Scriptures

This is a collection of pages that list Scriptures on various issues and topics, with links to where there is further discussion.

Contents:

Book of Ruth - especially "Why was Ruth attracted to Hebrew culture?" Talk given at Main Street Community Church, UK, 22 October 2023 (pdf version)
Relevance of the Prophets of Israel Youtube presentation; Audio and transcript - as presented to Main Street Community Church, UK, 23rd February 2020.
Leviticus 26: Fruitfulness of the Nation of Israel - a sermon given 19th September 2021
Matthew 19:19, Leviticus 19:18 - on Loving Yourself as your Neighbour.
Psalm 51
Psalm 91 during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Jeremiah 45
Luke 9: 23-26, a challenge.
Romans 8
Romans Chapters 9-11

I take all Scripture as "God-breathed" and therefore authoritative, so none is to be set aside.
Sometimes the Holy Spirit might use pieces of Scripture to speak to one's heart. But that is the exception not the norm, and is usually for one person or group. These principles are about normal interpretation, relevant across many people.
I take all Scripture as written by various people within their culture, so varied.
Their culture is not my/our own culture, and therefore my/our understanding of it is always deficient.
However there are overlaps in understanding, therefore not totally deficient.
From Scripture, I learn a 'big' message: that "all have sinned" and "there is none good, no not one", including in our way of seeing things (worldview, culture), so my and others' interpretation will always be contaminated.
Therefore humility with continuous questioning of all interpretations both mine and others' including those of accepted 'authorities'.
Not questioning to reject but to better understand. And understand with 'heart' not just mind.
I expect surprises.
So my interpretation is: linguistic, at-face-value, pre-theoretical, cross-context, and uncovering presuppositions.

Linguistic: take into account not only the coding of meaning as symbols (words, phrases, etc.) but only the speaker's/writer's intentions in making the utterance that way - what some linguists call this pragmatics as well as semantics.
At-face-value: why did the writer write this way rather than another, and why did the speaker say this rather than something else?
Pre-theoretical: relationship to everyday world and life, both of the original setting and today.
Cross-context: look at themes and see how God treats these themes across a variety of contexts.
Presuppositions: uncover assumptions (about what the source take to be true) and presuppositions (about what the source takes to be meaningful) when writing or speaking. Also the assumptions and presuppositions of others who interpret the Scriptures now and before.
And maybe others.