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Tuesday, February 10, 2015

A middle category


Pastor Dan Phillips’ second session began by repeating the statement that hit home from Session #2: “Scripture only knows 2 categories: Word of God, and not-Word-of-God. There is no middle category.” 
https://the4thdave.wordpress.com/2015/02/06/sufficient-fire-fallout-session-5-this-word-and-no-other-tell-me-how-by-dan-phillips/
i) Unfortunately for Dan, his statement isn't self-evident or self-explanatory. So many counterexamples spring to mind. Isn't regeneration from God? Weren't Adam and Eve from God? Were the plagues of Egypt from God? 
ii) Perhaps, though, in context, Dan is referring to communication. Maybe he's attempting to distinguish between God's word and man's word. If so, this seems to be his uncouth way of saying “Scripture only knows 2 categories of communication: inspired words and uninspired words. There is no middle category.”
If, however, that's what he's trying to get at, then it's blatantly false. In Scripture, divine communication includes nonverbal communication. Wordless revelatory dreams and visions. For instance, take Pharaoh's dreams (Gen 41). 
That's a middle category: inspired, nonverbal communication. 
It's funny how Christians who pride themselves on their uncompromising fidelity to Scripture can, in the very act of defending Scripture, ignore and misrepresent Scripture. Such is the blinding power of a reactionary agenda.

1 comment:

  1. Dan's long been a fan of big sweeping generalizations. They play well to the sound byte culture. Pithy. Easy to remember.

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