, cannot be my disciple. No one who does not carry his cross and come after me can be my disciple.' N[ew] J[erusalem] [B]ible [Luke XIV.26-27] (& see [NJB] footnotes: hate = total detachment)}

****{}<891006>

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