So you are saying the reader is the final authority? What is the use of God's word?
The Word (John 1:1-1:3) is the final authority. Translations have their shortcomings, as does language itself.
I am of the opinion that the Lord most certainly is aware of the limitations of language and can and does operate within our own understanding to overcome these limitations.
Even plain text can be read differently in a plethora of different ways in our fleshly mind. It is a useful tool certainly, but can experience "glitches".
We see in part. Certainly though we should be able to come to a reasonable consensus on "some" level.
That said, I do appreciate the KJV as a preferred translation but there are times with any translation where a "glitch" in my mind appears to occur and this is usually circumvented by consulting another translation, praying, and looking up the root word, and when that fails...utilizing the body for additional input, bearing in mind that they also have "glitches" and I need to look past them. Some "errors" take me years to see and I attribute this to maturity. As well as that each of us have a unique perspective, and our processes for growth function somewhat differently.
That's the general vibe I get from this thread and something I'm really struggling with as far as why there is so much disagreement that borders on dissention. I can't really see a way to create a thread about this... so maybe off topic, but I'm wondering how many here have direct experience with this issue?
I can theorize and postulate based off imagined scenarios and react to scenarios that others are faced with. I have noticed that while my view may be fully in line with scripture as I understand at my computer desk (or my bed, or in my car) and it seems so clear. When actually faced with this scenario personally (not by proxy) I have to engage it in a way that is impossible to replicate.
It's like some elements of scripture I've learned intellectually but not practically and once they are learned practically it ends up a bit different from what I thought...not too far off base, but more "living".
Even scriptural examples in the Old and New testament are them. They can help me formulate my response...but walking it out it always looks a bit different.
It seems this thread has included a lot of different "threads" and it's hard to react otherwise. Oh and I quoted you b/c of the KJV side trail which is often on my mind, but a lot of this about the general thread. I don't follow all of them, but this one has caught my interest.
Definitely learned a few things and sharpened a bit of my own understanding at least
