Tapsearch Com EditorReading Scripture and the Imitation of Christ
November 12th 2009 19:19
A response to The First Book, Chapter 5, Read the Holy Scripture from The Imitation of Christ by Thomas A Kempis
There were times in my life where I gave up trying to interpret scripture. An objective real analysis seemed to be impossible. I attended prayer meetings with others in their homes and got up an left the room when hot debates started about a certain passage.
During this time, I chose to "pray" the scriptures. I took in the words and let them come out in the challenges of the daily living. I let the sciptures "pray" in me for the proper application of the truth.
Thomas A Kempis , tells us to read the holy scriptures. He says,
Truth is to be sought and not eloquence. Holy Scripture should be read with the same spirit as it was originally written. We should search for how it applys to us in our times rather than the search into the words distinctions. I recall how some Jesuits spent years on just one page in the Bible for its real meaning and in the setting it was written. I thought it was a good thing to do academically to gain the ultimate understanding but in the active life, a person does not have this time to pursue it by themselves.
Kempis says we should read devout and simple books as willingly as the high and profound. We should let love take over and let it draw us to read. This should be the priority rather than searching out the authority and if the writer is of great or small learning. Kempis says we should not search out who spoke this or that, but to draw out the truth and live it. Men pass away, but " the truth of the Lord endures forever" (Ps. 117.2).
God will speak to us in many ways without respect of persons. ( Rom 2:11;10:12 ).
They say curiosity killed the cat. Our curiosity can block us from the true understanding of a passage. We need to keep reminding ourselves everything begins and ends in love.
We have the traditions and teaching of the elders who went before us. We can sense the words of holy men and women as being holy. We can accept certain passages this way without taking years to do it ourselves.
To get the best results for daily living, we should read the Bible with humility, simplicity and faithfulness rather than desire the reputation of learning and being an expert. We all are wanderers from another place seeking our way back home. Each of us have our own destiny and again Love is first in the Bible and the way we percieve it. For me , I will let others invest the needed time to get at the core of this or that. I rather "pray" in the power of the scripture than be able to define everything. I rather have the power of love in me than knowing how to get it. I can invite the Holy Spirit into me to discern the things that need to be in me to live out my life in Jesus's Love. The Holy Spirit will show me the way. The Holy Spirit is there to celebrate and show me what Jesus did for me.
By Ray Tapajna - and the world of Tapsearch Com links
There were times in my life where I gave up trying to interpret scripture. An objective real analysis seemed to be impossible. I attended prayer meetings with others in their homes and got up an left the room when hot debates started about a certain passage.
During this time, I chose to "pray" the scriptures. I took in the words and let them come out in the challenges of the daily living. I let the sciptures "pray" in me for the proper application of the truth.
Thomas A Kempis , tells us to read the holy scriptures. He says,
Truth is to be sought and not eloquence. Holy Scripture should be read with the same spirit as it was originally written. We should search for how it applys to us in our times rather than the search into the words distinctions. I recall how some Jesuits spent years on just one page in the Bible for its real meaning and in the setting it was written. I thought it was a good thing to do academically to gain the ultimate understanding but in the active life, a person does not have this time to pursue it by themselves.
Kempis says we should read devout and simple books as willingly as the high and profound. We should let love take over and let it draw us to read. This should be the priority rather than searching out the authority and if the writer is of great or small learning. Kempis says we should not search out who spoke this or that, but to draw out the truth and live it. Men pass away, but " the truth of the Lord endures forever" (Ps. 117.2).
God will speak to us in many ways without respect of persons. ( Rom 2:11;10:12 ).
They say curiosity killed the cat. Our curiosity can block us from the true understanding of a passage. We need to keep reminding ourselves everything begins and ends in love.
We have the traditions and teaching of the elders who went before us. We can sense the words of holy men and women as being holy. We can accept certain passages this way without taking years to do it ourselves.
To get the best results for daily living, we should read the Bible with humility, simplicity and faithfulness rather than desire the reputation of learning and being an expert. We all are wanderers from another place seeking our way back home. Each of us have our own destiny and again Love is first in the Bible and the way we percieve it. For me , I will let others invest the needed time to get at the core of this or that. I rather "pray" in the power of the scripture than be able to define everything. I rather have the power of love in me than knowing how to get it. I can invite the Holy Spirit into me to discern the things that need to be in me to live out my life in Jesus's Love. The Holy Spirit will show me the way. The Holy Spirit is there to celebrate and show me what Jesus did for me.
By Ray Tapajna - and the world of Tapsearch Com links
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