I needed the fresh air after spending several hours trying to work out how to pre-empt A's arguments in bible study. (I'm calling the person A by the way!)
In the woods, just me and Toby - or sometimes just me - I argued brilliantly, and concisely, demolishing every statement A could come up with. Astounding everybody with my insight and articulation, and silencing A once and for all. Of course when it comes to it I will be the one stumbling and stuttering and in need of help from others.
The letter to the Hebrews is largely explaining why Jesus is superior to everything - the prophets, angels, the law etc - that came before, and uses Old Testament prophecies to back up these claims. Christians believe that Jesus fulfils all the prophecies; Jews don't do and are still waiting for the Messiah.
I have no idea where A is in their beliefs but up till now everything A has said suggests that A is with the Jews on this. Which makes it very difficult.
The whole study could be hi-jacked and turned into a Judaism Christianity debate - which I suppose is what Hebrews is - but it could upset lots of our regulars some of whom have already a tendency to snappiness with A. (As indeed I have myself but I'm battling it.) They will want to look at what is said about Jesus but they will be starting from a place of acceptance.
The thing is, if A is set on that particular line of thought nothing we say will convince them because it boils down to faith. I'd be the first admit that some of the prophecies being applied to Jesus are a bit of a stretch without a relationship with God, a trust and belief in Jesus, to carry you through it.
Hence the need for clearing my head.
And now I had planned cawl (Welsh lamb stew) and dumpling for dinner but I don't appear to have any suet. My mother-in-law made them without and they were always good but I think I'll put it off until tomorrow when I'll buy some suet. Can't go changing the habits of a lifetime can I?!
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| Here's winking at you, kid! |
4 comments:
Can't we all think out an argument quite clearly, then when confronted it goes out of our head. I presume you've looked up various exposés on Hebrews, but if not it might be worth it.. but then you're always going to get a know it all! Cawl without suet dumplings isn't cawl!
I wonder why A even bothers, really. If they're required to start from an acceptance they don't have, it sounds like a dead end. Maybe it's just a person who loves what they see as debate and other people see as obstruction.
That's often the kind of person, like the difficult student, who always shows up, too!
It sounds like from your past posts this is a group of Christians meeting to discuss various topics. Someone who doesn't come from a Christian background is probably just looking to stir things up.
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