Nov. 23, 2024

Christianity and Reading Comprehension

Christianity and Reading Comprehension

A look at the importance of reading comprehension in bible interpretation

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A look at the importance of reading comprehension in bible interpretation

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Looking at our world from a theological perspective. This is

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the Theology Central podcast making Theology Central. Good afternoon everyone.

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It is Saturday, November the twenty third, twenty twenty four.

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It is currently twelve fifty two pm Central Time, and

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I am coming to you live from the Theology Central

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studio located right here in Abilene, Texas. Well. It is Saturday,

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and if you've been listening to me for any lengthen

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to any length of time, you know that I can't talk.

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Let me try that again. It is Saturday. And if

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you've been listening to me for any length of time,

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you know that on Saturdays I have a tendency to

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maybe talk about things related to hermeneutics, the church, Bible interpretation, preaching. Now,

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I know those topics show up all the time, but

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on Saturday they tend to show up because a lot

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of a lot of the time I'm thinking about that.

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So it is Saturday, so just think about this. It

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will not be very long before people will wrap up

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their Saturday evening, their Saturday night. They will go to sleep,

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they will wake up tomorrow right, they'll get up, they'll

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get ready, they'll have some food, they'll get in a

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car and they will drive to a church and then

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they will sit down, depending on the type of seating,

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some type of seating in their church, and they will

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take their Bible. They will open it. This will happen

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in Sunday school classes. This will happen in the mean

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sanctuary for preaching, maybe for two plus hours. They will

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hear people teach the Bible and preach the Bible, and

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they're going to have their bibles open. They're going to

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be looking and guess what they're going to be doing

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as they listen to these sermons and listen to this teaching.

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They are going to be making some kind of determination

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of whether the preaching is right or wrong, true or false,

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good or bad. They're going to be listening to how

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the scriptures are interpreted, and they're going to be determining,

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well whether they agree or disagree. And then when church

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is over, they'll get Now they may they may even

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start expressing themselves in church or in Sunday school. They

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may start expressing their interpretation. Maybe they will, maybe they

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will not, But in their car and the way home,

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there's a high probability, well, I don't agree with this,

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I disagree with this. I agree with this, I disagree

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with this, I will agree with this. Maybe they will

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go home and talk about it. But at some point

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they are going to give their opinion and their critique

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of what was preached. They're going to determine whether it

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was true or false. Now here's the question. Their ability

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to critique, their ability to agree or disagree with the sermon.

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Is it dependent upon something that most of us may

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not give much thought to. In fact, in most churches,

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nobody says, well, wait, wait, wait, wait, before you critique,

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before you disagree, before you judge, before you do anything,

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we have to determine what your skill is, what your

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skill level is in this particular thing. I don't think that.

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The churches don't say that. The churches don't say when

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to wait a minute, guys, before you try to interpret

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the Bible, critique the Bible, judge the Bible, judge preaching,

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critique preaching, before you do anything, we have to be

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able to determine how well you do this one thing.

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Churches don't do that because the assumption, especially in the

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non Catholic Protestant world, is that every Christian not only

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possesses the ability, but possesses the authority to read, interpret,

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and judge preaching. But does that work, especially when even

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society right now is acknowledging we may have a problem

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and an area that I think is pretty critical to

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this entire endeavor of biblical interpretation, this entire endeavor of

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Bible study or hermoneutics. I think that this is a

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very important thing. But society right now is like, hey,

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we've got a problem, a problem. In fact, just this

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week a podcast was discussing this problem, and this is

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how they began their discussion.

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I'm Beth McMurtry, and I'm a senior writer at the

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Chronicle of Higher Education.

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Okay, you're a senior writer, but we're here to talk

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to you about reading. Why are we talking to you

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about reading? What's going on with reading?

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Or sorry?

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Are we starting?

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Are we You're just this is it?

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Yeah, it's so casual.

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Well, there's a lot.

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That's going on with reading. When it comes to reading.

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One of the things that I've been hearing a lot

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from a lot of different faculty members is that students

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simply aren't doing the reading. A lot of professors are

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finding that if they assign anything that's more than five

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or ten pages long, students tell them that they can't

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do it, that they get distracted, that they get exhausted,

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that they get lost in the reading, and then they

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just give up. Another element to this too, though, and

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one I think that is the most alarming to professors,

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is that students are coming to college lacking critical reading skills.

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They might be asked to summarize what they've read, and

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they fundamentally change the meaning of it. They can't summarize it.

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They might be asked to compare and contrast to readings,

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and they simply can't do it.

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Did you hear that students who arrive at college now

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they have a hard time being able to talk about,

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to summarize, to explain what they're In many cases, they

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fundamentally change the meaning of what they have read. They

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can't they can't just simply read it and explain it

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or summarize it or even maybe comprehend it, because they

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fundamentally change the meaning. Meaning that there is a problem

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with the younger generation that's moving forward right that's entering

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into college in college, and this problem has been going

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on for a while. So these are people, some of

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these people have already left college. They just fundamentally can't

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read and comprehend what they're reading. They just can't do it.

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If it's too long, they get confused, they change the

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meaning of it, they don't understand, they don't like the reading,

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they don't want to do the reading. There's a problem

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in the United States of America when it comes to

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reading and reading comprehension. Let's listen. Let's let's listen to

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just a little bit more of this.

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It's a fascinating phenomenon that we're facing. Because, yes, we

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assume that by the time you get to call, you

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know how to read. Obviously, people can still pick up

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a book or an article and get the gist of it.

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But what we're talking about now is like reading a

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dense or complicated or lengthy article or a textbook or novel.

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That's what seems to have been feeding with this generation.

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Now, did you hear that we assume when they reach

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college they should be able to do this. I believe

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the church either there's something going on in the church.

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The church either just assumes that every single person in

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the pew that they can read, comprehend, and interpret, that

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they have the skills, they have the reading ability, they

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have the reading comprehension ability, that they can do it,

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or and I think that this is even worse. I

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think most churches and most Christians that carry this idea

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that oh, no, see, when you become a Christian, you

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have now supernatural ability. God's going to help you understand.

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God's going to help you interpret, the Holy Spirit's going

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to lead you in your interpretation. So they believe the

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reason that most of those Christians can do it is

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because they either believe they just assume that everyone can

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read and comprehend, or they believe God himself is empowering

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them to do so. So there's some major assumptions going

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on in church. But the culture is like, we've got

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a problem. We've got a reading problem, we've got a

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reading comprehension problem. And that podcast that's an episode that

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was released this week. But let me tell you this

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problem has been discussed countless times and publications, articles, essays,

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you name it, studies. They're like, we've got a reading problem.

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We've got a reading problem. We've got a reading problem.

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And I'm going to mayor's going to be my entire

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perspective here. You ready, if there is a reading problem

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outside of the church, then there is a reading problem

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inside the church. And if the people inside the church

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lack reading skills, reading comprehension skills, then you know what

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you end up within the church and interpretation problem. If

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there is a reading skill, reading comprehension problem, there will

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be a Bible interpretation problem, because your ability to interpret

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the Bible is absolutely dependent upon your ability to read.

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That is an but nobody in the church ever wants

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to address this issue. But we're going to have to

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talk about it. We're gonna take some steps. Let's listen

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to just a little bit more here.

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And so I take it, a class that might require

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students to read what four or five books isn't functioning

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the way it used to do when I was in college

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fifteen years ago.

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You know, I think you would if you went into

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a college classroom today, or you looked at a college syllabus,

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you would probably be surprised at how little reading is assigned.

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I mean, professors understand that they have to kind of

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meet students where they are. They understand that if students

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are not doing the reading, they have to change things

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up otherwise they will have a really bad class session

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and they will have students who simply aren't doing the work.

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So what I've been hearing from professors is, you know,

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maybe fifteen years ago they assigned five novels and today

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they're assigning one. Or they may be eliminating academic articles altogether,

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those really dense academic articles that we all struggled with

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and students simply can't read them.

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Reading research articles, maybe a different type of reading than

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you are used to. This tutorial will help you create

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a strategy for reading and understanding this type of information.

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That's crazy. They just can't comprehend it if it's a

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dense academic type artor they just can't do it. Well,

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what do you, ladies and gentlemen if they can't do that?

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When those individuals are sitting in the pew and they're

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supposed to be the ones who who hear the sermon,

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listen to the Bible being taught, and then, according to

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the non Catholic tradition, they're supposed to then say, well,

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this is true and this is false. Well, how can

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they say this is true or this is false? How

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can they critique? How can they judge the preaching when

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it's required to understand the Bible? And I'm sorry, I

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don't care how many times Protestants want to run around

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and claim, well, the Bible can be easily understood. The Bible,

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this is a dense, complicated piece of literature. It's a

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it's a complicated written text. It uses different genres, it

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uses all the different things going on. How to interpret it?

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Give me a break. And if people can't understand certain things,

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but they the Church, which just assumes it doesn't matter.

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You can just read it. You can just read it.

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And we always try to act like, oh, it's easily

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understood by anyone. We love to play that card. Christians

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love to say that that's just not true. If the

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text is that easy to understand, then someone please explain

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to me why we can't agree on any interpretation. There's

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thousands of different groups with all different kinds of competing

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and contradictory interpretations. If the text is that easy to understand,

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then this would not be the reality. The reality would be, Oh,

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that text is easy to understand. The Presbyterians agree with

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the Baptist. The Baptists agree with the Church christ Church

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Christ agrees with the Charismatics. Charismatics agree with the Lutherans.

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I mean, it would be just basic understanding because the

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text is so easily understood. Clearly, the text is not

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so easily understood. So the church loves to play down

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the complication of the how complicated the time is. The

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church loves to play that down. It loves to pretend

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that everyone has some now supernatural divine power to interpret,

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and nobody wants to bother to explain or at least consider. Well,

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wait a minute, wait a minute. If we have people

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who can't read and comprehend what they read and they

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may fundamentally change the meaning of what they're reading, ladies

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and gentlemen, that's that's a disaster for the church. That's

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a disaster for the church. And in some ways I

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want to kick myself because we constantly heard all of

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the conversations about we've got a problem. You know, why

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is Johnny graduating from high school and he can't read?

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Why is so and so graduating from college and he

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can't read? There was all these discussions and articles. A

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lot of times it became political talking points. Oh, we're

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going to do this in education. We're gonna do this

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in education because our kids can't read. And we heard

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all of these discussions. Well, all of this was going on.

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Everyone in the church was just good, was just business

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as usual. Come to church, open your Bible, I'll preach,

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and of course you get to make the decision of

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whether it's right or wrong. And nobody's like, wait a minute,

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to out tom out. If Johnny can't read, if people

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are graduating from high school and college and they can't read,

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maybe maybe maybe instead of yelling and screaming about this

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from a political standpoint, we need to look at this

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from a church standpoint. Guys, if you can't read and

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can't comprehend what you're reading, then stop trying to interpret

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the Bible, stop critiquing, preaching, stop it. What you need

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to do is go back and take basic reading courses

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reading comprehension courses. In fact, what the church needs to

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do is give tests on reading and reading comprehension, and

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if people can't score a certain level, they should have

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no business interpreting the Bible or even pretending that they

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know what it says. Now, see to say that sounds

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crazy in the ears of most Christians, but it's just

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a logical well, it should be just a logical conclusion.

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To interpret the Bible requires your ability to read it

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and comprehend it. So then you're a reading ability and

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you're reading comprehension ability. It's key, the most key thing

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to biblical hermoneutics. You say, what is the most important

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thing when it comes to biblical hermeneutics? Your ability to

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read and you're reading comprehension level. That's first before anything else.

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That's it. Now. I don't think the average creer walk

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around church now. I always say this, Nobody ever does

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it walk around with a clipboard and ask people what's

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you're reading comprehension level? What was the last time it

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was tested? Do you think you still have that same

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reading comprehension level? Do you have? You if I was

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to give you this work or this novel, or this

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book or this book or this book, or I give

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you this academic journal, could you go home and read

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it and bring me back and act victual interpretation explanation

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and you can demonstrate understanding of it. Because if you

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can't understand this, then you shouldn't be doing anything with

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the Bible. I know that sounds like a radical thought,

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but I don't think it is. And I think that

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this is a fundamental problem. Are you ready for this?

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Primarily in the Protestant world? So what we're gonna do.

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Let's get to this whole reading comprehension thing, but let's

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show you why this is primarily a non Catholic Protestant problem.

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This is an issue if you're not a Catholic, if

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you are a non Catholic, Ladies and gentlemen, this is

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a major issue for you, and it should be a

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major issue for your church. But trust me, no church

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is gonna even care about this, right because, oh, this

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drives me crazy. So let's let's start here. I'm gonna

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I'm gonna set my Bible aside and I'm gonna pick

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up a different book. All right, We're gonna talk about

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what's in this book in just a second, but before

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let me kind of set this up. So we want

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to get to reading reading comprehension and how this impacts

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Bible interpretation. But we're gonna we have to systematically get

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there because if you're a non Catholic, it's an issue.

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And here's the reason why. And the Protestant non Catholic

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Christianity there is no magisterial authority, there is no magisterium

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and a non Catholic Christianity reality, there is no true

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church authority. I know Christians will say, no, pastors have authority,

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church has authority. Just stop that nonsense. If you're a

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non Catholic, you can pretend all day the church has

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some authority. You know it's not true. I know it's

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not true. Everyone knows it's not true. It's just something

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we say because in no functional way does it really

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have authority. The end of let me stress that the

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individual and non Catholic Christianity is understood to not only

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have the ability, but the authority to interpret the Bible

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and judge the preaching. They are seen as being. Not

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only that, they have a responsibility to try to determine

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if what is preached is true or false. If they

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feel it's wrong, they can leave the church and possibly

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attempt to have the pastor fired or removed, or they

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can just go start another church. Now, in non Catholic Christianity,

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we say, and everyone says, that the scriptures are the

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final authority. But in a real practical way and a

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real functional way, it's the individual and they're in interpretation.

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That is the real authority. That I cannot stress that.

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I think that that's the way it functions, That's the

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way it really works. Now, if we were to look

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into the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Let me show

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you their approach. Catechism of the Catholic Church, page thirty nine.

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I'll start in paragraph eighty four. All right, this is

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in a section entitled the Interpretation of the Heritage of Faith,

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paragraph eighty four. The apostles entrusted the sacred deposit of

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the faith. That's what it's called, the sacred deposit of

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the faith. And this is sacred scripture and tradition, and

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they entrusted this to the whole of the Church. So

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in the Catholic way of thinking, the sacred scripture, tradition

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that is given to the church. All right, Now, in

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a non Catholic Protestant world, we kind of seem to

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look at it. It was given to the individual. We

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kind of focus on the individual. Now, they go on

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to say, by adhering to this heritage, the entire Holy People,

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united to its pastors, remain always faithful to the teaching

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of the Apostles, to the brotherhood, to the breaking of bread,

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and to the prayers. So in maintaining, practicing and professing

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the faith that has been handed on, there should be

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a remarkable harmony between the bishops and the faithful. So

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the way it should work is the bishops, the spiritual leaders,

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and the church members. There should be unity. There should

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be why because this was all the sacred deposit was

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given to the church, and the church now has this

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leadership which is supposed to interpret the sacred deposit, and

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the faithful are supposed to be submit and follow it.

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So in their system you have truth given to the church.

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The Church has the authority to interpret that truth, and

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the faithful submits to the church. Therefore there should be unity.

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The next paragraph is para, paragraph eighty five, and heading

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of it is the Magisterium of the Church. Paragraph eighty five.

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The task of giving an authentic interpretation of the Word

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of God, whether in its written form or in the

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form of tradition, has been entrusted to the living teaching

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office of the Church alone. Now that's the Catholic system.

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Let me read that to you again. The task of

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giving an authentic interpretation of the Word of God, whether

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in its written form or in the form of tradition,

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has been entrusted to the living teaching office of the

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Church alone. It's the church. They have the authority them

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alone to offer an authentic interpretation of the Word of God,

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or to the authentic interpretation of both tradition and the

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Word of God. They have the authority. Now in the

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non Catholic world, we say absolutely not, you don't have

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the authority. And what do we say, Look, I don't

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care how we want to try to make it sound nice.

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What we say is I have the authority me as

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an individual. It's God's word for me. I get to

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read it, and then I get to judge the church.

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I get to determine if that church is true, or

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that pastor is true, or that pastor is true. I

359
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get to judge. I have the authority. I have the

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responsibility as the individual to interpret the Word of God

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and then critique and judge, and just go listen to

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any group of non Catholics. They'll be like, this pastor

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is wrong, this pastor is an idiot, he's wrong, he's

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a heretic. Just get on get on YouTube, listen to

365
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Christian podcasts, listen to preachers. Preachers will say this preacher

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is wrong, and that preacher will say that preacher is wrong,

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and then the people in the comment section will say

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they're both wrong. I'm right because it's individual, individual, individual,

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individual individual. The Church doesn't have the authority, There is

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no magisterial authority. That authority, now in the non Catholic mindset,

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has been given to the individual. Let me read this

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entire paragraph again. The task of giving an authentic interpretation

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of the Word of God, whether in its written form

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or in the form of tradition, has been entrusted to

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the living teaching office of the Church alone. It's authority

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in this matter is exercised in the name of Jesus Christ.

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This means that the task of interpretation has been entrusted

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to the bishops the Communion, in communion with the successor

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of Peter, the Bishop of Rome. And if we turn

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the page, then we go to page eighty or not

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page eighty eight, paragraph eighty eight, we read this. The

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Church's magisterium exercises the authority it holds from Christ to

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the fullest extent when it defines dogmas. That is, when

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it proposes in a form obliging the Christian people to

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an irre Basically, they have to. They have no choice

386
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but to adhere to the dogma. It's irrecable, it's irre, irreversible.

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They it cannot be changed. It has to be adhered to,

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all right, then, and they have to adhere to these

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truths contained in divine revelation or when it proposes a

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definitive way truths having a necessary connection with these. Basically,

391
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it's the church who defines dogma, and when it defines dogma,

392
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it's irrevocable. You can't change it. You have to follow it.

393
00:25:01.599 --> 00:25:05.559
It's the church who interprets. It's the church who defined.

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So in the Catholic system, the church interprets, and then

395
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the church defines what the dogma is, and then you,

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as the faithful, you have to follow and submit to it.

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Now there's a lot more there. I kind of paraphrase

398
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some of that, but you get the basic idea. That's

399
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from the Catholic Catechism. That's the Catholic system. That's the

400
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Catholic system. Now, non Catholics, we rejected. No magisterial authority.

401
00:25:32.160 --> 00:25:37.759
The church does not have the authority. No, the individual does. Remember,

402
00:25:37.960 --> 00:25:42.079
the entire Protestant Reformation wasn't one church fighting another church.

403
00:25:42.720 --> 00:25:45.839
It was one man saying the church is wrong, and

404
00:25:45.880 --> 00:25:48.160
then everyone was like, yeah, the church is wrong. And

405
00:25:48.160 --> 00:25:50.839
then what happened. Then they're like, well, Luther you're wrong.

406
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And then people are like, no, you're wrong, and then

407
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you're wrong. And then this group formed, and this group formed,

408
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and this group form and this group said that group

409
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is wrong, and then well it's not stopped since then.

410
00:26:04.519 --> 00:26:14.400
Now within non Catholic Christianity, there's this affirmation, there's this cry,

411
00:26:14.559 --> 00:26:17.279
this this is almost a cliche at this point where

412
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we say scripture alone, sola scriptra, and this is where

413
00:26:23.519 --> 00:26:27.279
we claim that the Scripture is the final and ultimate

414
00:26:27.319 --> 00:26:32.119
authority and matters of faith and practice. You've probably have

415
00:26:32.160 --> 00:26:36.839
heard that the Bible is the final authority in faith

416
00:26:37.519 --> 00:26:44.640
and practice. Now, the practical outworking of this idea of

417
00:26:44.799 --> 00:26:53.720
sola scriptra often the majority of the time, all the time,

418
00:26:54.079 --> 00:26:58.839
it shifts the authority really to the individual interpreter. We

419
00:26:58.880 --> 00:27:03.240
say scripture is the authority, but really your interpretation becomes

420
00:27:03.240 --> 00:27:08.960
the final authority. My interpretation becomes the final authority. Let's

421
00:27:09.000 --> 00:27:12.440
let's let's see how this this shape takes shape. Let's

422
00:27:12.480 --> 00:27:18.440
see how this would break down scripture as the final authority. Again,

423
00:27:18.480 --> 00:27:21.119
that's kind of the rallying cry, that's kind of the

424
00:27:21.200 --> 00:27:23.839
battle cry. That's kind of it's almost a cliche. It's

425
00:27:23.920 --> 00:27:28.559
kind of a slogan. That's the that's the concept. The

426
00:27:28.599 --> 00:27:32.680
scripture is the final authority. But in I think it's

427
00:27:32.720 --> 00:27:39.079
only in theory. Sola scriptura in theory holds that the

428
00:27:39.079 --> 00:27:43.759
Bible alone is the ultimate authority, not a magisterium or

429
00:27:43.799 --> 00:27:49.720
a church or tradition. Now, this principle arose primarily during

430
00:27:49.720 --> 00:27:52.960
the Reformation as a rejection of what reformers saw is

431
00:27:53.000 --> 00:27:56.799
the overreach of the Roman Catholic Church's magisterium. Hey, the

432
00:27:57.160 --> 00:28:00.119
and the and and the Reformation. They're like, hey, the

433
00:27:59.640 --> 00:28:03.400
magic it's exercising too much authority. It has too much authority.

434
00:28:03.480 --> 00:28:07.160
It's an overreach. We've got to push back. Sola scripta,

435
00:28:07.839 --> 00:28:11.720
the scriptures are the authority. In theory, it sounds good.

436
00:28:12.079 --> 00:28:17.799
The scriptures are the authority, not the Church. So scripture

437
00:28:17.839 --> 00:28:22.799
is the final authority. I think in theory it sounds good, right,

438
00:28:23.119 --> 00:28:27.319
the Bible, not the pope, the Bible not the Church.

439
00:28:27.599 --> 00:28:31.640
The Bible not the magisterium. Everyone will say amen to that.

440
00:28:31.720 --> 00:28:35.319
Everybody will like, hey, that sounds so good. But here's

441
00:28:35.359 --> 00:28:41.279
the problem where you have this slogan scriptura, this idea

442
00:28:41.279 --> 00:28:43.839
of scripture alone. It sounds good as a theory, but

443
00:28:43.920 --> 00:28:47.680
here's what happens. You have the slogan, you have the theory,

444
00:28:47.880 --> 00:28:48.680
but then you have.

445
00:28:51.359 --> 00:28:51.880
Us.

446
00:28:53.119 --> 00:29:01.160
We step in and within Protestantism it emphasizes what is

447
00:29:01.200 --> 00:29:05.160
known as the priesthood of all believers based off one

448
00:29:05.359 --> 00:29:12.359
Peter two nine, and this seems to imply that every

449
00:29:12.599 --> 00:29:19.039
Christian has access to the scriptures and the Holy Spirit

450
00:29:19.319 --> 00:29:27.200
that supposedly guides their understanding. This almost kind of a

451
00:29:27.359 --> 00:29:34.599
democratic approach, This democratization of the Bible. Well, it kind

452
00:29:34.599 --> 00:29:40.759
of leads to, well, it grants individuals responsibility to discern

453
00:29:40.839 --> 00:29:44.759
things and discern truth and discern error and teaching. So

454
00:29:44.839 --> 00:29:47.960
basically it goes to hey, sola scripture. But at the

455
00:29:47.960 --> 00:29:50.599
same time, it's like, wait, the priesthood of all believers.

456
00:29:50.799 --> 00:29:54.480
Every believer has the authority, and every believer has the

457
00:29:54.640 --> 00:29:58.359
power and the ability to interpret the truth and interpret

458
00:29:58.599 --> 00:30:01.839
error and to know true the falsehood because we not

459
00:30:01.880 --> 00:30:04.400
only do we have the authority because we are a priest,

460
00:30:04.880 --> 00:30:09.440
but we also have the Holy Spirit and dwelling us,

461
00:30:09.480 --> 00:30:12.839
guiding us and lighting us. Teaching us is the way

462
00:30:12.839 --> 00:30:15.799
it would be taught. So we don't need the church,

463
00:30:16.119 --> 00:30:18.640
you just need you as the individual. Now we'll say, well,

464
00:30:18.680 --> 00:30:20.640
we still need the church, and we still need gifted

465
00:30:20.640 --> 00:30:23.279
teachers because God gave them to the church. We can

466
00:30:23.359 --> 00:30:26.960
say that all day, but in reality, if the individual

467
00:30:27.079 --> 00:30:30.319
has the authority and has the ability to interpret the

468
00:30:30.359 --> 00:30:33.799
Bible for themselves, you can you can get paid lip

469
00:30:33.880 --> 00:30:36.200
service that well, no, no, no, we need the church.

470
00:30:36.440 --> 00:30:39.720
You can say that, but who then judges what is preached?

471
00:30:39.920 --> 00:30:41.920
It's the people in the pew. And if the people

472
00:30:41.960 --> 00:30:44.119
in the pew are supposed to be the one judging

473
00:30:44.160 --> 00:30:47.599
what is preached, then the people in the pew don't

474
00:30:47.599 --> 00:30:49.599
really need the people who are preaching, since they're the

475
00:30:49.599 --> 00:30:53.759
one judging them. Right, You can't say, the people in

476
00:30:53.799 --> 00:30:56.599
the pew you need these teachers, but you're supposed to

477
00:30:56.720 --> 00:30:58.799
judge these teachers. Well, and bay ba, I'm supposed to

478
00:30:58.880 --> 00:31:02.319
judge these teachers. I don't need them because I'm the

479
00:31:02.359 --> 00:31:08.200
one who's judging, so I'm really the one in the authority.

480
00:31:08.880 --> 00:31:13.319
It becomes this kind of nonsensical system. So we have

481
00:31:13.440 --> 00:31:16.680
Scripture as final authority, we have the role of the individual.

482
00:31:16.720 --> 00:31:19.240
Then and then everything begins to fall apart, which then

483
00:31:19.359 --> 00:31:23.079
leads to well, what is the practical authority? Does this

484
00:31:23.200 --> 00:31:27.200
not lead to the practical authority of the individual. See

485
00:31:27.200 --> 00:31:32.920
in practice, not in theory, but in practice, the individual

486
00:31:33.000 --> 00:31:37.279
Christian becomes the functional authority because they decide whether they

487
00:31:37.359 --> 00:31:40.319
agree with the sermon or doctrine. They decide whether to

488
00:31:40.359 --> 00:31:43.240
remain a part of a particular church or leave, and

489
00:31:43.400 --> 00:31:45.799
they decide whether a pastor or a teacher is faithful

490
00:31:45.799 --> 00:31:52.000
to scripture. They make those decisions. Every individual does, Hey,

491
00:31:52.079 --> 00:31:54.880
I agree with that sermon er. I don't agree. Hey,

492
00:31:54.960 --> 00:31:56.680
I'm gonna stay in this church or I'm gonna leave

493
00:31:56.720 --> 00:31:59.240
this church, and I believe that pastor or teacher is

494
00:31:59.279 --> 00:32:03.240
faithful not faithful to the scripture. If they disagree, what

495
00:32:03.279 --> 00:32:03.680
do they do?

496
00:32:03.799 --> 00:32:03.960
Well?

497
00:32:04.000 --> 00:32:06.880
They leave, they find a new church. They may even

498
00:32:06.960 --> 00:32:10.480
start in their own church, which has led to the

499
00:32:10.759 --> 00:32:17.799
increasing numbers of denominations and independent churches. So, in a

500
00:32:18.079 --> 00:32:23.559
practical way, the individual, because we have replaced the magisterium,

501
00:32:23.759 --> 00:32:26.359
and you can see it this way, we've replaced one

502
00:32:26.519 --> 00:32:33.279
pope with millions of popes. Every individual is their own magisterium,

503
00:32:33.559 --> 00:32:36.759
their own pope, and they get to determine what it's

504
00:32:36.799 --> 00:32:39.279
true or false. Now you can see now why in

505
00:32:39.359 --> 00:32:43.920
our system, why reading and reading comprehension now becomes more

506
00:32:43.960 --> 00:32:46.880
important than in any other system, because if the individual

507
00:32:46.960 --> 00:32:49.880
is going to be read, is going to be judging

508
00:32:49.920 --> 00:32:52.680
and making these determinations, then they have to be able

509
00:32:52.680 --> 00:32:55.920
to demonstrate that they have the reading ability and the

510
00:32:55.960 --> 00:32:59.240
reading level and the reading comprehension level in order to

511
00:32:59.279 --> 00:33:02.519
pull this off, or it's all just fraudulent. Now, the

512
00:33:02.559 --> 00:33:04.960
way Protestants get around as we go with the Holy

513
00:33:05.000 --> 00:33:07.519
Spirit gives me the power the Holy Spirit helps me understand,

514
00:33:07.559 --> 00:33:10.240
which I think is the most fraudulent claim that you

515
00:33:10.240 --> 00:33:13.279
can make, because it's easily to prove that that's not true.

516
00:33:14.200 --> 00:33:16.319
You can take people saying the Holy Spirit helps me

517
00:33:16.400 --> 00:33:19.640
understand you. Okay, well here's this text. Please explain to

518
00:33:19.680 --> 00:33:22.759
me in this text you know that why is there

519
00:33:22.799 --> 00:33:25.359
this textual variant? Why does it say this in the Greek?

520
00:33:26.079 --> 00:33:28.599
What is the Greek saying here? What is the Hebrew

521
00:33:28.720 --> 00:33:31.359
saying here? And you can just ask them basic theological

522
00:33:31.440 --> 00:33:34.359
questions like okay, you've got the Holy Spirit. Go and

523
00:33:34.400 --> 00:33:35.839
they look at you and they can't answer any of

524
00:33:35.839 --> 00:33:38.200
the questions. Wait, I thought you had the Holy Spirit.

525
00:33:38.559 --> 00:33:40.960
Just tell me the answer. These are basic questions you

526
00:33:40.960 --> 00:33:43.880
may get in a hermeneutics class. Go, you've got the

527
00:33:43.880 --> 00:33:46.680
Holy Spirit and they can't. But yet they'll tell you

528
00:33:46.680 --> 00:33:50.000
you're wrong, You're wrong, You're wrong. Well wait, wait, so

529
00:33:50.319 --> 00:33:52.200
you can just tell me that I'm wrong, claiming that

530
00:33:52.240 --> 00:33:55.160
the Holy Spirit told you that I'm wrong, Meaning then

531
00:33:55.200 --> 00:33:58.559
your interpretation is infallible. Okay, there's just so many problems

532
00:33:58.559 --> 00:34:03.799
with it. So this leads to the problem of subjectivity.

533
00:34:05.079 --> 00:34:08.639
So we start with in a sense, the claim scripture alone.

534
00:34:09.360 --> 00:34:12.480
But then we step in. And when we step in,

535
00:34:12.880 --> 00:34:15.519
because of being the priesthood of all believers and claiming

536
00:34:15.559 --> 00:34:18.599
the Holy Spirit gives us the power. Well, now we

537
00:34:18.679 --> 00:34:21.960
start giving our own thoughts. Well, this leads to the

538
00:34:22.000 --> 00:34:25.400
authority of the individual, which this leads to the problem

539
00:34:25.480 --> 00:34:35.039
of subjectivity. Without a central interpretive authority like the Catholic Magisterium,

540
00:34:35.239 --> 00:34:45.280
interpretation of scripture can vary wildly widely. Individuals then bring

541
00:34:45.320 --> 00:34:50.760
their own bias, their own culture, their own context, and

542
00:34:50.840 --> 00:34:55.320
their own presuppositions to the text. And what does this

543
00:34:55.480 --> 00:34:57.920
lead to? This is not even a theoretical What does

544
00:34:57.960 --> 00:35:01.360
it lead to? It leads to contradict reinterpretations. Do we

545
00:35:01.440 --> 00:35:06.960
have that in Christianity? Check check check check check check check,

546
00:35:08.199 --> 00:35:11.920
confusion about which interpretation is correct? Do we have that

547
00:35:12.440 --> 00:35:18.639
check check check, check check. Division within churches and denominations,

548
00:35:18.800 --> 00:35:21.920
do we have that check check, check, check, check, check, check, check, check,

549
00:35:22.000 --> 00:35:29.159
check and double check. So what do you what do

550
00:35:29.199 --> 00:35:33.719
you do here? What do you do now? Some will say, well, well,

551
00:35:33.840 --> 00:35:37.440
what we need is community and accountability. That's sometimes the

552
00:35:37.480 --> 00:35:42.400
Protestant answer, right. So, while Protestant theology emphasizes the individual

553
00:35:42.440 --> 00:35:46.119
ability to interpret scripture, it will also try to stress well,

554
00:35:46.159 --> 00:35:48.880
wait a minute, wait a minute, we need the church community.

555
00:35:49.519 --> 00:35:55.440
We need the church community. It provides accountability, it provides correction. Now,

556
00:35:55.480 --> 00:36:00.039
in theory, the church as a collective body under the

557
00:36:00.039 --> 00:36:03.079
guidance of the Holy Spirit, is supposed to help safeguard

558
00:36:03.280 --> 00:36:08.960
against extreme or erroneous interpretations. However, in practice, the communal

559
00:36:09.000 --> 00:36:15.400
authority often gives way to individual autonomy. I mean, you

560
00:36:15.440 --> 00:36:18.159
can the reason we say, oh we need the church,

561
00:36:18.199 --> 00:36:19.679
we need the church, we need the church, we need

562
00:36:19.719 --> 00:36:21.320
the church, is because, well, you got to have people

563
00:36:21.360 --> 00:36:23.280
coming to church so that they give money, so that

564
00:36:23.320 --> 00:36:25.480
you can pay all that money for the buildings and

565
00:36:25.559 --> 00:36:27.880
for the salaries. So we say we need the church.

566
00:36:28.039 --> 00:36:31.519
But this is where it's contradictory. Oh you need the church,

567
00:36:31.599 --> 00:36:34.559
you need these gifted men of God who've been equipped

568
00:36:34.599 --> 00:36:38.000
by God to preach the word of God. But we

569
00:36:38.039 --> 00:36:40.199
believe in the priesthood of all believers, and you, as

570
00:36:40.239 --> 00:36:43.519
an individual, has the ability and the authority and the

571
00:36:43.519 --> 00:36:47.679
power of God and to interpret the Bible for yourself.

572
00:36:47.719 --> 00:36:50.400
And you're supposed to judge whether what is preached is

573
00:36:50.400 --> 00:36:52.920
true or false. But you need the church. You need

574
00:36:52.960 --> 00:36:55.039
the church. Why don't you need the church. Well, you've

575
00:36:55.039 --> 00:36:56.719
got to have a place to come so that you

576
00:36:56.719 --> 00:36:59.679
can use your ability to determine what has preached is true.

577
00:36:59.719 --> 00:37:02.360
Or that's why you need the church. You need a

578
00:37:02.440 --> 00:37:05.519
church where you can come tell people that they're wrong. Now,

579
00:37:05.559 --> 00:37:07.599
a lot of people just show up and they just

580
00:37:07.639 --> 00:37:12.480
take whatever they hear and just believe it. But that's

581
00:37:12.480 --> 00:37:15.760
not really Protestant, is it. That sounds very Catholic. See

582
00:37:15.760 --> 00:37:19.039
many individuals within the Protestant world, they kind of treat

583
00:37:19.159 --> 00:37:22.440
their favorite preacher or their favorite denomination just like the

584
00:37:22.519 --> 00:37:27.199
magisterium of the Catholic Church. They're not gonna go check everything,

585
00:37:27.239 --> 00:37:29.960
they're not going to read everything, they're not verifying everything,

586
00:37:30.000 --> 00:37:32.159
they're not looking up the Greek and the Hebrew and

587
00:37:32.199 --> 00:37:34.840
what the Church Father. They're not checking any They just

588
00:37:34.920 --> 00:37:37.679
go get their little sermon and then that's great. They're

589
00:37:37.719 --> 00:37:40.000
not doing even half the work that would really be

590
00:37:40.079 --> 00:37:46.119
required if they were really doing their job. So this

591
00:37:46.280 --> 00:37:53.239
leads to the functional reality. What ultimately happens is you

592
00:37:53.320 --> 00:38:00.119
have individual interpretation becomes the practical authority. It is a

593
00:38:00.159 --> 00:38:04.800
well documented critique of Protestantism. What I am giving you

594
00:38:04.920 --> 00:38:11.440
is a well documented critique. It's led to the fragmation,

595
00:38:11.840 --> 00:38:16.039
the fragmentation of the entire Protestant world and to tens

596
00:38:16.079 --> 00:38:20.320
of thousands of denominations, and it underscores this issue. When

597
00:38:20.360 --> 00:38:22.159
you see all of these different groups and all these

598
00:38:22.159 --> 00:38:26.400
contradictory messages, then what I'm saying is not theoretical, it's

599
00:38:26.599 --> 00:38:34.280
practical reality. This entire system is a total mess. Even

600
00:38:34.400 --> 00:38:38.440
when you have individuals that claim to submit to scripture,

601
00:38:39.119 --> 00:38:43.679
their interpretation of scripture effectively becomes the authority. They say, no,

602
00:38:44.000 --> 00:38:47.199
it's the Bible. No, it's your interpretation of the Bible.

603
00:38:47.199 --> 00:38:49.119
That's why it drives me crazy. I can go to

604
00:38:49.119 --> 00:38:51.880
the Christian post, any Christian website. You got these Christian Well,

605
00:38:51.920 --> 00:38:55.000
the Bible says well, the Bible says no, your interpretation

606
00:38:55.159 --> 00:38:57.440
of the Bible says, because the person you just said

607
00:38:57.639 --> 00:39:00.800
was wrong, they reading the same Bible reading and they're

608
00:39:00.840 --> 00:39:03.719
telling you that you're wrong. So who's right? Well, the

609
00:39:03.760 --> 00:39:06.639
Bible says no, your interpretation of the Bible says, and

610
00:39:06.639 --> 00:39:10.119
you're judging that person based off your interpretation. He's judging

611
00:39:10.159 --> 00:39:13.360
you based off his interpretation. And there's a high probability

612
00:39:13.599 --> 00:39:16.360
neither of you have the reading a level of reading

613
00:39:16.400 --> 00:39:19.679
comprehension ability that you should even be making an interpretation.

614
00:39:19.920 --> 00:39:23.079
But this is the Protestant world. Welcome to the chaos,

615
00:39:23.199 --> 00:39:27.159
and brace the contradiction, Embrace how convoluted it all is,

616
00:39:27.280 --> 00:39:30.360
and enjoy yourself. Just get a coffee, sit back and watch.

617
00:39:39.159 --> 00:39:49.000
This individualism has led to nothing but significant division and disagreement.

618
00:39:49.079 --> 00:39:54.599
That's what it's led to. I mean, we have to

619
00:39:54.679 --> 00:39:58.400
just admit that this has led to nothing but division

620
00:39:59.360 --> 00:40:05.039
and disagree and spiritual anarchy is just insane, and we

621
00:40:05.119 --> 00:40:08.000
have wit If you think about twenty twenty four listening

622
00:40:08.000 --> 00:40:10.159
to all of these sermons, how many times have I

623
00:40:10.199 --> 00:40:13.079
been sitting here going what is this? I don't even

624
00:40:13.119 --> 00:40:16.880
know what's going on. Our entire discussion about false comfort

625
00:40:17.079 --> 00:40:19.960
is because I'm so sick of people taking Isaiah chapter forty,

626
00:40:20.039 --> 00:40:23.000
verse one and making it about us, taking Jeremiah, making

627
00:40:23.199 --> 00:40:25.480
over and over and over. Oh so, how many times

628
00:40:25.519 --> 00:40:27.719
have I just lost my ever living mind? And it's

629
00:40:27.840 --> 00:40:30.679
and I try to say, it's not even about disagreement,

630
00:40:30.840 --> 00:40:32.920
it's about what in the world is happening to the

631
00:40:32.920 --> 00:40:35.360
text of scripture. But it doesn't matter what happens to

632
00:40:35.400 --> 00:40:38.559
the text of scripture because anyone can interpret it any

633
00:40:38.679 --> 00:40:44.000
stinking way they want. There's nothing stopping them. Because the

634
00:40:44.360 --> 00:40:57.400
authority is the individual. Without a higher church authority, accountability

635
00:40:57.440 --> 00:41:02.039
often depends on local church structures, which are insufficient or inconsistent. Well,

636
00:41:02.079 --> 00:41:04.280
not only that, who cares what the local church says.

637
00:41:04.400 --> 00:41:07.400
The local church can say I'm sorry, Tom, you're wrong,

638
00:41:07.559 --> 00:41:10.199
and Tom can be like, yeah, but I read the

639
00:41:10.239 --> 00:41:12.800
Bible and the Holy Spirit led me to tell me

640
00:41:13.000 --> 00:41:15.400
that you guys are wrong. I'm gonna go start another

641
00:41:15.440 --> 00:41:17.840
stinking church. I'm gonna go to another church. You're wrong.

642
00:41:17.840 --> 00:41:19.639
And they're like, no, you're wrong, No, you're wrong, No

643
00:41:19.719 --> 00:41:22.719
you're wrong. Who's stinking cares? Everyone thinks they're right. What

644
00:41:22.840 --> 00:41:31.119
even difference does it make? The claim that scripture is

645
00:41:31.119 --> 00:41:37.639
the final authority? Basically becomes a hollow claim. If the

646
00:41:37.679 --> 00:41:42.159
interpretation of scripture is left entirely to subjective judgment, scripture

647
00:41:42.239 --> 00:41:46.360
is the final authority, is it? Really, it's just a slogan.

648
00:41:47.079 --> 00:41:52.239
It's just a bumper sticker cliche, because it's really left

649
00:41:52.360 --> 00:42:04.320
to subjective judgment, subjective interpretation, practical sense, the individual becomes

650
00:42:04.519 --> 00:42:12.159
the real authority. In Protestantism, solo scriptor may remain the principle,

651
00:42:13.840 --> 00:42:19.119
but the outworking of that principle relies heavily on individual interpretation,

652
00:42:20.519 --> 00:42:24.639
which leads both to freedom. That's the good thing, you're free,

653
00:42:25.280 --> 00:42:33.800
but it leads to fragmentation. This tension is intrinsic to Protestantism,

654
00:42:34.039 --> 00:42:37.320
and it continues to shape its theology, and it continues

655
00:42:37.360 --> 00:42:40.400
to shape its practice. And that's what we see. Ladies

656
00:42:40.440 --> 00:42:45.239
and gentlemen, Welcome to the thunderdome where we fight and

657
00:42:45.519 --> 00:42:50.039
argue and whoever gets the biggest following. Well, now they're right.

658
00:42:50.159 --> 00:42:52.280
I mean, look at MacArthur. He's got to be right.

659
00:42:52.400 --> 00:42:54.079
I mean he's got a study Bible, he's got all

660
00:42:54.079 --> 00:42:55.559
these books, he's got a big church. Oh wait wait

661
00:42:55.559 --> 00:42:57.440
wait no, no, no, no, this pastor is right. No,

662
00:42:57.519 --> 00:43:01.679
this pastor is right and then everyone people online, we're like, oh, no,

663
00:43:02.239 --> 00:43:05.559
Joelstein's an idiot, he's not right. No, Mark Driscoll's not right,

664
00:43:05.639 --> 00:43:08.960
no Magarth, And everyone picks their side, and then everyone

665
00:43:08.960 --> 00:43:11.800
thinks that they're right, and everyone is arrogant and prideful,

666
00:43:11.800 --> 00:43:14.800
and we condemn and we're judgmental because we all think

667
00:43:14.840 --> 00:43:17.039
we're right. And why do we think we're right? Because

668
00:43:17.079 --> 00:43:20.159
the final authority is not the Bible, it's not even God,

669
00:43:20.360 --> 00:43:22.920
it's us. We are our own little gods, our own

670
00:43:22.960 --> 00:43:25.679
little popes, our own little magisterium. And we get to

671
00:43:25.679 --> 00:43:28.159
tell everyone else that they're wrong. And we say, the

672
00:43:28.239 --> 00:43:31.960
Bible says you're wrong. No, your interpretation of the Bible

673
00:43:32.199 --> 00:43:43.360
says they're wrong. Now, just think in this system where

674
00:43:43.320 --> 00:43:49.480
it becomes individualistic, then it's almost like the individual has

675
00:43:49.559 --> 00:43:56.079
to be able to read. The individual must have reading

676
00:43:56.159 --> 00:44:00.320
comprehension skills so that it can understand a dense text,

677
00:44:00.559 --> 00:44:05.079
so it can understand something that can be very complicated, convoluted.

678
00:44:05.360 --> 00:44:08.239
It has all kinds of different literary genres. There's different

679
00:44:08.320 --> 00:44:13.559
historical context, there's grammar, there's syntext, there's all these things.

680
00:44:13.719 --> 00:44:17.079
If they can't figure out these principles. Why should they

681
00:44:17.119 --> 00:44:20.239
even be able even think that they can interpret it?

682
00:44:20.320 --> 00:44:22.559
You know why, because you become a Christian, they hand

683
00:44:22.559 --> 00:44:24.679
you a Bible and they basically you can read it,

684
00:44:24.679 --> 00:44:26.719
you can interpret it, and God will help you interpret it.

685
00:44:26.800 --> 00:44:29.760
Go forth. Oh yeah, and you you have to determine

686
00:44:29.760 --> 00:44:33.239
who's preaching the truth and who's preaching a lie. Go

687
00:44:33.360 --> 00:44:36.400
forth and do it. You can do it. Oh, we

688
00:44:36.400 --> 00:44:38.000
don't care if you can read. We don't even care

689
00:44:38.000 --> 00:44:40.119
if you're reading comprehension? Is that a fourth grade level?

690
00:44:40.199 --> 00:44:42.719
We don't care, because you can do it. And so

691
00:44:42.800 --> 00:44:44.599
they take off and they're like this person is right

692
00:44:44.639 --> 00:44:48.199
and this person's wrong, or they just get manipulated and

693
00:44:48.239 --> 00:44:51.119
saying just trust me your pastor well, then that kind

694
00:44:51.159 --> 00:45:01.800
of negates the entire Protestant Reformation and this whole idea

695
00:45:01.840 --> 00:45:09.199
that the Holy Spirit is the one that guides individuals today. Look,

696
00:45:09.559 --> 00:45:14.480
it is completely inconsistent with the widespread disagreement among Christians

697
00:45:14.519 --> 00:45:17.760
on essential non essential doctrines. If you just look at

698
00:45:17.800 --> 00:45:23.079
it logically, this claim is ridiculous. Many Christians will affirm

699
00:45:23.159 --> 00:45:27.440
that the Holy Spirit helps believers understand scripture. This is

700
00:45:27.599 --> 00:45:33.000
often interpreted as the spirit illuminating the meaning of the

701
00:45:33.079 --> 00:45:37.360
text to the believer. That's the claim. I was taught that.

702
00:45:37.480 --> 00:45:42.159
I was taught about inspiration. I was taught taught about preservation,

703
00:45:43.239 --> 00:45:47.559
but I was also taught about illumination and how the

704
00:45:47.559 --> 00:45:50.159
Holy Spirit illuminates us. But if the Holy Spirit is

705
00:45:50.199 --> 00:45:54.559
truly leading all Christians and their interpretation, then logically all

706
00:45:54.559 --> 00:46:00.719
believers should arrive at the exact same conclusion. The reality

707
00:46:00.800 --> 00:46:05.519
is Protestants, Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, every other group have significant

708
00:46:05.559 --> 00:46:09.480
doctrinal differences despite claiming to follow the Holy Spirit's guidance.

709
00:46:10.239 --> 00:46:15.360
Within just the Protestant world alone, there are thousands of denominations,

710
00:46:15.559 --> 00:46:20.360
each holding different interpretations of scripture. Even within individual congregations,

711
00:46:20.559 --> 00:46:29.119
disagreements on theology practice at the theology and practice is common. Now,

712
00:46:29.360 --> 00:46:32.199
why why do we have all of this issue? If

713
00:46:32.239 --> 00:46:34.840
the Holy Spirit is supposedly guiding, well, some will say, well,

714
00:46:34.840 --> 00:46:37.000
wait wait, wait, wait wait wait, the Holy Spirit's doing

715
00:46:37.000 --> 00:46:41.360
the guiding, the Holy spirits doing the illuminating. However, the

716
00:46:41.440 --> 00:46:44.840
disagreements and all of these problems result from not the

717
00:46:44.840 --> 00:46:50.519
Holy Spirit's failure, but from human fallibility, our biases, our

718
00:46:50.599 --> 00:46:54.559
cultural influences, and our sinful tendencies distort our ability to

719
00:46:54.599 --> 00:47:00.480
correct the scripture, to correctly interpret scripture. Just think about

720
00:47:00.519 --> 00:47:03.199
how ridiculous that sounds. Well, the Holy Spirit's the one

721
00:47:03.239 --> 00:47:06.119
who does it. But because of all of these problems, Well,

722
00:47:06.280 --> 00:47:10.760
we're fallible, and we have biases and cultural influence and

723
00:47:10.800 --> 00:47:14.519
sinful tendencies, and this distorts our ability to interpret the

724
00:47:14.519 --> 00:47:17.880
scriptures correctly. Well, if all of that's working against us,

725
00:47:18.079 --> 00:47:20.000
then why do we ever think we're ever going to

726
00:47:20.000 --> 00:47:22.519
get it right in the first place? And not only that,

727
00:47:22.719 --> 00:47:25.880
and if it can override the Holy Spirit's help, then

728
00:47:25.920 --> 00:47:28.119
what chance do we have. The Holy Spirit's like, I

729
00:47:28.199 --> 00:47:30.880
want to help you, understand, but I'm sorry your biases,

730
00:47:31.079 --> 00:47:35.320
your sinful inclinations. You're oh, it's too great for me

731
00:47:35.440 --> 00:47:38.559
to help you. Well, then if then the Holy Spirit's

732
00:47:38.679 --> 00:47:43.440
useless in that particular scenario. Oh, the Holy Spirit's like,

733
00:47:43.480 --> 00:47:50.599
I still want to help you, but I can't. Others argue, well, wait, wait, wait,

734
00:47:50.719 --> 00:47:53.840
it's the Holy Spirit doesn't promise to lead all believers

735
00:47:53.880 --> 00:47:57.760
into identical interpretations, but rather to guide them and their

736
00:47:57.880 --> 00:48:03.360
personal walk with God. What does that even mean? Oh,

737
00:48:03.400 --> 00:48:06.000
the Holy Spirit's helping you, but I mean he's not

738
00:48:06.039 --> 00:48:09.440
going to give everyone the same interpretation. Are you are

739
00:48:09.480 --> 00:48:13.400
you nuts? That doesn't make any sense. So these explanations

740
00:48:13.400 --> 00:48:16.000
for trying, Well, the Holy Spirit's there, but well he

741
00:48:16.000 --> 00:48:19.000
doesn't give everyone the same interpretation, or well, well well

742
00:48:19.199 --> 00:48:22.920
he can't overcome your biases, and well then there's no

743
00:48:23.159 --> 00:48:28.920
point ladies and gentlemen. Now, I think if anyone just

744
00:48:28.960 --> 00:48:32.960
looks at it logically, that the promises about guiding and

745
00:48:33.000 --> 00:48:35.559
all of this was directed at the apostles and the

746
00:48:35.559 --> 00:48:39.559
early church leaders and context a passage like John sixteen

747
00:48:39.679 --> 00:48:42.840
thirteen refers to the Spirit guiding the apostles and writing

748
00:48:42.880 --> 00:48:46.960
and preserving inspired scripture rather than providing an infallible guide

749
00:48:46.960 --> 00:48:49.800
for individual believers. Today, I think it's absolute. There's no

750
00:48:49.840 --> 00:48:53.400
other way to get around it. These promises are for

751
00:48:53.480 --> 00:48:56.400
the apostles. It's for those who wrote the New Testament,

752
00:48:56.519 --> 00:49:14.159
not for us. So if the individual, think of it

753
00:49:14.159 --> 00:49:17.639
this way. So if it's the individual, oh think of it.

754
00:49:18.039 --> 00:49:20.440
Let me state it another way. So if it's not

755
00:49:20.599 --> 00:49:24.760
the church. In other words, we reject the magisterium, reject

756
00:49:24.800 --> 00:49:27.760
the pastor's with the church's authority. So let's do that.

757
00:49:27.880 --> 00:49:32.400
No magisterium, no church's authority. And if it's not the

758
00:49:32.440 --> 00:49:41.119
Holy Spirit that's leading and guiding us, then it's the individual.

759
00:49:42.119 --> 00:49:46.079
And if it's the individual, and yet, we have studies

760
00:49:46.679 --> 00:49:51.760
that indicate around seventy percent of the population, if not more,

761
00:49:52.519 --> 00:49:55.760
have a reading and reading comprehension level that is at

762
00:49:55.800 --> 00:50:00.239
a sixth grade level or below. That would lead the

763
00:50:00.280 --> 00:50:06.519
major problems, and it could possibly explain all the disagreements,

764
00:50:07.039 --> 00:50:12.719
all the confusion, and all the overall chaos when it

765
00:50:12.760 --> 00:50:19.079
comes to Bible interpretation. If interpretation is primarily a human

766
00:50:19.199 --> 00:50:22.519
endeavor rather than a direct, uniform guide by the Holy Spirit,

767
00:50:25.079 --> 00:50:29.199
well then guess what the varying capacities of an individual,

768
00:50:29.199 --> 00:50:33.360
The very capability of an individual to understand the Bible

769
00:50:33.440 --> 00:50:37.079
text becomes the critical factor. So the critical factor, then

770
00:50:37.320 --> 00:50:40.199
if it's not the church, it's not the magisterium, it's

771
00:50:40.199 --> 00:50:43.360
not the Holy Spirit, it's the individual. And well, then,

772
00:50:43.440 --> 00:50:47.800
ladies and gentlemen, your ability to read and comprehend that's

773
00:50:47.840 --> 00:50:51.519
the key. That's the critical issue. It's not anything it's

774
00:50:51.599 --> 00:50:58.079
not anything else, it's your ability to read. Studies indicate

775
00:50:58.880 --> 00:51:02.239
that a significant percentage of people read at a sixth

776
00:51:02.320 --> 00:51:05.800
grade level or below, and this highlights some foundational issues.

777
00:51:05.960 --> 00:51:11.840
The Bible, even in modern translations, contains complex literary forms.

778
00:51:12.400 --> 00:51:19.159
It contains historical references, It contains philological concepts, it contains

779
00:51:19.599 --> 00:51:26.920
ancient cultural context. If readers struggle to comprehend even a

780
00:51:26.960 --> 00:51:33.199
straightforward text, interpreting scripture accurately becomes even more challenging. Most

781
00:51:33.239 --> 00:51:38.119
people today can't even comprehend and read a basic, straightforward text.

782
00:51:39.280 --> 00:51:42.599
They cannot you give, There's been study after study that

783
00:51:42.639 --> 00:51:44.920
will give them, like a newspaper article, and the individuals

784
00:51:44.960 --> 00:51:47.159
can't determine which part of the of the of the

785
00:51:47.199 --> 00:51:50.760
story is opinion, which part is fact based. They don't

786
00:51:50.800 --> 00:51:53.880
know if it's first hand information secondhand information. They don't

787
00:51:53.880 --> 00:51:56.760
know how to verify. They're just lost in a sea

788
00:51:56.800 --> 00:51:59.000
of words. They don't know what to do. But yet

789
00:51:59.400 --> 00:52:01.920
they can come to church, open up a Bible, and

790
00:52:01.960 --> 00:52:09.599
start arguing with everyone. Think of the complexity of the Bible.

791
00:52:09.800 --> 00:52:16.480
You've got language in vocabulary. Biblical language often uses metaphors, idioms,

792
00:52:16.719 --> 00:52:21.039
and ancient phrasing that requires careful study to understand. Just

793
00:52:21.079 --> 00:52:24.800
think of historical context. Many passages of the Bible depend

794
00:52:24.880 --> 00:52:27.920
on knowledge of ancient Near Eastern or Greco Roman culture,

795
00:52:28.159 --> 00:52:33.800
which most readers lack. That information philological death. The Bible

796
00:52:33.840 --> 00:52:37.920
deals with profound concepts salvation, gray, sin, sanctification that require

797
00:52:38.000 --> 00:52:41.480
more than a surface level reading to even begin to grasp.

798
00:52:43.199 --> 00:52:45.480
Look at all the variety. When it comes to genre,

799
00:52:45.679 --> 00:52:50.199
the Bible includes poetry, prophecy, narrative, apocalyptic literature, epistles, each

800
00:52:50.280 --> 00:52:56.800
requiring a completely different interpretive approach. Anyone with a lower

801
00:52:56.840 --> 00:53:01.679
reading comprehension level these complexities will easily lead to misinterpretation

802
00:53:01.960 --> 00:53:06.880
or oversimplification. They will either oversimplify the passage or completely

803
00:53:06.880 --> 00:53:10.559
misinterpret the passage or change its intended meaning. And we

804
00:53:10.599 --> 00:53:13.760
see this happen twenty four hours a day, seven days await,

805
00:53:14.239 --> 00:53:17.039
seven days a week within Christianity, and nobody wants to

806
00:53:17.079 --> 00:53:23.559
address the elephant in the room. So what are the

807
00:53:23.599 --> 00:53:27.400
implications of this, Well, it's going to lead to subjectivity, right.

808
00:53:28.159 --> 00:53:31.519
Individuals are likely to impose their own understanding, biases, and

809
00:53:31.599 --> 00:53:35.480
experiences onto the text, especially when they lack the tools

810
00:53:35.519 --> 00:53:39.480
for critical interpretation. If they don't have the tools as

811
00:53:39.519 --> 00:53:41.920
to whatever they says, well, we'll teach them Bible study. No,

812
00:53:42.039 --> 00:53:43.880
you've got to stink and teach them how to read

813
00:53:44.039 --> 00:53:46.400
and how to comprehend what they read. Before you even

814
00:53:46.440 --> 00:53:50.199
get to Bible study. There's no point teaching Bible study

815
00:53:50.199 --> 00:53:54.639
if they can't read and comprehend what they read. So

816
00:53:54.719 --> 00:53:56.760
then guess what this leads to? Now? Know it does?

817
00:53:56.800 --> 00:53:59.320
It lead to subjectivity? It leads to are you ready

818
00:53:59.599 --> 00:54:05.039
over reliance on pastors and teachers? See, those who may

819
00:54:05.079 --> 00:54:08.760
feel unequipped are like, wow, this is all complicated. They

820
00:54:08.800 --> 00:54:13.320
just will lean heavily on a pastor, a denominational leader,

821
00:54:14.000 --> 00:54:20.519
or a certain philological brand, a certain theological system, and

822
00:54:20.519 --> 00:54:22.840
then they just stay comfortably there. They're gonna They're never

823
00:54:22.880 --> 00:54:28.599
gonna go contrary to that. And what else does this

824
00:54:28.679 --> 00:54:31.679
lead to? Well, if you have varying levels of comprehension

825
00:54:31.719 --> 00:54:35.079
and interpretive skills, well, that could easily explain why we

826
00:54:35.119 --> 00:54:44.679
have disagreements over everything. And this is prevalent within Christianity.

827
00:54:45.840 --> 00:54:47.800
So then what does that? What do we do with this? Well,

828
00:54:47.880 --> 00:54:51.679
Biblical interpretation then requires a level of literacy. Did you

829
00:54:51.719 --> 00:54:55.840
hear that Biblical interpretation requires a level of literacy. You

830
00:54:55.920 --> 00:54:59.559
cannot do biblical interpretation without a certain level of literacy.

831
00:55:00.440 --> 00:55:03.840
You also have to have certain critical thinking skills that

832
00:55:03.920 --> 00:55:08.960
goes beyond basic reading comprehension and without these skills, individuals

833
00:55:09.079 --> 00:55:14.079
will miskey points, are completely interpret passages of scripture out

834
00:55:14.159 --> 00:55:19.559
of context. There is a certain level of critical thinking,

835
00:55:19.880 --> 00:55:23.440
a certain level of reading, and a certain level of

836
00:55:23.480 --> 00:55:28.480
reading comprehension that is required before Bible interpretation can take place.

837
00:55:28.840 --> 00:55:36.239
But the church doesn't care about this. So what would

838
00:55:36.280 --> 00:55:39.519
this then mean that what we need in churches. I

839
00:55:39.559 --> 00:55:45.840
hate to say this, we need a class on reading, reading, comprehension,

840
00:55:46.519 --> 00:55:51.320
and critical thinking. The church has to pick up where

841
00:55:51.360 --> 00:55:56.599
the educational system has failed. If the educational system, because

842
00:55:56.639 --> 00:55:59.360
the church, when we look at people, there's an assumption

843
00:55:59.440 --> 00:56:02.599
that they have a certain level of reading that I mean,

844
00:56:02.639 --> 00:56:04.239
we don't think about it, we don't talk about but

845
00:56:04.280 --> 00:56:07.360
that we are operating under an assumption that they can.

846
00:56:07.840 --> 00:56:11.519
Well they don't. They can't. Every study in the world

847
00:56:11.559 --> 00:56:14.440
says otherwise, especially here in the United States of America,

848
00:56:14.480 --> 00:56:16.840
where we fall behind many nations. Now you can turn

849
00:56:16.880 --> 00:56:19.039
this into a political point and yell and scream and

850
00:56:19.119 --> 00:56:22.599
wanting the government to fix the educational system. The church

851
00:56:22.639 --> 00:56:26.480
has to start fixing the educational system, saying, hey, for

852
00:56:26.559 --> 00:56:28.960
a new Believer's class, what we're going to do for

853
00:56:29.000 --> 00:56:32.960
the first six weeks is reading, reading, comprehension and critical

854
00:56:33.000 --> 00:56:36.599
thinking skills. Well, when do we get to the Bible

855
00:56:36.960 --> 00:56:41.320
when you can figure these things out kind of like

856
00:56:41.360 --> 00:56:43.800
the karate kid, when do I get to actually paunch kin? Well,

857
00:56:43.960 --> 00:56:47.159
after you wax on and wax off and you do

858
00:56:47.239 --> 00:56:49.280
this and you do that. Wait, I want to learn

859
00:56:49.320 --> 00:56:51.239
how to fight. You got to do these things first. Well,

860
00:56:51.239 --> 00:56:52.880
I want to learn how to read the Bible. Well,

861
00:56:52.960 --> 00:56:54.920
you will after you learn how to read. I want

862
00:56:54.960 --> 00:56:56.639
to learn how to interpret the Bible. Well, when you

863
00:56:56.679 --> 00:57:01.320
can interpret Animal Farm or nineteen eighty four Lord of

864
00:57:01.320 --> 00:57:03.199
the Flies, or I can go through a number of

865
00:57:03.199 --> 00:57:06.039
a famous novels. If you can't interpret these novels, you

866
00:57:06.079 --> 00:57:08.480
can't do this. And I guarantee you you can go

867
00:57:08.519 --> 00:57:10.719
to church and hand some of these people these novels.

868
00:57:11.039 --> 00:57:14.199
Their interpretation of them would be a train wreck of

869
00:57:14.280 --> 00:57:21.599
epic proportions. You could take Shakespeare, Edgar Allan Poe, you

870
00:57:21.639 --> 00:57:25.199
could take famous novels, Moby Dick, Lord of the Flies,

871
00:57:25.760 --> 00:57:28.639
nineteen eighty four. I mean I go through I could

872
00:57:28.679 --> 00:57:30.920
go through a number. I have a list of them

873
00:57:30.960 --> 00:57:33.800
that you almost like. And if the people in the

874
00:57:33.840 --> 00:57:38.840
church cannot interpret those novels, they have no business anywhere

875
00:57:39.039 --> 00:57:41.760
near the Bible. They shouldn't even get within a thousand

876
00:57:41.840 --> 00:57:52.079
miles of it. Now, guess what if you'll look at

877
00:57:52.079 --> 00:57:56.840
this problem wells, does this not explain the misunderstanding of

878
00:57:56.920 --> 00:57:59.679
key doctrines that it often stems from a shallow or

879
00:57:59.679 --> 00:58:04.800
incore reading of scripture. For instance, many interpret promises meant

880
00:58:04.800 --> 00:58:09.280
for specific audiences like Israel as universally applicable to all Christians.

881
00:58:09.360 --> 00:58:13.519
How many times do you hear this? We've been seeing

882
00:58:13.519 --> 00:58:17.840
this when in Isaiah forty Hey you've got pastors. No,

883
00:58:17.960 --> 00:58:21.119
that stinking promises not for you. But hey, guys, it's

884
00:58:21.159 --> 00:58:26.480
all for you. No, it's not. That's shallow reading, poor reading, comprehension.

885
00:58:26.920 --> 00:58:34.159
Just everything about it is wrong. Guess what else this

886
00:58:34.239 --> 00:58:36.679
leads to. It leads to doctrinal confusion. It leads to

887
00:58:37.079 --> 00:58:41.079
basically a never ending amount of personal opinions. When the

888
00:58:41.159 --> 00:58:44.920
emphasis is on individual interpretation. Well, guess what. It leads

889
00:58:44.920 --> 00:58:48.559
to diverse and conflicting views, and these arise when individuals

890
00:58:48.599 --> 00:58:58.280
approach the text without adequate tools of knowledge. You know

891
00:58:58.280 --> 00:59:00.199
what else this will lead to. It will lead to

892
00:59:00.239 --> 00:59:07.159
a more emotional, mystical approach. Those who lack interpretive skills

893
00:59:08.880 --> 00:59:20.800
will substitute emotion or spirituality spiritual impressions for proper exegesis,

894
00:59:21.320 --> 00:59:27.280
which only makes the problem worse. So if you take

895
00:59:27.320 --> 00:59:32.119
the combination of low comprehension levels, a lack of hermeneutical training,

896
00:59:32.880 --> 00:59:36.079
and individual responsibility for interpretation, it will lead to the

897
00:59:36.159 --> 00:59:39.519
rise of contradictory teaching and doctrines, a focus on just

898
00:59:39.599 --> 00:59:42.320
the plain reading of the text that ignores deeper context,

899
00:59:42.519 --> 00:59:44.960
and it will lead to division within and between churches

900
00:59:45.039 --> 00:59:53.440
as people interpret scripture differently based on their understanding. So

901
00:59:53.679 --> 00:59:56.360
how do you fix this? Well, you almost need the

902
00:59:56.440 --> 01:00:02.880
church to say, hey, guys, we need to be humble here.

903
01:00:03.559 --> 01:00:06.000
We got to be able to face ourselves and go, man,

904
01:00:06.400 --> 01:00:08.360
you know what, I never was great at reading and

905
01:00:08.440 --> 01:00:11.599
reading comprehension, and I really, you know, they could hand

906
01:00:11.599 --> 01:00:14.320
me certain works by maybe Shakespeare or this, and I

907
01:00:14.360 --> 01:00:16.800
had no clue what was going on. Maybe I should

908
01:00:16.800 --> 01:00:19.719
be careful about how much I think I know about

909
01:00:19.719 --> 01:00:22.559
the Bible. Maybe a little bit of humility would go

910
01:00:22.760 --> 01:00:36.480
a long way. Maybe we could hand people I don't

911
01:00:36.480 --> 01:00:41.599
know to kill a mockingbird, animal Farm, Lord of the Flies,

912
01:00:42.000 --> 01:00:48.599
The Scarlet Letter, Moby Dick, Crime and Punishment, A Heart

913
01:00:48.639 --> 01:00:54.400
of Darkness, Pride and Prejudice nineteen eighty four, Paradise, Loss,

914
01:00:55.480 --> 01:01:01.199
the Road, Ts Eliott's The Wasteland, William Blake's Song of

915
01:01:01.239 --> 01:01:06.400
Innocence and Experience. All of these works require all kinds

916
01:01:06.400 --> 01:01:10.679
of different comprehension, skills and ability. They require a lot

917
01:01:10.719 --> 01:01:13.239
of effort and a lot and and if you can't

918
01:01:13.280 --> 01:01:15.360
do and a lot of these people who are sitting

919
01:01:15.440 --> 01:01:17.480
in the pew, they'll tell you I didn't read this

920
01:01:17.519 --> 01:01:20.159
in school. I didn't read, I didn't do book I

921
01:01:20.159 --> 01:01:23.159
didn't do my book reports, I got the cliff notes

922
01:01:23.280 --> 01:01:26.239
I watched they bragged about how much they did not read.

923
01:01:26.280 --> 01:01:29.159
And yet they'll be right there telling you this is

924
01:01:29.159 --> 01:01:32.480
what the Bible means. Stop it. You didn't even you

925
01:01:32.519 --> 01:01:35.039
couldn't even read that novel. And you're gonna tell me

926
01:01:35.199 --> 01:01:41.159
what ezekiels about, what Isaiah's Just stop it. It's ridiculous,

927
01:01:41.280 --> 01:01:49.559
ladies and gentlemen. The Protestant system leads to this critique.

928
01:01:51.519 --> 01:01:56.400
No magisterium, not the church. The individual. The individual has

929
01:01:56.440 --> 01:01:59.519
the authority, The individual has the ability, and it's the

930
01:01:59.559 --> 01:02:03.519
individual rul's responsibility to critique what is being preached. Okay,

931
01:02:03.599 --> 01:02:08.079
all right, that's right, understand it gotcha all right? Solo scriptur. Well,

932
01:02:08.119 --> 01:02:11.960
let's be honest, it's the it's the individual's interpretation. It's

933
01:02:11.960 --> 01:02:15.440
not solo scripture. It's the individual's interpretation. Let's just be honest.

934
01:02:15.599 --> 01:02:18.840
We don't have thousands of churches. Every individual becomes their

935
01:02:18.880 --> 01:02:21.880
own church, their own pope, their own magisteria. All right.

936
01:02:22.199 --> 01:02:24.639
So if it's the individual, we just got to admit that.

937
01:02:24.800 --> 01:02:26.400
I know, we don't like to admit that. And we'll

938
01:02:26.400 --> 01:02:28.920
play all the little games you want to play about

939
01:02:28.920 --> 01:02:32.280
the church having the authority whatever. You can play those games.

940
01:02:32.280 --> 01:02:34.239
It comes down to the individual. Well, then if it

941
01:02:34.239 --> 01:02:36.280
comes down to the individual, then what is going to

942
01:02:36.280 --> 01:02:38.400
be required. Now we can play the game saying, well,

943
01:02:38.440 --> 01:02:42.159
the Holy Spirit leads to interpreting, but that the Holy

944
01:02:42.199 --> 01:02:44.400
spirit's not doing that. Because it was, we wouldn't have

945
01:02:44.440 --> 01:02:46.639
all of these problems. So it comes down to the individual.

946
01:02:46.639 --> 01:02:49.320
If it comes down to the individual, Before the individual

947
01:02:51.599 --> 01:02:55.960
picks up a Bible, opens it and says this is

948
01:02:56.000 --> 01:02:57.760
what it says, this is what it means, and that's wrong,

949
01:02:57.800 --> 01:02:59.840
and that's wrong, and that's wrong, that's wrong, they have

950
01:02:59.920 --> 01:03:04.880
to be able to demonstrate a certain level of reading

951
01:03:05.159 --> 01:03:21.360
comprehension and reading ability, or it's a free for all. Now,

952
01:03:21.400 --> 01:03:23.960
I know that's not going to be popular. They said, well,

953
01:03:24.000 --> 01:03:28.559
how does that even work practically? While churches start teaching

954
01:03:28.760 --> 01:03:43.159
reading comprehension critical thinking. See, I know this sounds crazy,

955
01:03:43.199 --> 01:03:54.360
but it's just it's the logical conclusion. Now, why did

956
01:03:54.360 --> 01:03:56.239
I bring this up? Because in a sermon that we

957
01:03:56.280 --> 01:04:00.400
reviewed on Hebrews chapter six, the pastor mentioned this about

958
01:04:00.639 --> 01:04:04.639
reading and reading comprehension. Right he meant, and he even acknowledged.

959
01:04:04.719 --> 01:04:08.639
He said his statistics were not exactly right, but he said,

960
01:04:08.840 --> 01:04:10.599
how many people read it? I think it was at

961
01:04:10.679 --> 01:04:12.760
third grade level? He gave? It was it was. It

962
01:04:12.840 --> 01:04:16.079
was a crazy number he gave. But even he acknowledged

963
01:04:16.119 --> 01:04:21.800
we got a problem here. Now. I thought it was

964
01:04:21.840 --> 01:04:24.599
funny because the way he handled Hebrew sixth, to me,

965
01:04:24.719 --> 01:04:28.199
seems to completely ignore the historical context and some of

966
01:04:28.239 --> 01:04:31.639
the basic critical thinking and reading comprehension skills that would

967
01:04:31.639 --> 01:04:34.360
be required to understand Hebrews chapter six. But I digress.

968
01:04:34.519 --> 01:04:38.880
The point is he mentioned the problem. Now he didn't

969
01:04:38.920 --> 01:04:41.880
mention what the solution was. Nobody mentions what the solution is,

970
01:04:41.920 --> 01:04:44.559
because the solution really would be like, whoa, we need

971
01:04:44.559 --> 01:04:47.199
to slow down here. We we just like, hey, here's

972
01:04:47.239 --> 01:04:52.440
a Bible, go go go well handing put person a

973
01:04:52.440 --> 01:04:57.519
book and they can't understand it. It would be, it

974
01:04:57.519 --> 01:05:00.360
would be, It would be fascinating to me just walk

975
01:05:00.400 --> 01:05:02.960
into churches and hand people some of these famous novels

976
01:05:04.280 --> 01:05:07.480
and say, okay, come back and we'll talk about it. One.

977
01:05:07.639 --> 01:05:09.400
I doubt that many of the wouldn't even bother to

978
01:05:09.440 --> 01:05:11.519
read it because I don't like to read. Okay, Well

979
01:05:11.559 --> 01:05:15.440
then it's just well, then why did you pick a

980
01:05:15.599 --> 01:05:18.800
religion where the entire revelation is in written form? That

981
01:05:19.280 --> 01:05:21.719
makes no sense to me? But okay, okay, all right,

982
01:05:23.480 --> 01:05:26.280
But if they will read it, many of them come back, well,

983
01:05:26.599 --> 01:05:28.159
I didn't get this, or I didn't understand this, or

984
01:05:28.199 --> 01:05:30.320
I didn't understand this. Yeah, but you're the one who

985
01:05:30.320 --> 01:05:32.559
tells me that Romans means this, or Isaiah means that.

986
01:05:32.800 --> 01:05:35.079
You're the one who argues all the time, but yet

987
01:05:35.119 --> 01:05:38.480
you can't interpret that novel. Or your interpretation of that

988
01:05:38.519 --> 01:05:40.599
novel is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard in

989
01:05:40.920 --> 01:05:43.039
the history of humankind, because that's no idea. What the

990
01:05:43.440 --> 01:05:45.760
nobody in history thinks that that's what the novel is

991
01:05:45.760 --> 01:05:47.679
talking about. The author himself says, that's not what the

992
01:05:47.719 --> 01:05:51.320
novel is about. You've completely misinterpreted it, and just and

993
01:05:51.360 --> 01:05:55.320
you can. I look, I've watched pastors talk about some

994
01:05:55.519 --> 01:05:58.599
rock song, you know, and they'll they'll they'll quote the lyrics,

995
01:05:58.599 --> 01:06:01.119
and you'll just be like, oh, out loud. They don't

996
01:06:01.119 --> 01:06:03.360
even understand what the lyrics are about. They do not

997
01:06:03.519 --> 01:06:06.639
understand what the lyrics are about. This is the most embarrassing.

998
01:06:06.840 --> 01:06:09.159
Yet they're supposed to preach to me the Bible, yet

999
01:06:09.159 --> 01:06:12.679
they can't understand a pop song. They can't understand a

1000
01:06:12.679 --> 01:06:16.639
classic rock song. The lyrics are too complicated for them.

1001
01:06:18.400 --> 01:06:20.519
But they're supposed to be interpreting to me the Book

1002
01:06:20.559 --> 01:06:26.599
of Isaiah, and I've watched that happen a thousand times.

1003
01:06:27.039 --> 01:06:29.320
Pastors will mention some lyric and I'm like, dude, that's

1004
01:06:30.000 --> 01:06:32.719
it's not what the song is about, man. And then

1005
01:06:32.760 --> 01:06:36.320
you talk to Christians about sometimes basic pop songs, basic

1006
01:06:36.800 --> 01:06:39.280
classic rock songs, and you'll just listen to people the

1007
01:06:39.320 --> 01:06:42.199
congregation like that's not what the song? Do you not

1008
01:06:42.360 --> 01:06:44.559
know what? Or just listen to them talk about a

1009
01:06:44.599 --> 01:06:47.039
movie and you'll be like that's not what. Never mind,

1010
01:06:48.199 --> 01:06:50.760
if you can't interpret a movie, if you can't interpret

1011
01:06:50.800 --> 01:06:54.079
a pop song, if you can't interpret a famous novel,

1012
01:06:54.440 --> 01:06:56.920
you think you can interpret the Bible because the Church

1013
01:06:56.960 --> 01:07:02.079
has this weird mentality that you the Bible's easy to understand.

1014
01:07:02.119 --> 01:07:04.400
Which that falls apart. We wouldn't have all these different

1015
01:07:04.400 --> 01:07:08.000
denominations or they just assume that everyone has the power

1016
01:07:08.000 --> 01:07:10.639
of God, God is leading their interpretation. Well, that wouldn't

1017
01:07:10.719 --> 01:07:15.440
lead to again, all of these denominations and nobody agree.

1018
01:07:15.679 --> 01:07:21.000
So something's wrong. Well, what's wrong is nobody bothered to

1019
01:07:21.039 --> 01:07:26.840
address the real issue reading comprehension, Reading, reading comprehension and

1020
01:07:26.880 --> 01:07:34.880
critical thinking. Now, he said, well, where do you fit

1021
01:07:34.920 --> 01:07:37.000
in there? I don't know. I know that I have

1022
01:07:37.079 --> 01:07:40.159
to constantly every day try to improve my reading every day,

1023
01:07:40.239 --> 01:07:42.760
have to try to improve my reading comprehension, and every

1024
01:07:42.840 --> 01:07:44.840
day I have to try to improve my critical thinking

1025
01:07:44.880 --> 01:07:49.400
skills every single day, every single day. And if I don't,

1026
01:07:49.920 --> 01:07:52.880
then my ability to interpret the Bible will not get

1027
01:07:52.920 --> 01:07:56.519
any better? Am I better now than I was? I feel?

1028
01:07:56.559 --> 01:07:59.000
I am? Am I a million miles away. Yes, I

1029
01:07:59.000 --> 01:08:00.840
don't think I could ever be. I mean, I would

1030
01:08:00.880 --> 01:08:02.599
really I would to be honest, I would have to

1031
01:08:02.639 --> 01:08:06.360
even dedicate more work and time to maybe doing you know,

1032
01:08:06.519 --> 01:08:09.679
reading books about how to improve your reading comprehension, reading

1033
01:08:09.679 --> 01:08:13.000
books about critical thinking skills. What are those critical thinking skills?

1034
01:08:13.039 --> 01:08:16.079
How to develop them? How to see you know, logic

1035
01:08:16.159 --> 01:08:19.000
and logical fallacies? What are the key logical fallacies? Am

1036
01:08:19.039 --> 01:08:21.760
I committing a logical fallacy? Am I committing a critical

1037
01:08:21.760 --> 01:08:25.159
thinking fallacy? Like just knowing about these things? Reading about

1038
01:08:25.199 --> 01:08:27.479
these things? But you know what it requires is us

1039
01:08:27.520 --> 01:08:30.720
to humbly go, Hey, here's how I've tried to do this,

1040
01:08:30.760 --> 01:08:33.560
even with James. Here's my hypothesis. I'm not saying that

1041
01:08:33.600 --> 01:08:36.359
I'm right, but here's my hypothesis. I try to say

1042
01:08:36.359 --> 01:08:38.560
that all the time. Here's here's how I'm going to

1043
01:08:38.560 --> 01:08:40.800
interpret this today. And what do I always say? How

1044
01:08:40.880 --> 01:08:45.119
I interpret a text today is irrelevant come tomorrow, because

1045
01:08:45.159 --> 01:08:48.039
I will study the text again and never rely on

1046
01:08:48.159 --> 01:08:51.279
previous understandings. Right. Why we say when we come to

1047
01:08:51.319 --> 01:08:53.680
a text, everything you've ever learned about the text before

1048
01:08:53.840 --> 01:08:56.079
should be thrown out because you've got to start again.

1049
01:08:56.239 --> 01:08:59.840
Why because you have to acknowledge your comprehension and your

1050
01:09:00.119 --> 01:09:04.600
reading ability and your interpretations are fallible. They are flawed.

1051
01:09:05.359 --> 01:09:09.600
We are not infallible. And you do not interpret text

1052
01:09:09.720 --> 01:09:15.760
based off your favorite theologies, your favorite philological team. You

1053
01:09:15.760 --> 01:09:18.159
don't look at a text based off reform theology non

1054
01:09:18.199 --> 01:09:25.199
reform theology. You look at the text for the text.

1055
01:09:29.159 --> 01:09:31.399
So we have to address this issue. We had to.

1056
01:09:31.479 --> 01:09:35.680
I went through a lot of that way quick, and

1057
01:09:35.960 --> 01:09:39.960
I think I messed up a couple of words. I

1058
01:09:40.000 --> 01:09:45.399
think I messed up one word in the I think

1059
01:09:45.439 --> 01:09:47.720
I missed up I messed up one word in the Catechism.

1060
01:09:50.439 --> 01:09:53.520
I can't remember what the word was, but I messed

1061
01:09:53.560 --> 01:09:58.520
up one word there. And then the democratization of Bible interpretation,

1062
01:09:58.640 --> 01:10:01.279
I think, I think i'm that word. There's probably two

1063
01:10:01.319 --> 01:10:04.239
or three words I messed up there. But see there's

1064
01:10:04.279 --> 01:10:07.640
my reading ability right right, And I know I have

1065
01:10:08.159 --> 01:10:09.840
if someone say, well, if you were to point out

1066
01:10:09.880 --> 01:10:13.880
your your your weaknesses reading ability right and and this way,

1067
01:10:14.600 --> 01:10:17.439
I was taught to read basically whole language, right. You

1068
01:10:17.439 --> 01:10:19.119
you look at a word, you know, learn what that

1069
01:10:19.159 --> 01:10:21.319
word is, and then that's the way you say it.

1070
01:10:21.439 --> 01:10:23.760
And I was not. I was not taught phonetically right,

1071
01:10:24.000 --> 01:10:25.680
So when I look at a word I'm almost If

1072
01:10:25.680 --> 01:10:28.359
I don't know the word, I'm incapable of being able

1073
01:10:28.399 --> 01:10:30.439
to break down the word until I hear it. Once

1074
01:10:30.479 --> 01:10:32.119
I hear it, then I'll just remember, Oh, that's what

1075
01:10:32.159 --> 01:10:35.479
it was. That's how I learned. Oh, here's a word symbolism. Okay.

1076
01:10:35.720 --> 01:10:39.319
At first I would have been like size, Okay, someone

1077
01:10:39.319 --> 01:10:41.640
tells me what the word is. Okay, oh, symbolism, okay, guy,

1078
01:10:41.680 --> 01:10:43.680
and I'll just remember it like I can remember it.

1079
01:10:44.159 --> 01:10:46.119
But if I come across a word that I haven't

1080
01:10:46.119 --> 01:10:49.000
stated in a long time, I know that I lack.

1081
01:10:49.199 --> 01:10:52.000
See that's a that's a flaw in me. Now I can,

1082
01:10:52.159 --> 01:10:55.880
I can. I can read really, And another flaw with

1083
01:10:55.920 --> 01:10:58.000
me is speed reading. Right. I do a lot of

1084
01:10:58.039 --> 01:11:00.920
speed reading. So that's great, that's a good ability to have.

1085
01:11:01.279 --> 01:11:03.720
But when you speed read, you just kind of like

1086
01:11:04.840 --> 01:11:07.800
you're not necessarily getting every single word right. You kind

1087
01:11:07.800 --> 01:11:10.600
of learn these little tricks to just go here, here, here, here, here, okay. God,

1088
01:11:10.840 --> 01:11:12.760
I can get you the basic meaning, but I may

1089
01:11:12.840 --> 01:11:14.960
miss some details. I'm good at seeing the big picture,

1090
01:11:15.039 --> 01:11:19.199
sometimes I will miss details, right, So like sometimes in

1091
01:11:19.239 --> 01:11:22.079
a novel, I will be horrible at remembering. So who

1092
01:11:22.119 --> 01:11:25.199
is the main character. I will I'll be trash it

1093
01:11:25.319 --> 01:11:28.479
remembering some details, right, But you asked me the big picture,

1094
01:11:28.800 --> 01:11:31.920
the meaning of it, the interpretation of it. I got

1095
01:11:31.960 --> 01:11:34.039
you there. Now we're in my will house. You asked

1096
01:11:34.079 --> 01:11:36.159
me some basic questions. You may even come to the

1097
01:11:36.199 --> 01:11:39.359
conclusion I didn't read the book. I'll be like, wait,

1098
01:11:39.399 --> 01:11:40.159
who is Johnny?

1099
01:11:40.600 --> 01:11:40.680
What?

1100
01:11:40.880 --> 01:11:43.199
Wait? What? What? Now? You can say, but I'll say, well,

1101
01:11:43.239 --> 01:11:45.760
this represents this, and this meant this, and so I

1102
01:11:45.840 --> 01:11:48.000
know that there's like sometimes I need to slow down,

1103
01:11:48.640 --> 01:11:50.359
get better at being able to figure out what the

1104
01:11:50.359 --> 01:11:53.600
words mean. Read every single things I know I have

1105
01:11:53.720 --> 01:11:57.880
to do. I know and I and I'm not going

1106
01:11:57.920 --> 01:12:00.479
to fix them today or tomorrow. All I can do

1107
01:12:00.560 --> 01:12:03.399
is be We've got to be aware of where our

1108
01:12:03.960 --> 01:12:07.600
our our weaknesses are and acknowledge that when we come

1109
01:12:07.640 --> 01:12:12.840
to the Bible. But we've got a problem, ladies and

1110
01:12:12.880 --> 01:12:16.319
gentlemen and the p and just think about it. If

1111
01:12:16.359 --> 01:12:22.039
the current generation who's in college can't read, they're going

1112
01:12:22.079 --> 01:12:27.239
to be the church members of the future. They're going

1113
01:12:27.279 --> 01:12:30.800
to be the pastors, they're going to be the biblical teachers.

1114
01:12:33.239 --> 01:12:38.920
If they're reading. Comprehension is poor. Now the church is

1115
01:12:38.960 --> 01:12:42.720
in trouble in the future unless the church decides we're

1116
01:12:42.760 --> 01:12:46.920
going to fix this. We're going to address reading, reading comprehension,

1117
01:12:46.920 --> 01:12:50.119
and critical thinking. You say, well, is that really the

1118
01:12:50.199 --> 01:12:52.680
church's job. Well, if the church churches can have pot

1119
01:12:52.720 --> 01:12:56.159
looks and all the other ridiculous things that they do,

1120
01:12:56.880 --> 01:12:59.439
I think they could do reading, reading comprehension a lot,

1121
01:12:59.479 --> 01:13:04.279
and thinking skills. If you can have game night, fun night,

1122
01:13:05.319 --> 01:13:08.319
banquet night, and all the other nonsense churches do, I

1123
01:13:08.359 --> 01:13:10.159
think we should do that. Now. The thing is, you

1124
01:13:10.199 --> 01:13:11.479
have reading comprehension night.

1125
01:13:11.600 --> 01:13:11.760
I do.

1126
01:13:12.000 --> 01:13:14.800
Anyone's going to show up, but they'll also be the

1127
01:13:14.840 --> 01:13:16.600
same people who don't show up will tell you what

1128
01:13:16.640 --> 01:13:20.720
the Bible means. It doesn't mean, so go figure. All right,

1129
01:13:20.720 --> 01:13:26.079
thanks for listening everyone, have a great day. God bless