Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!usc!rutgers!aramis.rutgers.edu!athos.rutgers.edu!christian From: pmafire!geoff@uunet.uu.net (Geoff Allen) Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian Subject: Re: Throw logic to the wind Message-ID: Date: 22 Feb 90 09:24:27 GMT Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu Organization: WINCO Computer Engineering, INEL, Idaho Lines: 47 Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu jmoon@lehi3b15.csee.lehigh.edu (Jonggu Moon [890911]) writes: > > In the Bible it says "Lean not on your own understanding but >trust in the will of God" I forgot where it says it. And the moderator replies: >[May I suggest that you check your quotation? With so many >translations, it's very hard to prove that something isn't in the >Bible, but I looked through every occurence of "understanding" in the >RSV (easy enough since when I edit this group I have a computerized >Bible one keystroke away). All references are positive. From the New International Version: Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. --Proverbs 3:5-6 >... Throughout the historical books, many men are >praised as having understanding. The Psalms constantly pray for >understanding. Proverbs praises it many places. Paul praises it in >many letters. Agreed. The greatest commandment is to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength (Mark 12:30). I see Proverbs 3:5-6 dealing more with the issue of trusting God. For example, when God asked Abraham to sacrifice Isaac, his `own understanding' probably would have been that this was an absurd thing to do. Abraham's `own understanding' of how he could become a `father of multitudes' at an advanced age was flawed enough to lead him to father a child through Hagar. The disciples' `own understanding' was that for Jesus to die would be terrible. When God makes something clear, we should trust him rather than trying to use our own understanding. God's a lot smarter than I am, and I should be willing to trust him to know what he's talking about. That's how I see Proverbs 3:5-6. -- Geoff Allen \ Since we live by the Spirit, {uunet|bigtex}!pmafire!geoff \ let us keep in step with the Spirit. ucdavis!egg-id!pmafire!geoff \ -- Gal. 5:25 (NIV)