Doctrines are not God… CS Lewis
Doctrines are not God: they are only a kind of map. But that map is based on the experience of hundreds of people who really were in touch with God.
CS Lewis, Mere Christianity Bk IV, Chap 1, para 4, p136We need regular reminder of the role presuppositions play in our interpretation (of scripture) and we must moderate our opinion with healthy doses of humility. Blomberg I Corinthians, NIVAC p 226
Traditional consensus, of course, is not inspired, but weighty arguments are needed to overthrow it. Craig Blomberg, I Corinthians, NIVAC p 211
Zerwick: In interpreting the sacred text… we must beware lest we sacrifice to clarity of meaning part of the fullness of the meaning.” Quoted in Harris NIGTC Commentary on I Corinthians p 419. In other words, there is some paradox or mystery…
Exegesis should control our theology, rather than our theology control our exegesis. Hoehner, Commentary on Ephesians
Here are some helpful thoughts from John Frame in his article: A Primer on Perspectivalism
God is infinite… he knows absolutely everything… we are finite, and our knowledge is finite. I can only know the world from the limited perspective of my own body and mind. The effects of this finitude, and even more of sin, should caution us against cocksureness in our claims to knowledge…
It often happens that someone’s idea will seem ridiculous when we first encounter it; but when we try to understand where that person is coming from, what considerations have led him to his idea, then our evaluation of it changes. In such a case, we are trying to see the issue from his perspective, and that perspective enriches our own…. It is possible for the perspectives of others to change our perspective, to make us see differently….
This does not mean, of course, that all ideas are equally true, or equally false. It does mean that as our perspective grows larger we inevitably agree with everybody else. I do think that often a broadening of perspective usually leads to a greater appreciation of the viewpoints of others.
In other words, the more we learn of God’s word the more humble we should become….
Thank you, Mr. Taylor, for this link. I fully agree that understanding the irrevocable influence perspective has on our view of the world is essential to forming not just effective communication skills, but also an intellectual humility (not to mention honesty). A few quotes that stood out to me:
“There is one truth, and each perspective is merely an angle from which that truth can be viewed.”
“So I think that perspectivalism is an encouragement to the unity of the church. Sometimes our divisions of theology and practice or differences of perspective, of balance, rather than differences over the essentials of faith. So perspectivalism will help us better to appreciate one another, and to appreciate the diversity of God’s work among us.”
I’m convinced that if we discuss perspectives without giving equal treatment to objects, we run the risk of breeding confusion. If we fully appreciate the perspective of another while neglecting the reality that raised the question in the first place, the wheels will come off our epistemological wagon –which is what we’re seeing as common place today (and why Frame writes, “Our finitude does not imply that all our knowledge is erroneous, or that certainty is impossible.”)
I’m really encouraged to see Dr. Frame avoid this and teach both perspectivalism and objectivism side-by-side.
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