Anti-Prooftexting 8/21/06
Ever wondered why modern scholars are against proof texting? Do they have a valid point? I haven’t read in depth about the reasoning behind this and so what follows is simply my thoughts. I hope I’m not simply building straw men, but if so it will be a handsome one.
While it is true that you can’t isolate one text out of the Bible and use it to prove a certain issue without looking at the context and such of the verse, it seems to me that proof texting is still a valid practice. For if you determine that a certain text has a given meaning within its given context; that verse, by authority of its inspiration, can and may be quoted to prove a point. Don’t forget, that verse is part of the context! Didn’t Paul and other N.T. writers use “proof texts” from the writings of the prophets and elsewhere? Doesn’t Jesus quote scriptures to prove a point? Why then are we afraid of using them? Is it perhaps because scholars have distrust in the actual reliability of any given verse and therefore are afraid to draw out one verse because of their prejudice that it can’t possibly mean what it says?
Heres another thought to ponder, why is it that often times when a scholar cleverly presents his arguments that the general public would lean towards the understandings of this scholar and put trust in him before putting trust in the Bible. Why don’t we question the scholar before we question the Bible? In my mind scholars are less trustworthy than the Bible because if you look into the world view of some of them you might be shocked. So why make that statement you ask? What does it matter about the scholars world view? The reason is that almost no one writes completely unbiased work. Everyone has pre-suppositions. So, it is dangerous to trust the work of a scholar on the Old Testament who pre-supposes that the Bible is false. His pre-supposition will color his understanding and his writing on the subject. Then we have other logically absurd ideas like the Israelites crossing the red sea in two inches of water or Jesus walking on ice.
Today I heard an intersting quote: "Some people make complex things simple and others make simple things complex... the latter is scholarship." Thats all folks.
2 comments:
"We could call it Steve...it's a pretty name." Good show, I think you've made a valid point. And you laughed at me for thinking out loud... hehe No wonder I've lost every argument we've had so far.
Keep up the good work :)
I think the thing scholars are against in proof-texting is the taking scripture out of context, therefore it has gotten a bad name. I agree with what you have written, and it is very well stated.
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