Author Topic: Drawing conclusions from inferences:  (Read 505 times)

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Offline LaSpino3

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Drawing conclusions from inferences:
« on: Sun Sep 16, 2018 - 16:17:28 »
Inferences are certain conclusions that can be legitimately reasoned out when words are explained properly. Those who read or hear them can form a correct Biblical view of Christian doctrines, works, and actions that may be required of us.
 
From any conclusions that we may form on inferences, we are authorized to do so by the odd characteristics of the Hebrew and Greek languages. When these characteristics are correctly examined and understood, both what the words uttered in themselves imply, but also what may be reasoned from them by legitimate events: this is, cause and effect. Also, we can draw these conclusions by the authority of Jesus Christ and his apostles, who sanctioned this practice by their examples.

To illustrate the above let’s take a closer look at,

Matthew 22:23 to 32. Jesus when disputing with the Sadducees, He cited the declaration of Jehovah recorded in,

Exodus 3:6, "I am the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob," from this verse, He proved the resurrection of the dead inferentially, meaning by lawful deductions.
Abraham had been dead for more than 300 years, before these words were spoken to Moses. Jehovah called Himself the God of Abraham. Jesus properly remarked that God,

Matthew 22:32, "God is not the God of the dead."

The word dead to the Sadducees meant eternal annihilation. So, it follows, if Jesus is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, these men had not altogether perished, but that one day their bodies would be raised again from the dead, while their souls and spirits for now are alive with God. This not with-standing the historical fact that these men had passed away many centuries before.
In the same reply, Jesus further disputed, inferentially, another opinion of the Sadducees, via, they saying,

Acts 23:8, "There is no resurrection, neither angel, nor spirit."

Jesus showing that the soul and spirit of man is not only immortal, but lives with God even while the body is detained in the dust of the earth, which will afterwards be raised to life and be united to the soul and spirit by the miraculous power of God.

Phil LaSpino: taken from seekfirstwisdom

Offline Norton

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Re: Drawing conclusions from inferences:
« Reply #1 on: Sun Sep 16, 2018 - 17:50:43 »
We are almost required to make some inferences if we are to understand the Scriptures or any other writings. Human language is just not all that exact in conveying all the meanings of the writer or speaker. Yes, the Lord believed that Exodus 3:6 meant that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were still living, not just that Jehovah was the same God that the, now dead, patriarchs worshiped. However; the Lord had other OT verses, such as Dan 12:2 to back up his inference. Jesus is not required to back up his inferences, but I think it would be expected of us, either with other Scripture, or plain common sense.

Offline Kenneth Sublett

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Re: Drawing conclusions from inferences:
« Reply #2 on: Sun Sep 16, 2018 - 18:26:57 »
Probably there is no worse example that the hate heaped on Churches of Christ in its used of the CENI or Commands, Examples or Necessary Inferences principle.  It is expressed throughout Scripture and the Word, Logos or Regulative Principle was widely defended.  Churches were called APOSTOLIC because their practices were built (they thought) upon the teachings of the Prophets and Apostles.  The primary dogma does not need examples or inferences when the LOGOS is a word which PROHIBITS all of the fuzzies imposed by the urgent need to PERFORM religious observations to which Jesus said "the kingdom does not come."

However, one would think that a Disciple or person who followed Jesus would be careful not to do anything which silences His Commands, Examples and Inferences.

The hated DISTINCTIVES of most Churches of Christ have ample authority.  Unlearned men nevertheless THINK that Scripture commands which it does not.  The term PATTERNISTS gets the greatest yuk yuk in the gatherings of men authorized to BUY AND SELL at the gatherings of THOUGHT LEADERS.

The ATTACK is based on the fact that people claim the right of their PREFERENCES. or by claiming Visions or Spirits.  SOME, but not the audience claim one of my ex preachers, claim to be guided by THE SPIRIT into a New Hermeneutic in which ALL of what your godly ancestors believed MAY be tolerated simply because that was the best they knew before, in the words of Rubel Shelly, WE GOT NEW GLASSES.

Irenaeus (ca. 150)
Against Heresies 3.1.1
“We have learned from none others the plan of our salvation, than from those through whom the gospel has come down to us, which they did at one time proclaim in public, and, at a later period, by the will of God, handed down to us in the Scriptures, to be the ground and pillar of our faith.”

Clement of Alexandria (d. 215)
The Stromata, 7:16
“But those who are ready to toil in the most excellent pursuits, will not desist from the search after truth, till they get the demonstration from the Scriptures themselves.”

Gregory of Nyssa (d.ca, 395)
“On the Holy Trinity”, NPNF, p. 327
“Let the inspired Scriptures then be our umpire, and the vote of truth will be given to those whose dogmas are found to agree with the Divine words.”

Athanasius (c. 296–373)
Against the Heathen, 1:3
“The holy and inspired Scriptures are fully sufficient for the proclamation of the truth.”

Basil the Great (ca.329–379)
On the Holy Spirit, 7.16
“We are not content simply because this is the tradition of the Fathers. What is important is that the Fathers followed the meaning of the Scripture.”

Ambrose (340–397 A.D.)
On the Duties of the Clergy, 1:23:102
“For how can we adopt those things which we do not find in the holy Scriptures?”

St. Augustine (354–430)
De unitate ecclesiae, 10
“Neither dare one agree with catholic bishops if by chance they err in anything, but the result that their opinion is against the canonical Scriptures of God.”

Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274)
Summa Theologiae, Question 1, art. 8
“For our faith rests on the revelation made to the Prophets and Apostles who wrote the canonical books.”

If we follow that pattern we will not have to depend on INFERENCES which are no better than the INFERER

Offline 4WD

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Re: Drawing conclusions from inferences:
« Reply #3 on: Sun Sep 16, 2018 - 18:38:08 »
We are almost required to make some inferences if we are to understand the Scriptures or any other writings. Human language is just not all that exact in conveying all the meanings of the writer or speaker.
I believe that is true.  However we must always remember that none such inferences can be considered the word of God.  So long as one quotes from the Scriptures, then he can safely say that is the word of God.  But any comment, any inference drawn, any explanation given is no longer God's word but rather only those of the one making the comment, stating the inference or giving the explanation.  That is forgotten or ignored all to often.  To many times all the external explanation is presented as being God's word.  It is not.

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Re: Drawing conclusions from inferences:
« Reply #3 on: Sun Sep 16, 2018 - 18:38:08 »

Offline Norton

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Re: Drawing conclusions from inferences:
« Reply #4 on: Sun Sep 16, 2018 - 21:31:03 »
Kenneth

Many of the distinctives of the 20th Century Church of Christ came from men inferring the word "only" in several Biblical texts  An extreme example, that not many CofC ever really followed, is that Christians should contribute funds to the church only on Sunday.

 I think the argument went like this: "Paul said lay by in store on the first day of the week. Paul didn't say on the second day of the week, or the fifth day of the week. He said the first day of the week. To give your weekly contribution to the church on any other day of the week except on the first, is going beyond what Paul instructed."

The preachers who taught this fancied themselves as being super observant of the word. In reality, they were adding to the word.

Other inferences of like kind were: Observe the Lord's supper upon every and only on the first day of the week. Sing only without instruments. Only the apostles could confer the miraculous gifts of the Spirit. Only he that believes and is baptized will be saved. Baptism with the Spirit occurred only two times. The more onlys, always, and nevers that were inferred from the Bible, the more "conservative" a congregation became.

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Re: Drawing conclusions from inferences:
« Reply #4 on: Sun Sep 16, 2018 - 21:31:03 »

 

     
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