Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Medina, Vincent" <VMedina AT cbcag.edu>]

I agree with you whole-heartedly.

G. Vincent Medina
Associate Professor
Central Bible College
Phone: 417 887-6559
Email: vmedina AT cbcag.edu


-----Original Message-----
From: b-hebrew-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org
[mailto:b-hebrew-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of Karl Randolph
Sent: Friday, July 08, 2005 4:55 PM
To: b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] RE-Dating Daniel

To all:

I am surprised at the response that a peripheral statement caused, one
that I did not dwell on precisely because 1) it is not central to the
discussions on this list and 2) there is too little data to make a
definitive statement, as also pointed out by Rolf Furuli.

I know which view I personally choose, but I recognize that it is rooted
in a particular philosophy/religion, therefore it should not be pushed
as normative on everybody on this list. Equally philosophic/religious
are views other than mine. As I wrote Yigal, I have no problem with
agreeing to disagree. Thus when I mention traditional dating in my
messages, I do so somewhat tongue in cheek, intended gently to remind
people that there are other views but not to push it.

Similarly, there are different definitions of inspiration. One is the
inspiration of the poet, musician or writer, that which inspires them to
create. There is the technical, theological definition based on a
philosophy that recognizes universal absolutes that are true for all
people whether they believe or agree with them or not, where God worked
through people to have them write documents that are true in all aspects
in the original autographs (of which today we  have only copies of
copies of copies with their copyist induced errors), accurate in all
details including history, science (watch out for figures of speech) and
theology. A third definition that I know of also found in neo-orthodox
theology, denies that there are universal absolutes and truths, that all
truths are equally true and valid. A book can be true even when
factually false in that it can explore and explain other truths. Thus
the Bible can be inspired by god and true even though full of factual
error and 
 pious fiction. Thus inspiration is not a discussion of absolute truth
as in the second definition above, rather it is a discussion on how god
can use the teachings in the Bible to illuminate truths in our lives
today. There may be other definitions for inspiration, but those are the
three I thought of off the top of my head.

I personally choose the second definition, as do others on this list,
but because it is peripheral for this list and it is
philosophically/religiously based, no one should push his view as
normative for everyone on this list. Because there are differing
understandings for inspiration, neither should anyone denigrate another
definition as wrong (though one may think so privately, as I do).

The reason the purpose for this list is so narrowly focused on the
language only, was to avoid theological flame wars for which there is no
resolution possible. As a result, I have tried to limit my
theological/philosophical statements to the context on how they may
influence our understanding of the Hebrew language and no more.

Karl W. Randolph.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Medina, Vincent" <VMedina AT cbcag.edu>

> 
> My response to you is the same as it was to Stoney. You may not share
my
> faith commitments and that is fine, but we do need to be sure we are
> talking about the same thing when we use the word "inspiration."
> 
> As for your assertion that my view of inspiration "has absolutely no
> value," that is an inflammatory statement, to say the least. Many
> Christians throughout the centuries have found a good deal of value in
> just such a belief. On the other hand, a view of inspiration that
> disregards the historical is in some ways like the Cheshire cat--all
> smile and no cat!:)
> 
> G. Vincent Medina
> Associate Professor
> Central Bible College
> Phone: 417 887-6559
> Email: vmedina AT cbcag.edu

-- 
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